> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://manymanys.gitbook.io/mm1-lab-manual/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://manymanys.gitbook.io/mm1-lab-manual/study-background/research-questions.md). # Research questions {% hint style="warning" %} The list below outlines preliminary research questions. Some of them may not be addressed due to experimental constraints and/or procedural variation across species or taxa. {% endhint %} ## Within-taxa level questions **RQ1. Taxon-specific (reversal) learning capacity (e.g., Can cats succeed in a reversal learning task?)** 1. For each taxon, what proportion of individuals successfully achieve the learning criterion during the reversal phase? 2. For each subject and phase, is the proportion of correct trials significantly greater than chance performance (50% success rate), as determined by a binomial test? **RQ2. Taxon-specific acquisition and reversal performance (e.g., How quickly and accurately do cats learn during the task?).** 1. Within each taxon, what is the central tendency and variability in number of trials to criterion, choice latency, and success rates for both phases? 2. How does reversal performance compare to acquisition performance within the same individuals (e.g., reversal cost)? **RQ3. Taxon-specific cue-type effects (e.g., Does cue type impact how quickly and accurately cats learn during the task?)** 1. Within each taxon, does cue type (location vs. shape vs. color) affect number of trials to criterion, choice latency, success rate, and error patterns (i.e., perseverative vs. regressive errors during reversal) both for the acquisition and reversal phases? 2. If effects exist, what is the magnitude and direction of these effects (e.g., rank ordering of cue difficulty)? ## Between-taxa level questions **RQ4. Cross-taxon performance comparison (e.g., Do cats learn to reverse more quickly and accurately than dogs?)** 1. Do taxonomic groups differ in learning speed, overall performance, choice latency (across both phases), and reversal cost (during the reversal phase)? 2. Which taxa show superior, intermediate, or inferior performance on each metric? 3. Do taxonomic groups cluster into distinct cognitive “types” based on their performance metrics (e.g., fast reversal learners = high flexibility vs. slow reversal learners = low flexibility)? **RQ5. Cross-taxon cue-type interaction** 1. Is there a taxon × cue-type interaction? Specifically: 2. Do different taxa show different rank orderings of cue difficulty in either learning or reversal phases? 3. Are certain taxa more sensitive to specific cue types than others? 4. Does the magnitude of cue-type effects differ across taxa? ## Expected results Drawing on previous findings and existing theoretical frameworks (detailed above), we outline the following expectations: * At the species/taxon level, we anticipate that the proportion of individuals successfully reaching the learning criterion during the reversal phase will be significantly different across all tested species/taxa, suggesting that the capacity for reversal learning is not universally distributed. * Within species/taxa, we expect success rates to be higher during the initial learning phase than during reversal, and the number of trials required to reach criterion to be greater in the reversal phase, reflecting the cost of overriding a previously acquired association. * Regarding cue-type effects, we expect performance to align with each species/taxon’s sensory modality and ecology. Specifically, species/taxa for which spatial navigation and positional cues are ecologically dominant (e.g., ungulates, rodents, amphibians, invertebrates) are expected to perform best in the location condition. Taxa relying more heavily on object recognition and form-based processing (e.g., canids, felids, and other mammals) are expected to show superior performance in the shape condition. Taxa with highly developed visual systems and a primary reliance on chromatic information (e.g., humans, non-human primates, birds, fishes, reptiles) are expected to perform best in the color condition. * Finally, at the between-group level, we expect species/taxa to differ in learning speed, overall performance, and choice latency across both phases, as well as in reversal cost. We further anticipate that these differences will map onto distinguishable cognitive profiles consistent with taxonomic categorization. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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