Humans are unlikely to be the only animal capable of self-awareness, a study has shown. The study found that humans and other animals capable of mentally simulating environments require at least a primitive sense of self. The finding suggests that any animal that can simulate environments must have a form of self-awareness.
Often viewed as one of man’s defining characteristics, the study strongly suggests that self-awareness is not unique to mankind and is instead likely to be common among animals. The researchers, from the University of Warwick’s Departments of Psycology and Philosophy, used thought experiments to discover which capabilities animals must have in order to mentally simulate their environment.
Commenting on the research Professor Thomas Hills, study co-author from Warwick’s Department of Psychology, said: "The study’s key insight is that those animals capable of simulating their future actions must be able to distinguish between their imagined actions and those that are actually experienced".