The first time my very intelligent Labrador retriever, Lilli, saw herself in a m
ID: 3500101 • Letter: T
Question
The first time my very intelligent Labrador retriever, Lilli, saw herself in a mirror, she barked at the puppy she saw in the reflection. But it didn't take her long to stop barking. Being a developmental psychologist, I was curious if she realized the puppy was her, so I devised an experiment to test if she had self-concept. While she was quietly seated in front of the mirror, my husband extended a fishing pole from behind her with a dog biscuit hanging over her head. Choose which response and explanation from below make the most sense.
Question options:
If Lilli lunged for the biscuit in the mirror, that would prove she has self-concept.
Assuming no noise was made, if Lilli looked up for the biscuit, it suggests she has some self-concept and understands that it is her in the mirror's reflection.
Assuming Lilli is at least 2 years old, it would be clear that she has self-concept, as this has been demonstrated routinely in experimental situations with dogs and cats of that age.
If Lilli lunged for the biscuit in the mirror, that would prove she has self-concept.
Assuming no noise was made, if Lilli looked up for the biscuit, it suggests she has some self-concept and understands that it is her in the mirror's reflection.
Assuming Lilli is at least 2 years old, it would be clear that she has self-concept, as this has been demonstrated routinely in experimental situations with dogs and cats of that age.
Explanation / Answer
To have some idea of self-concept Lilli should demonstrate that the image in the mirror is her own reflection, and it is not another dog. If she lungs for the biscuit, it means she hasn't developed a self concept as she cannot differentiate between the real and reflection. The mirror experiments regarding the self concept of cats and dogs have proved that these animals fails to recognize that it's their reflection and not any other animal like them in the mirror, one of the main reason for this is that these animals rely on their auditory sense than their visual sense.
Answer. Option 2. Assuming no noise was made, if Lilli looked up for the biscuit, it suggests she has some self-concept and understands that it is her in the mirror's reflection.
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