Spontaneous preference for visual cues of animacy in naïve domestic chicks: The case of speed changes

Rosa‐Salva, Orsola; Grassi, Massimo; Lorenzi, Elena; Regolin, Lucia; Vallortígara, Giorgio

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2016.08.014

Cited by 75 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Human neonates and chicks of the domestic fowl share biases to prefer face-like stimuli212 and other cues associated with animate objects (reviewed in11314), such as biological motion5641, changes of speed8 and self-propulsion910. Individual variability in these predispositions has been observed in both species2121842, and in human neonates may be linked to high risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorders42.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Spontaneous preferences for cues associated with potential social partners include biases for attending to face-like configurations234, biological vs. rigid motion567, changes of speed8 and self-propelled objects910. Recently it has been shown that neonates at high familiar risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorders exhibit significantly weaker preferences for attending biological motion and face-like stimuli compared to low risk neonates taken from the general population11.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuli

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Baldan³

et al. 2017

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Predispositions of newborn vertebrates to preferentially attend to living beings and learn about them are pervasive. Their disturbance (e.g. in neonates at risk for autism), may compromise the proper development of a social brain. The genetic bases of such predispositions are unknown. We use the well-known visual preferences of newly-hatched chicks (Gallus gallus) for the head/neck region of the hen to investigate the presence of segregating variation in the predispositions to approach a stuffed hen vs. a scrambled version of it. We compared the spontaneous preferences of three breeds maintained genetically isolated for at least eighteen years while identically raised. Visually-naïve chicks of all breeds (Padovana, Polverara and Robusta maculata) showed the same initial preference for the predisposed stimulus, suggesting that the direction of the initial preference might be genetically fixed. A few minutes later though, striking differences emerged between breeds, which could indicate different strategies of dealing with affiliative objects: while the Polverara breed maintained a constant preference across the entire test, the Padovana and Robusta breeds progressively explored the alternative stimulus more. We hence documented the presence of inherited genetic variability in the expression of early social predispositions in interaction with environmental stimuli.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuli

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Fracasso

Baldan³

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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“…Tremoulet & Feldman [6] showed that even a single moving geometric figure can be identified by adult observers as animate based on simple motion cues. Recent research found that newborn human infants are already sensitive to self-propelledness [5], and newly hatched, naïve domestic chicks ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) also prefer self-propelled geometric figures to those moving with constant speed or their motion is the result of physical contact [7,8]. Thus it seems that there are inborn predispositions to these cues that may be widespread in vertebrates apart from the fact that basic motion cues of animacy are sufficient to trigger the perception of animacy [5,7,9] (but see [10,11]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8,18,19]). However, the two concepts cannot be fully separated, as animacy can be perceived without goal-directed behaviour, but attributing agency without animacy is not possible (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel approach to study the perception of animacy in dogs

2017

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Humans tend to perceive inanimate objects as animate based on simple motion cues. So far this perceptual bias has been studied mostly in humans by utilizing two-dimensional video and interactive displays. Considering its importance for survival, the perception of animacy is probably also widespread among animals, however two-dimensional displays are not necessarily the best approach to study the phenomenon in non-human species. Here we applied a novel method to study whether dogs recognize a dependent (chasing-like) movement pattern performed by inanimate agents in live demonstration. We found that dogs showed more interest toward the agents that demonstrated the chasing-like motion, compared to those that were involved in the independent movement. We suggest that dogs spontaneously recognized the chasing-like pattern and thus they may have considered the interacting partners as animate agents. This methodological approach may be useful to test perceptual animacy in other non-human species.

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“…Moreover, between the biological movement of a hen or a cat and the rigid motion of a hen rotated on its vertical axis, chicks prefer to approach the biologically moving object [11,21]; and between a self-propelled object and an object propelled by another one, naïve chicks prefer the self-propelled object [12]. Overall, chicks prefer to approach objects which are endowed with more animate features [2,3,22,23]. Early predispositions, though, might also depend on non-social factors, such as finding a shelter or avoiding predators independently of the presence of the mother hen.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naïve Chicks Prefer Hollow Objects

et al. 2016

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Biological predispositions influence approach and avoid responses from the time of birth or hatching. Neonates of species that require parental care (e.g. human babies and chicks of the domestic fowl) are attracted by stimuli associated with animate social partners, such as face-like configurations, biological motion and self-propulsion. The property of being filled is used as a cue of animacy by 8-month-old human infants but it is not known whether this reflects the effect of previous experience. We used chicks of the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) to investigate whether the property of being filled vs. hollow elicits spontaneous or learned preferences. To this aim we tested preferences of naïve and imprinted chicks for hollow and closed cylinders. Contrary to our expectations, we documented an unlearned attraction for hollow stimuli. The preference for hollow stimuli decreased when chicks were imprinted on filled stimuli but did not increase when chicks were imprinted on hollow stimuli, suggesting that hollowness is not crucial to determine affiliative responses for imprinting objects. When chicks were imprinted on occluded stimuli that could be either filled or hollow, the preference for hollow stimuli emerged again, showing that imprinting does not disrupt the spontaneous preference for hollow objects. Further experiments revealed that hollow objects were mainly attractive by means of depth cues such as darker innards, more than as places to hide or as objects with high contrast. Our findings point to predisposed preferences for hollow objects, and suggest that early predispositions might be driven by factors different from animacy cues.

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Spontaneous preference for visual cues of animacy in naïve domestic chicks: The case of speed changes

Cited by 75 publications

References 49 publications

Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuli

Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuli

Novel approach to study the perception of animacy in dogs

Naïve Chicks Prefer Hollow Objects

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