From Parallel Mathematical Description of Action to Unparalleled Outcome of Abstraction: A Comparative Analysis

entity) are represented at the cognitive level (a more abstract entity) during human development. Therefore, the importance of studying mathematical constructs inferred from behavior is due to the role that they may or may not play as common principles in the process of abstraction. Thus, the present analysis raises new questions for comparative studies within the theoretical framework proposed by Piaget (1, 2, 6). The priority that Piaget granted to the role of action in the development of cognition and our ability to infer a parallel mathematical structure from the behavior of rodents or chimpanzees and human infants raise the question: “Why do other animals not possess the same level of cognitive competence compared to humans?” One answer might be that although both humans and-for example-rats demonstrate a certain degree of abstraction (26) and share the same mathematically structured behavior, there are differences as well. Automatic aspect of innate behavior and, therefore, less involvement in learning processes such as trials and errors by rats may have caused such limitations in their level of abstraction and cognitive competence. Figure 2. Paths in an Exploration Task