Abstract
Theory of mind is the capacity to attribute mental states to others. In cognitive research, the notion that great apes and other nonhuman primates possess theory of mind is one of the most debated topics today. Since the 1980s, a series of tests have been conducted involving various paradigms testing what chimpanzees and other species understand about what others see, know, believe, and feel. To date, there seems to be a consensus that great apes at least might have some kind of representation of others' mental states. However, there is no evidence that this representation strictly resembles the refined full grown theory of mind of which humans are capable. Most efforts are currently oriented towards designing experimental setups that would be sufficiently controlled to provide inescapable evidence of exactly what animals understand about others' mental states.
Published Version
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