Escola experimental de primatas: análise da coerência entre pressupostos e práticas empíricas

Abstract

The development of animal models for the study of problems in human cognitive development requires, as a main factor, the existence of behavioral processes homology in repertories of the model and the humans. The Experimental School for Primates (ESP) has used the capuchin monkey (Cebus spp.) as an animal model to investigate the acquisition of generalized relational repertoires in humans. This study evaluated the empirical studies of the ESP in order to verify the consistency between their theoretical and empirical practices, especially the assumption of homology of behavioral processes among capuchin monkeys and humans. When analyzing a) the origin of the objectives and procedures of the studies (most come from animal studies), 2) if the expected results were achieved or not (in general, positive results in relation to the proposed objectives) and 3) if in studies of ESP the issue of animal model and/or applicability of the procedures used in studies to humans is discussed (it is not), it was noted that there are no empirical data supporting the homology proposal in theoretical proposition of the ESP. These results demonstrate that the scientific practice of ESP has advanced as basic research on the learning of generalized relational repertoires in capuchin monkeys, however, without providing transfer to study this phenomenon in humans. It is suggested that the way forward may be: 1) develop empirical studies that validate the homology of behavioral processes among some repertoires of human and capuchin monkeys, and 2) start implementing the findings of basic research of ESP in developing procedures for teaching relational repertoires for people with delayed cognitive development.