Constructive anthropomorphism: a functional evolutionary approach to the study of human-like cognitive mechanisms in animals.

ABSTRACT: Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human cognitive processes and emotional states to animals, is commonly viewed as non-scientific and potentially misleading. This is mainly because apparent similarity to humans can usually be explained by alternative, simpler mechanisms in animals, and because there is no explanatory power in analogies to human phenomena when these phenomena are not well understood. Yet, because it is also difficult to preclude real similarity and continuity in the evolution of humans' and animals' cognitive abilities, it may not be productive to completely ignore our understanding of human behaviour when thinking about animals. Here we propose that in applying a functional approach to the evolution of cognitive mechanisms, human cognition may be used to broaden our the

SUBMITTER: Arbilly M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5666099 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature