Understanding Animal Intelligence

Understanding Animal Intelligence: Practical Behavior Theory for Biology, Psychology, and Cognitive Science synthesizes theories and practice to comprehend animal cognition. Using the framework of reinforcement learning, the book brings together current knowledge of animal intelligence, focusing on decision-making, memory retrieval, associate learning, training, and more. It assesses evolutionary and environmental factors that influence cognition and behavior. It demonstrates how learning can be reconciled with genetic predispositions orienting behavior toward adaptive outcomes. This book explores motivational states and how these fulfill different goals at different times, such as seeking food and water.

This book summarizes and analyzes the framework of animal intelligence, focusing on decision-making, memory retrieval, associate learning, training, and more. It assesses both evolutionary and environmental factors that can influence an animal’s cognition and subsequent behavior. It demonstrates how learning can be reconciled with genetic predispositions that orient behavior toward adaptive outcomes. This book also provides a new understanding of motivational states and how these are used to fulfill different goals at different times, such as seeking food and water.

Understanding Animal Intelligence: Practical Behavior Theory for Biology, Psychology, and Cognitive Science is an important reference and course reading in animal behavior, animal physiology, and ethology.