AUTHOR=Bastos Amalia P. M. , Taylor Alex H. TITLE=Macphail’s Null Hypothesis of Vertebrate Intelligence: Insights From Avian Cognition JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01692 DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01692 ISSN=1664-1078 ABSTRACT=

Macphail famously criticized two foundational assumptions that underlie the evolutionary approach to comparative psychology: that there are differences in intelligence across species, and that intelligent behavior in animals is based on more than associative learning. Here, we provide evidence from recent work in avian cognition that supports both these assumptions: intelligence across species varies, and animals can perform intelligent behaviors that are not guided solely by associative learning mechanisms. Finally, we reflect on the limitations of comparative psychology that led to Macphail’s claims and suggest strategies researchers can use to make more advances in the field.