A new MIT study shows that both humans and animals continue to explore different approaches to a task even after learning the optimal strategy, due to potential benefits of discovering new, better alternatives or adapting to changes in the environment.
A study by MIT suggests that humans and animals have a built-in tendency to continuously tweak their methods, driven by the potential for discovering superior strategies and adapting to unforeseen changes.
The article from Earth.com discusses a study revealing that both humans and animals have an inherent tendency to experiment and explore, even after mastering a task. Conducted by researchers at MIT, the study suggests that this behavior serves two main purposes: adapting to potential changes in task rules and discovering potentially better solutions. The study involved humans and marmosets performing a task that required them to react when an image disappeared. Despite learning optimal strategies, participants continued to alter their responses based on past experiences, indicating an exploratory approach to improve their internal model of the environment. This behavior has implications for understanding learning processes and could provide insights into autism spectrum disorders, as marmosets are increasingly used in related research. The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.
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First, he says, simply because a task's rules seem set one moment doesn't mean they'll stay that way in this uncertain world, so altering behavior from the optimal condition every so often could help reveal necessary adjustments.
Second, and of equal importance, continuous exploration could also offer a chance to discover something superior to our current best.
"If the goal is to maximize reward, you should never deviate once you have found the perfect solution, yet you keep exploring. Why? It's like food. We all like certain foods, but we still keep trying different foods because you never know, there might be something you could discover," noted the researchers.
A survey of 100 researchers in animal behavior, conducted by Marcela Benítez and colleagues from Emory University and published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, has provided insights into current scientific views on animal emotions and consciousness. The survey reflects a growing acceptance of these capacities in a wide range of animals, highlighting the evolving perspectives in the field of animal behavior.
| Animal Group | Percentage Believing in Emotions |
|---|---|
| Non-human primates | 98% |
| Other mammals | 89% |
| Birds | 78% |
| Cephalopods | 72% |
| Fish | 53% |
| Insects | 67% |
| Other invertebrates | 71% |
The survey suggests a significant shift in scientific thought, with a majority of researchers now attributing emotions to a wide range of animals, even those previously considered less sentient. This indicates a growing acceptance of the complexity and depth of animal emotional experiences, likely influenced by recent research in animal cognition and emotions.
