Scientist postulates 4 aspects of ‘humaniqueness’ differentiating human and animal cognition
A Harvard University scientist claims four key differences separate human and animal cognition. Marc Hauser, professor of psychology, biological anthropology, and organismic and evolutionary biology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, presents his theory of “humaniqueness.”
Hauser states that the four novel components of human cognition are:
- the abilities to combine and recombine different types of information and knowledge to gain new understanding;
- to apply the same “rule” or solution to one problem to a different and new situation;
- to create and easily understand symbolic representations of computation and sensory input;
- to detach modes of thought from raw sensory and perceptual input.
See the full press release here.
Robert Vanier
12 April 2008 at 10:58 pm
Lee,
My own BSc was is an interesting program called Psychobiology… Really an ironic name for the degree I think… so appropriate!
It was a joint specialization in Psychology and Biochemistry..and that was some 20 years ago now, but I do remember one lesson my immunology prof taught me, and that was to beware of theories which give too much credit to the human race. It is easy to brush off animal behavior as not requiring the 4 components of Hauser’s Cognition model…but I do personally remember this time I was hiking with my black lab Maya on Mount Royal in a very remote part of the park when a drugged out 40something cyclist went off a cliff some 15 meters above us…crashed through tree branches and landed unconscious several feet away. My dog was wearing a full body harness, she was notorious for getting off her lead, so this was the “escape-proof” answer for walking her.
I quickly tied her to a tree and jumped into action giving first aid…about 3-4 minutes later I heard a voice from behind…”Hey mister…Is this your dog?…He won’t stop barking.” I looked quickly towards the tree…only to see an empty escape-proof harness hanging from the branch…and then back to the voice and his party of 4…I asked if they could call 911…they did…the man survived, with broken limbs, concussion, broken jaw, and punctured lung…to this day I have no clear idea how Maya was able to escape and get help in under five minutes…BUT SHE DID!
For those who have seen the old Lassie reruns this is a no-brainer… but for myself well, I assume she just used one or more of Hauser’s components of human cognition. Lucky for the
cyclist that Maya still hadn’t figured out how to use the internet…she still thought dogs were smart.
Cheers,
Robert
Lee Davis
14 April 2008 at 4:03 pm
Wonderful, Robert! Thank you.