Cognitive Process All Around

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    Have you ever thought “I wonder what my dog thinks about my neighbor’s dog?” or at a petting zoo wondering how the goats know when to eat? It is common knowledge that any non-human species derive making use of physical resources, learning from environmental impacts, and even evolutionary changes from humans as it is taught globally in school but what about cognitive processes? Comparative cognition is evidence that non-human species can solve problems, remember solutions and exhibit different intelligences just as humans can. People believed that these processes could only be found in humans but it was never thought to also be as simple for us to use cognitive processes as it would be for non-human species. Non-human species use different aspects of ecology, ethology, cognitive science, developmental psychology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and so many more fields of studies to work together to form their cognitive processes. A specific non-human species that you would not believe to have cognitive processes is the Octopoda (octopus). Some of their cognitive processes include solving mazes/puzzles, opening jars to get food, using coconut shells as tools for shelter, and demonstrating short and longterm memory.

    More non-human species’ that have cognitive processes which we wouldn’t think do is certain fish, shrimps, honeybees, chickens, and butterflies! I believe it is extremely important and fascinating to recognize that such differing species have such similarities with us. Animals raging from the complexity of the great apes and the simplicity of a pigeon have differing ranges of cognitive processes but it is amazing to see that almost each and every non-human species have those processes. Using environmental factors, stimulus generalization, and discrimination learning non-human species can learn to adapt to use specific cognitive processes that are necessary for their survival. 

    Sources:
Halina, Marta. “Methods in Comparative Cognition.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 6 Sept. 2023, plato.stanford.edu/entries/comparative-cognition/.
Estey, Mathew P. et al. “Septins: Current Biology.”
Current Biology, Volume 21, Issue 10, 24 May 2011, www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(11)00371-X. 
Neuroscience News. “Mindful Mistakes: How Brains Learn from Errors.” Neuroscience News, 9 Nov. 2023, neurosciencenews.com/errorr-learning-brain-25183/. 

Comments

  1. Bella ModernoJune 14, 2025 at 10:16 AM

    This was an excellent explanation of questions that so many people, including myself, have had. It is always so interesting to learn and read about the science behind our thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HannaJune 20, 2025 at 9:05 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your piece, it made me reflect on how often we underestimate the intelligence of animals around us. The examples you gave, especially the octopus using tools and solving puzzles, were fascinating and really opened my eyes to how diverse and complex non-human cognition can be. I also liked how you tied in so many scientific fields to show just how interconnected these processes are. It’s a powerful reminder that intelligence isn’t just a human trait, it’s something that exists in many forms across the animal kingdom. Great job highlighting that!

    ReplyDelete

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