Charles I Abramson

Oklahoma State University - Stillwater | Oklahoma State · Department of Psychology

To facilitate the study of learning in plants we share our experiences of trying to replicate Gagliano et al. (2016) pea plant experiment. In the course of our efforts, we identified eleven issues that must be addressed when attempting to replicate these experiments. The issues range from germination and transplantation of seedlings to experimental...

This article highlights some of the advantages that comparative psychology offers the veterinary student and veterinary education generally. Comparative psychology is the oldest of the social sciences and, as such, has accumulated over three centuries of experience in such areas as research design, animal–human interactions, and animal behavior. To...

Comparative psychology, in its narrow meaning, refers to the study of the similarities and differences in the psychology and behavior of different species. In a broader meaning, it includes comparisons between different biological and socio-cultural groups, such as species, sexes, developmental stages, ages, and ethnicities. This broader meaning or...

The cap-pushing response (CPR) is a new free-flying technique used to study learning and memory in honey bees. Bees fly to a target where they push a cap to reveal a hidden food source. When combined with traditional odor and color targets, the CPR technique opens the door to additional choice preference tests in honey bees. To facilitate the use o...

Researchers have determined that bioavailable aluminum chloride (AlCl3) may affect honey bee behavior (e.g., foraging patterns and locomotion) and physiology (e.g., abdominal spasms). The purpose of these experiments was to determine if Fiji water reduces the impacts of AlCl3 toxicity in bees by measuring circadian rhythmicity (number of times bees...

The purpose of this contribution is threefold. First, is to acquaint neuroscientists with the area of psychology known as comparative psychology. Comparative psychology is the oldest of the organized social sciences with the term appearing as early as 1808. Many of the myriad issues of experimental design routinely faced by comparative psychologist...

Flying social insects can provide model systems for in-flight interactions in computationally-constrained aerial robot swarms. The social interactions in flying insects may be chemically modulated and quantified via recent measurement advancements able to simultaneously make precise measurements of insect wing and body motions. This paper presents...

The honey bee is economically significant insect and plays an important role in the pollination of various plants. With regard to the widespread use of pesticides in agricultural lands, honey bees, as non-target and useful insect, inadvertently contact these chemicals. Thus, in order to evaluate the effects of some pesticides, the toxicity of three...

Flying social insects can provide models of the interactions needed for aerial robot swarms having limited processing resources. The ability to simultaneously make precise measurements of insect wing and body motions on such interacting insects is a recent capability, and chemical exposure may be used to modulate the interactions between insects. T...

Background Aluminum is the third most prevalent element in the earth’s crust. In most conditions, it is tightly bound to form inaccessible compounds, however in low soil pH, the ionized form of aluminum can be taken up by plant roots and distributed throughout the plant tissue. Following this uptake, nectar and pollen concentrations in low soil pH...

The fields of developmental biology, biomedicine, and artificial life are being revolutionized by advances in synthetic morphology. The next phase of synthetic biology and bioengineering is resulting in the construction of novel organisms (biobots), which exhibit not only morphogenesis and physiology but functional behavior. It is now essential to...

Aversive learning has been studied in a variety of species, such as honey bees, mice, and non-human primates. Since aversive learning has been found in some invertebrates and mammals, it will be interesting to know if this ability is shared with crickets. This paper provides data on aversive learning in male and female house crickets ( Acheta domes...

Ethanol consumption has been shown to have many deleterious effects, including behavioral alterations, motor deficits, reduction in inhibition, and alteration of neurochemical expression. These effects occur in the wide variety of species that consume ethanol. Although studies have examined aversive conditioning in honey bees (Apis mellifera), few...

Habituation, or a decreasing response to repeated stimulation, is the simplest form of learning. Habituation has been demonstrated in the well-established invertebrate models Drosophila melanogaster and C. elegans. Our preliminary data suggest tardigrades (Dactylobiotus dispar) also demonstrate habituation. Tardigrades are closely related to both D...

Honey bees are an established animal model for studying learning and memory related behaviors. In recent years, honey bees have become more common as a model for investigations of molecular biology, including gene expression. Honey bees have been used to extrapolate genetic functions found in other invertebrates, such as Drosophila melanogaster. Th...

Stress is defined as any deviation from an organism’s baseline physiological levels. Therefore, introduction of new stimuli and information, such as in learning, can be defined as a stressor. A large body of research exists examining the role that stress plays in learning, but virtually none addresses whether or not learning itself is a measurable...

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play an important role in agriculture worldwide. Several factors including agrochemicals can affect honey bee health including habitat fragmentation, pesticide application, and pests. The growing human population and subsequent increasing crop production have led to widespread use of agrochemicals and there is growing con...

Species of migrating insects use magnetic fields as a navigational tool that is independent of current weather conditions and non‐migrating species have been shown to discriminate anomalies in magnetic field from the earth's baseline. Honey bee discrimination of magnetic field has been studied in the context of associative learning, physiology, and...

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether honey bees (Apis mellifera) are able to use social discriminative stimuli in a spatial aversive conditioning paradigm. We tested bees’ ability to avoid shock in a shuttle box apparatus across multiple groups when either shock, or the absence of shock, was associated with a live hive mate, a...

The Psychology as Science Scale (Friedrich, 1996) was administered to 525 psychology students from nine Russian universities to assess their beliefs about the nature of the discipline. About half of students (49.6%) generally agreed that psychology may be called a scientific discipline. Specifically, 71. 5% of the students agreed that psychology is...

We propose that the comparative psychological principle of “levels” be used as a new research methodology to investigate psi in humans. Rather than investigate psi in animals, as is sometimes done, we propose to investigate psi in humans using animals as a receptor. Our approach is to start with simple organisms such as protozoans and progress to p...

Previous research looking at expectancy in animals has used various experimental designs focusing on appetitive and avoidance behaviors. In this study, honey bees (Apis mellifera) were tested ina series of three proboscis extension response (PER) experiments to determine to what degree honey bees’ form a cognitive-representation of an unconditioned...

We contest publication of Marino et al. regarding captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) welfare because of misrepresentations of available data and the use of citations that do not support assertions. Marino et al. misrepresent stress response concepts and erroneously cite studies, which appear to support Marino et al.’s philosophical beliefs regardi...

The principles of the comparative analysis of behavior are as relevant now as it was in the time of Charles Darwin, George Romanes, and C. Lloyd Morgan. This article presents class exercises using animal and human action figures to provide students with hands-on experience demonstrating the importance of such principles and issues as classification...

Since the mid-1990s, the Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology at Oklahoma State University has developed a number of exercises appropriate for classroom use to demonstrate principles of learning and other forms of behavior. These activities have primarily focused on the use of invertebrates such as planarians, houseflies, ear...

The past decade has witnessed remarkable advancements in 3D printing or more scientifically called as additive manufacturing. Surprisingly, few comparative psychologists have taken advantage of 3D printing in the design of apparatus. Our paper discusses the advantages of 3D printing, the type of 3D printers (printing technologies) we have found mos...

This project focuses on the use of robots to increase student interest in comparative psychology. Robots facilitate the development of critical thinking skills, problem solving ability, and apparatus design. Moreover, as behavioral apparatuses become more sophisticated, the use of robots can help increase the interactions between comparative psycho...

This special issue of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology is devoted to the teaching of comparative psychology. The 12 papers in this issue represent a wide range of activities and collectively provide the teacher of comparative psychology with over 50 inquiry-based activities. These activities include a variety of animal demonstrat...

This paper describes how to use tardigrades to demonstrate habituation. This experiment is designed for students with any level of experience or training in conditioning live organisms. In this experiment, tardigrades are desensitized to repeated physical touch. Tardigrades are placed under a microscope and poked with a probe until the strength of...

This article provides a brief history and description of comparative psychology and provides perspectives about the current state of comparative psychology and unique research opportunities in Asia. An argument is made for why comparative psychology is needed in Asia and practical, teaching, and other aspects and applications are discussed. The app...

Olfactory learning and floral scents are co-adaptive traits in the plant–pollinator relationship. However, how scent relates to cognition and learning in the diverse group of Neotropical stingless bees is largely unknown. Here we evaluated the ability of Melipona eburnea to be conditioned to scent using the proboscis extension reflex (PER) protocol...

Recently, collaborative robots have begun to train humans to achieve complex tasks, and the mutual information exchange between them can lead to successful robot-human collaborations. In this paper we demonstrate the application and effectiveness of a new approach called \textit{mutual reinforcement learning} (MRL), where both humans and autonomous...

Aluminum is increasingly globally bioavailable with acidification from industrial emissions and poor mining practices. This bioavailability increases uptake by flora, contaminating products such as fruit, pollen, and nectar. Concentrations of aluminum in fruit and pollen have been reported between 0.05 and 670mg/L in North America. This is particul...

The researchers in this study have developed a novel approach using mutual reinforcement learning (MRL) where both the robot and human act as empathetic individuals who function as reinforcement learning agents for each other to achieve a particular task over continuous communication and feedback. This shared model not only has a collective impact...

Mutual information exchange between robots and humans are increasingly becoming important in collaborative task environments to accomplish complex tasks. In this paper we developed a novel approach called mutual reinforcement learning (MRL) where both the robot and human act as reinforcement learners in a skill transfer scenario over continuous com...

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was deeply influenced by Plato and conceived each species as an Idea, whose shape is essentially and permanently predetermined. He rejected Lamarck’s proposal of organ’s use/disuse as a source of evolution, but he was close to the orthogenetic movement that developed after his death. The philosopher did not conceive...

This article describes the use of the first order system transfer function for learning and memory studies involving consumption of marijuana and other plant based products. We provide detailed instructions on how the model can be used to analyze the performance of individual participants using a memory test developed by the senior authors. The imp...

The purpose of this project was to create a device to detect infrasound communication from elephants. The device was designed and prototyped to be capable of monitoring an input signal for infrasound. If infrasound is detected, an audible alarm is sounded. This device can record audio signals for long periods of time to a digital storage device. It...

The field of psychology has witnessed an increase in its reliance on empiricism to the point that many researchers operate with a complete disregard for the role of philosophy in their pursuit of knowledge. The resultant segmentation of the field and decline in such important areas as comparative psychology can be attributed to this trend, indicati...

We aimed to examine mechanistically the observed foraging differences across two honey bee, Apis mellifera , subspecies using the proboscis extension response assay. Specifically, we compared differences in appetitive reversal learning ability between honey bee subspecies: Apis mellifera caucasica (Pollman), and Apis mellifera syriaca (Skorikov) in...

The burgeoning field of invertebrate behavior is moving into what was the realm of human psychology concepts. This invites comparative studies not only between invertebrate and vertebrate species but also among the diverse taxa within the invertebrates, diverse even when considering only the insects. In order to make lasting progress two issues mus...

We aimed to examine mechanistically the observed foraging differences across two honey bee, Apis mellifera , subspecies using the Proboscis Extension Response (PER) assay. Specifically, we compared differences in appetitive reversal learning ability between honey bee subspecies: Apis mellifera caucasica (Pollman), and Apis mellifera syriaca (Skorik...

We aimed to examine mechanistically the observed foraging differences across two honey bee, Apis mellifera , subspecies using the Proboscis Extension Response (PER) assay. Specifically, we compared differences in appetitive reversal learning ability between honey bee subspecies: Apis mellifera caucasica (Pollman), and Apis mellifera syriaca (Skorik...

Previous experience in a natural environment with a stimulus has lasting influences on honey bee behavior, as demonstrated in laboratory studies of appetitive conditioning. However, it is unknown whether the same holds true for studies of aversive conditioning. Aversive conditioning is important for insects such as honey bees to survive environment...

Background: Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) learning is a highly specialized form of conditioning found across taxa that leads to avoidance of an initially neutral stimulus, such as taste or odor, that is associated with, but is not the cause of, a detrimental health condition. This study examines if honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) develop ethanol...

Robots are capable of training humans to achieve complex tasks, and their helpful feedback can lead to useful human-robot collaborations. In this research we present a reinforcement learning model influenced by human cognition which is repurposed to enhance human learning, investigate a robot's ability to encourage and motivate humans and improve t...

Robots are capable of training humans to achieve complex tasks, and their helpful feedback can lead to useful human-robot collaborations. In this research we present a reinforcement learning model influenced by human cognition which is repurposed to enhance human learning, investigate a robot's ability to encourage and motivate humans and improve t...

Robots are capable of training humans to achieve complex tasks, and their helpful feedback can lead to useful human-robot collaborations. In this research we present a reinforcement learning model influenced by human cognition which is repurposed to enhance human learning, investigate a robot's ability to encourage and motivate humans and improve t...

In this chapter, we identify issues related to the terms behavior, intelligence, and cognition. We also point out problems with inconsistencies in the definitions of learning phenomena and whether plant intelligence needs to be interpreted in cognitive terms. As an alternative to the cognitive model of plant intelligence, we encourage researchers t...

We explore beyond existing work in learning from demonstration by asking the question: "Can robots learn to guide?", that is, can a robot autonomously learn an instructional policy from expert demonstration and use it to instruct humans in executing complex task? As a solution, we propose learning of instructional policy (π^I) that maps the state t...

Robotic teaching has not received nearly as much research attention as robotic learning. In this research, we used the humanoid robot Baxter to provide feedback and positive reinforcement to human participants attempting to achieve a complex task. Our robot autonomously casts the teaching problem as one that invokes the exploration/exploitation tra...

The Propeller Experiment Controller: Automation for the Comparative Analysis of Behavior in Research and Teaching is written primarily for students and faculty who wish to incorporate a low-cost experimental controller into their research and teaching programs. Inexpensive forms of automation, such as the Arduino (Arduino; New York, New York) and R...

“I think I’ve discovered the secret of life–you just hang around until you get used to it” ~ Charles Schultz. In one of the most beloved comic strip of all times, the creator of Charlie Brown and Snoopy said it all. At the most basic level, this “getting used to it”—a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure—is what behavioural h...

Behavioral research is often enhanced by automated techniques, where experimental parameters and detection of behavior are controlled by electromechanical systems. Automated research promotes refinements in measurement, greater experimental control, longer durations of data collection, reduction of observer fatigue, and may permit new types of rese...

This article serves as the introduction to the special issue “The State of Comparative Psychology Today” for the International Journal of Comparative Psychology. Following opening comments, citations are provided in several areas all with the goal of stimulating students and professionals to help return comparative psychology to a prominent place i...

Comparative psychology has long held an illustrious position in the pantheon of psychology. Depending on who you speak with, comparative psychology is as strong as ever or in deep decline. To try and get a handle on this the International Journal of Comparative Psychology has commissioned a special issue on the State of Comparative Psychology Today...

The data of comparative psychology generally differ from the majority of data collected within mainstream psychology in several key respects – most notably in the diversity of forms of measurement and fewer number of subjects. We believe null hypothesis significance testing may not be the most appropriate method of analysis for comparative psycholo...

Researchers have established new techniques to study human-robot interactions based on current knowledge in interspecies communication and comparative psychology. Studies on animal acceptance of robot conspecifics in complex social environments has led to the development of robots that adapt to animal and human behaviors. Using a robot with adaptab...

These appendixes summarize the graduate programs and points of contact for students interested in pursuing comparative psychology or a related fields in the field today. Both a google doc and a current list are provided. Individuals interested in having their programs or names included in the list, please contact Dr. Heather Hill at hhill1@stmarytx...

Honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were used as a model insect system to explore forager use of a learned color-cue memory over several subsequent days. Experiments used artificial flower patches of blue and white flowers. Two experiments were performed, each beginning with a learning experience where 2 M sucrose was present in one flower color and 1...

Pollinator decline is of international concern because of the economic services these organisms provide. Commonly cited sources of decline are toxicants, habitat fragmentation, and parasites. Toxicant exposure can occur through uptake and distribution from plant tissues and resources such as pollen and nectar. Metals such as aluminum can be distrib...

Instructing human novices on complex tasks in non-standardized environments are an underexplored potential use for social co-robots, since instruction and skill transfer involving human experts can require an enormous commitment of time and resources. In this paper, we enable a humanoid Baxter robot to build a semantically accessible framework for...

The current study reports 2 experiments investigating learned helplessness in the honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica). In Experiment 1, we used a traditional escape method but found the bees' activity levels too high to observe changes due to treatment conditions. The bees were not able to learn in this traditional escape procedure; thus, such pro...

Horses have their own unique status as therapy animals due to their function in both physical and psychotherapies. Current models of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) utilize horses for a range of physical, psychological and learning therapies to benefit humans, often referring to horses as therapeutic “partners”. To fulfill certifica...

Relatively little research has been conducted on rattlesnake learning. We used an operant conditioning paradigm to investigate the ability of Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) to learn an arbitrary behavior to thermoregulate. In our procedure, subjects were placed in a heated apparatus and were rewarded with a 3°C reduction in am...

The dissemination of information is a basic element of group cohesion. In honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758), like in other social insects, the principal method for colony-wide information exchange is communication via pheromones. This medium of communication allows multiple individuals to conduct tasks critical to colony survival. Social si...

We explore beyond existing work on learning from demonstration by asking the question: Can robots learn to teach?, that is, can a robot autonomously learn an instructional policy from expert demonstration and use it to instruct or collaborate with humans in executing complex tasks in uncertain environments? In this paper we pursue a solution to thi...

The honey bee has been an important model organism for studying learning and memory. More recently, the honey bee has become a valuable model to understand perception and cognition. However, the techniques used to explore psychological phenomena in honey bees have been limited to only a few primary methodologies such as the proboscis extension refl...

Explicit-Shaping. This bee is recruited to the food well and allowed to return five times before the cap is added (only the fifth visit shown in video). She is then given five trials of explicit-shaping through successive approximations. Following shaping, the well is completely covered and the bee pushes the cap to access the well. She becomes inc...

Auto-Shaping. This bee is recruited to the food well and allowed to return five times before the cap is added (not shown in video). She is then given five trials of auto-shaping with a task of intermediate difficulty. Following auto-shaping, the well is completely covered and the bee pushes the cap to access the well. She becomes increasingly more...

Error Example 2. Bees trained with one shape of cap (in this case cross patterned) repeatedly make the same error and push the previously trained cap. This is generalized to similar shaped caps as can be seen in the video. (MP4)

Error Example 3. This bee missed the well when pushing the cap and continued to push the cap for some time before reorienting to the sucrose well. (MP4)

Control Bees Example. Time-lapsed video of bees recruited to the food well but do not have experience pushing the cap. (MP4)

Methods for 3D Printed Materials. This document contains modified methodology for experiment procedure using 3D printed caps and feeding wells. (DOCX)

Error Example 1. Following five trials of successful cap pushing, a discrimination task was performed. The previously trained cap was moved to the side and a novel cap was used to cover the sucrose feeding well. The trained cap was counterbalanced between cross patterned and solid caps, and the novel cap presented for the discrimination task was di...