animal cognition
Nonhuman mental processes
Animal cognition is the study of mental processes in non-human animals—how they perceive, learn, remember, solve problems, and make decisions.
The field examines everything from honeybee navigation to primate tool use to corvid problem-solving.
Research in animal cognition has revealed that octopuses can open jars and crows can use multi-step tools.
The term also refers to those mental capacities themselves: The animal cognition required for migration is remarkable.
- tool useManipulating objects purposefully
- object permanenceKnowledge things persist unseen
- habituationDiminished reaction over time
- operant conditioningLearning via reinforcement
- reinforcementAdding support or encouragement
vocalizations · theory of mind · self-recognition · metacognition · numerosity · echolocation · learned behavior · risk assessment · crows · body language · visual perception · strategic planning · thinking · innovation · brain · great apes · dolphins · social learning
animal cognitionhuman cognition
Mental processes of people
human psychology · human intelligence · cognitive psychology · human consciousness
animal cognitionartificial intelligence
Machines mimicking human thought
animal cognitionanimal anatomy
Physical structure of fauna
comparative anatomy · animal behavior · ethology · animal instinct