A Functionalist View of Metacognition in Animals
نویسنده
چکیده
We present a structuralist analysis of the current state of cognitive science research into the phenomenon of metacognition. We begin from the assumption that cognitive intelligence is an organ just like any other biological organ, with the defined function of allowing intelligent entities to maintain homeostasis with a changing but predictable environment. This understanding leads to the conclusion that human cognition is functionally derived to generate accurate preference relations about the world. Examining empirical evidence from recent research using definitions of metacognition and theory of mind that emerge from our functionalist understanding of cognition, we conclude decisively in favor of the existence of metacognition in non-human animals. 71 metacognition in animals
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