Self-awareness is a cognitive capability possessed by animals with advanced cognition. Social animals are more likely to possess more complex cognitive capabilities, including self-awareness, than solitary ones because their brains are enlarged and more capable of supporting the cognitive capabilities necessary for self-awareness. The mirror test is a classic test of self-recognition that has been used for almost 50 years to test animals for self-awareness. In this test, an animal is marked with a colored spot and then allowed to see its reflection in a mirror. If the animal spontaneously directs grooming behavior towards the mark, that is taken as an indication that it is aware of itself.
The following animals have been reported to have self-awareness by this criterion:
- Humans
- Apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas)
- Elephants
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Eurasian magpies
- Bluestreak cleaner wrasse
There are also some social animals for which the presence of self-awareness is suspected but uncertain, such as orcas, garter snakes, and domestic dogs. Its worth noting that animals who previously failed the mirror test have begun to pass it under specific circumstances, such as rhesus macaques. However, the mirror test is a bit controversial, and some researchers argue that it may say less than we thought about self-awareness.
In conclusion, while self-awareness is a cognitive capability possessed by animals with advanced cognition, the presence of self-awareness in animals is still a topic of research and debate. The mirror test is a classic test of self-recognition, but it may not be the most reliable method to identify animals with self-awareness.
