Department of Behavioral Biology Group and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Short Communication
Economic Integration of Animal Models and Their Psychological Aspects
Author(s): Gillian Anderson*
A rising body of research investigates whether animals have skills similar to human metacognition (i.e., the ability of humans to monitor their states of uncertainty and knowing). Comparative psychologists investigated this topic by administering perception, memory, and food- concealment paradigms to dolphins, pigeons, rats, monkeys, and apes. As part of this approach, some associative modelers have sought to characterize animals "metacognitive" performances in low-level, associative terms-a significant objective if realized. The authors provide a synopsis of the factual and theoretical circumstances surrounding these associative descriptions. Important occurrences are missed by associative descriptions in the animal-metacognition literature. The emphasis on abstract, mathematical associative models causes severe interpretive issues. The authors contrast these unsuccessful a.. View More»