Metacognition in monkeys during an oculomotor task.
Abstract
This study investigated whether rhesus monkeys show evidence of metacognition in a
reduced, visual oculomotor task that is particularly suitable for use in fMRI and
electrophysiology. The 2-stage task involved punctate visual stimulation and saccadic
eye movement responses. In each trial, monkeys made a decision and then made a bet.
To earn maximum reward, they had to monitor their decision and use that information
to bet advantageously. Two monkeys learned to base their bets on their decisions within
a few weeks. We implemented an operational definition of metacognitive behavior that
relied on trial-by-trial analyses and signal detection theory. Both monkeys exhibited
metacognition according to these quantitative criteria. Neither external visual cues
nor potential reaction time cues explained the betting behavior; the animals seemed
to rely exclusively on internal traces of their decisions. We documented the learning
process of one monkey. During a 10-session transition phase, betting switched from
random to a decision-based strategy. The results reinforce previous findings of metacognitive
ability in monkeys and may facilitate the neurophysiological investigation of metacognitive
functions.
Type
Journal articleSubject
Analysis of VarianceAnimals
Attention
Behavior, Animal
Brain
Cognition
Conditioning, Operant
Decision Making
Macaca mulatta
Photic Stimulation
Reaction Time
Saccades
Signal Detection, Psychological
Statistics as Topic
Time Factors
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10302Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1037/a0021611Publication Info
Middlebrooks, Paul G; & Sommer, Marc A (2011). Metacognition in monkeys during an oculomotor task. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn, 37(2). pp. 325-337. 10.1037/a0021611. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10302.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Marc A. Sommer
W. H. Gardner, Jr. Associate Professor
We study circuits for cognition. Using a combination of neurophysiology and biomedical
engineering, we focus on the interaction between brain areas during visual perception,
decision-making, and motor planning. Specific projects include the role of frontal
cortex in metacognition, the role of cerebellar-frontal circuits in action timing,
the neural basis of "good enough" decision-making (satisficing), and the neural mechanisms
of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

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