Animal Consciousness vs Mirror Test - extracted from wikipedia
Animal consciousness is the quality or state of self-awareness within an animal, or , of being aware of an external object or something within itself.
Many believe that animal shares broadly with human consciousness which are sentience, awareness, subjectivity, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood...
Animal consciousness has been actively researched for over 100 years. A more recent review concluded in 1985 that "the best approach is to use experiment (especially psychophysics) and observation to trace the dawning and ontogeny of self-consciousness, perception, communication, intention, beliefs, and reflection in normal human foetuses, infants, and children."
The Mirror Test is a behavioural technique developed in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. to determine whether a non-human animal possesses the ability of self-recognition.
A bird that has passed the mirror test is the Eurasian Magpie. For detailed description of the test, please log on www.wikipedia.org searching for birds vs mirror. It was interesting finding...
Self-recongnition compared to self-awareness, on a more general level, it remains debatable whether recognition of one's mirror image implies self-awareness.
Animal consciousness is the quality or state of self-awareness within an animal, or , of being aware of an external object or something within itself.
Many believe that animal shares broadly with human consciousness which are sentience, awareness, subjectivity, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood...
Animal consciousness has been actively researched for over 100 years. A more recent review concluded in 1985 that "the best approach is to use experiment (especially psychophysics) and observation to trace the dawning and ontogeny of self-consciousness, perception, communication, intention, beliefs, and reflection in normal human foetuses, infants, and children."
The Mirror Test is a behavioural technique developed in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. to determine whether a non-human animal possesses the ability of self-recognition.
A bird that has passed the mirror test is the Eurasian Magpie. For detailed description of the test, please log on www.wikipedia.org searching for birds vs mirror. It was interesting finding...
Self-recongnition compared to self-awareness, on a more general level, it remains debatable whether recognition of one's mirror image implies self-awareness.
Here is my observation of a male White-winged Fairy-wren obsessing with itself in the steel mirror standing at the gate of Mutawintji National Park. I was there telephotoing him for a good half hour, three meters away. Once I was settling in, he ignored my presence and looked at itself in the mirror minute and minute. Now and then, he jumped on to the top of mirror searching for a female companion. Sometime he would fly to nearby trees if there were female wrens present. Most of the time he came back to the mirror admiring himself.
Finally he found his best appearance to attract a lady friend. With his head crest out, chest feather expended, he stood tall with his beautiful full blue breeding plumage. I recon it was the most beautiful White-winged Fairy-wren that I have ever seen... it reminds me of human behaviour.
Here she is... finally he attracted a female friend. Both were singing into the mirror. He is still at his best. Her chest feathers were out when she was singing... She developed an interest in herself and stared into the mirror and forgot his presence...
She realised something... she withdrew... she flew away... He was still looking at himself in the mirror...
Have I done something wrong?... He may say to himself!