New Evidence May Show 'Metacognition' In Some Nonhuman Animals!

Here's a fresh and fascinating new article from Science Daily! According to a new study by J. David Smith, Ph.D. at the University at Buffalo, there is growing evidence that "some animals share functional parallels with human conscious metacognition -- that is, they may share humans' ability to reflect upon, monitor or regulate their states of mind."

Here's more from Science Daily:

"....He says "comparative psychologists have studied the question of whether or not non-human animals have knowledge of their own cognitive states by testing a dolphin, pigeons, rats, monkeys and apes using perception, memory and food-concealment paradigms.

Photo: University at Buffalo

"The field offers growing evidence that some animals have functional parallels to humans' consciousness and to humans' cognitive self-awareness," he says. Among these species are dolphins and macaque monkeys (an Old World monkey species).

Smith recounts the original animal-metacognition experiment with Natua the dolphin. "When uncertain, the dolphin clearly hesitated and wavered between his two possible responses," he says, "but when certain, he swam toward his chosen response so fast that his bow wave would soak the researchers' electronic switches."

Read more about this incredible discovery here on Science Daily!