Final answer:
The intelligence of octopuses and crows is demonstrated through their interactions and problem-solving abilities in 'Outsmarted by an Octopus' and 'The Crow Knows'. These animals use observational learning and conditioning to adapt and manipulate their environment, highlighting their sophisticated cognitive abilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The intelligence of octopuses and crows is highlighted through comparisons and interactions with humans as portrayed in the stories "Outsmarted by an Octopus" and "The Crow Knows". Both narratives utilize various scenarios where these animals exhibit problem-solving skills. For instance, experiments demonstrate octopuses opening jars to retrieve food, showing their capability to solve novel puzzles. Crows, on the other hand, are described creating tools, such as bending a wire into a hook to extract food from a tube, indicating innovative use of materials to achieve an outcome. Both cases assert the intelligence of these species and their ability to adapt to and manipulate their environment for survival.
Observational learning is evident in these stories as the animals observe their environment and learn from it without direct instruction. For example, by observing that the opening of a jar leads to food, an octopus learns to open it. Conditioning is also a learning process referenced in the stories, where animals learn to associate certain behaviors with rewards or punishments. In the case of octopuses and crows, the reward is obtaining food, conditioning them to repeat problem-solving behaviors. The intelligent actions of these animals in the stories reflect a deeper understanding of their environments and an ability to engage in complex thinking processes.