An Experimental Study of Working Memory in Chicks.

General intelligence (g-factor), animal cognition, and working memory have been widely studied in humans and in mammalian species, particularly in primates, as well as in birds such as crows. However, cognitive functions in other animal species, especially in non-mammalian birds, have received less attention. Working memory refers to the ability to temporarily store information and to process and use this information for decision-making. In the present experiment, the existence and capacity of working memory were investigated in 5-day-old domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus). After a training phase, during which the chicks became familiar with the testing environment, the experimental trials began. Using controlled behavioral tasks, chicks were tested on their ability to retain and update information over short time delays. In each trial, the chicks were shown where a worm reward was placed. After a short delay, they were required to remember the location of the reward and make a choice. The trials were recorded and both performance accuracy and behavioral strategies were analyzed using a one-sample t-test. The results showed no significant relationship between the number of correct responses and sex. In addition, mean accuracy was significantly above chance level, indicating that the chicks’ correct responses were not random and indicating that chicks are capable of maintaining task-relevant information for short periods and flexibly using it to guide behavior, suggesting the presence of functional working memory processes. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of cognitive mechanisms in animals and support the use of chicks as a valuable model for studying the foundations of working memory.