The common (European) cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).
What about if you knew that if you wait, in 15 minutes you could get two?
At a point in child development, humans learn to plan for the future.
The common (European) cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). (Photo:Stock Photosfrom DAVID A. LITMAN/Shutterstock)
Other animals are capable of such planning when faced with similar situations.
Dogs, primates, and corvids (birds) can pass the test.
However, the cuttlefisha jot down of cephalopodis a solitary creature that does not use tools.
The original marshmallow experiment tested children’s abilities for delayed gratification. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom JOSIE GARNER/Shutterstock)
The original marshmallow experiment tested children’s abilities for delayed gratification.
for isolate self-control, a more elaborate marshmallow test was required.
The team took a new approach.
Cuttlefish were divided into experimental and control groups.
The marine creatures were all placed in tanks with two clear compartments that had treats behind clear doors.
The cuttlefish were trained to recognize three symbols that indicated whether a door would open.
A square meant the door would not open at all.
The results were impressive.
Upon realizing this, the test subjects decided to exert self-control and wait for the tasty treat.
In contrast, the control group participants were faced with shrimp behind a square door.
Without training on how to access a treat, they chose to eat the prawn without waiting.
This indicates that the cuttlefish in the test group were not simply following instinct but rather using cognitive abilities.
Then, the meaning of the colors was switched.
Why are cuttlefish so intelligent and able to exert self-control?
The researchers cannot yet draw a concrete conclusion.
