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Chapter 9 Mirror Test of Animal Consciousness The mirror test purports to be a measure of whether animals are self-aware, that is conscious of themselves (see Consciousness). The mirror test is based on whether animals can recognise their reflection in a mirror as an image of themselves. Gordon G Gallup, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, invented and developed the test in the late 1960's. Gallup marked the foreheads of sleeping adult chimpanzees when they were sleeping and observed what they did when they woke. The only way the chimpanzees could see the mark on their forehead was by looking in a large mirror nearby. How did the chimpanzees react? Gallup discovered that on looking into the mirror the chimpanzees touched the mark on their forehead significantly more frequently than a comparable group of chimpanzees. The comparable group was treated exactly the same way but no visible mark was left on their foreheads (they served as a 'base line' from which to make measurements). The classical explanation by Gallup and co-workers for the chimpanzees' behaviour is that by inspecting the mark the chimpanzees indicated that they can recognise their own reflection, and this is good evidence that chimpanzees are self-aware. Moreover, Gallup proposed that 'passing the mirror test' indicates a chimpanzee is self-aware to the extent that he can inspect what is going on in his own mind and, furthermore, is therefore able to understand the mental state of others. A number of other species have undergone adaptations of the mirror test, but few, such as chimpanzees, orang-utans and bottlenose dolphins, consistently react to themselves. Humans pass the test but only when they are over three to four years of age. A weakness of the mirror test is that it depends on vision. Species that use other senses as their primary sense may do badly at it. You might applaud the mirror test as evidence that at least a few species are conscious. But some scientists are sceptical, claiming that, although intriguing, the test is far from definitive and might demonstrate nothing at all about consciousness. Other scientists say that reacting positively in the mirror test may be only a first step toward a conscious being. They say that passing the test may be more related to intelligent thinking about a reflection than to actual consciousness. At best, they assert, the mirror test is a necessary but not sufficient condition for self-awareness. The debate about what the Mirror Test demonstrates is still unresolved. ›› To Entries & Home |