The Challenges of Understanding Animal Minds

Abstract

Comparative psychology is by nature an interdisciplinary science that lies at the crossroads of psychology and biology but also draws from other fields in the natural, social, and cognitive sciences. The study of the psychology of animals has been labeled animal cognition, comparative cognition, animal learning, animal psychology, and animal intelligence. Here, comparative psychology is used interchangeably with these terms, encompassing all fields that explore the psychological mechanisms underlying animal behavior, including human behavior. The primary goal of comparative psychology is to understand the cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes of the animal mind. How do other animals perceive, learn about, and make decisions in their worlds? From our pets to exotic animals portrayed in nature documentaries, we are inherently curious about other animals. Comparative psychology both provides a window into their minds, as well as offers a unique perspective on the human mind. Which aspects of our psychology do animals share? Human uniqueness is constantly challenged as we learn more about the psychology of animal minds. Once distinctive human abilities – such as tool use, language, and mental time travel – appear, at least to a degree, in other species. Though other species exhibit elements of these abilities, the central question for comparing humans and animals remains, do humans and other animals share the same psychological mechanisms? Comparative psychology explores many of the same topics as human psychology. From learning and memory to communication and decision making, the field investigates a number of key questions, for example: How do animals understand causal relationships in their environments? Can animals represent the perceptions, intentions, and beliefs of others? Do animals plan for the future? Can animals use referential communication? How do animals track time and number? Do animals maintain a cognitive map of their environment? Do animals attend to the well being of others? How do animals categorize objects in their world? Which emotional and motivational factors underly animal behavior? Studying the psychology of other species is not easy. With rare exceptions, we cannot ask directly about their psychological states. Instead, we must make inferences about the psychology of animals based on their behavior. Inferring internal mechanisms from external behavior results in a number of challenges for comparative psychologists. Though we have met a number of these challenges, several remain, slowing our progress in advancing comparative psychology. To push forward, we must meet these conceptual and practical challenges head on.