The future of future-oriented cognition in non-humans : theory and the empirical case of the great apes
(2014) In Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 369(1655).- Abstract
- One of the most contested areas in the field of animal cognition is non-human future-oriented cognition. We critically examine key underlying assumptions in the debate, which is mainly preoccupied with certain dichotomous positions, the most prevalent being whether or not ‘real’ future orientation is uniquely human. We argue that future orientation is a theoretical construct threatening to lead research astray. Cognitive operations occur in the present moment and can be influenced only by prior causation and the environment, at the same time that most appear directed towards future outcomes. Regarding the current debate, future orientation becomes a question of where on various continua cog- nition becomes ‘truly’ future-oriented. We... (More)
- One of the most contested areas in the field of animal cognition is non-human future-oriented cognition. We critically examine key underlying assumptions in the debate, which is mainly preoccupied with certain dichotomous positions, the most prevalent being whether or not ‘real’ future orientation is uniquely human. We argue that future orientation is a theoretical construct threatening to lead research astray. Cognitive operations occur in the present moment and can be influenced only by prior causation and the environment, at the same time that most appear directed towards future outcomes. Regarding the current debate, future orientation becomes a question of where on various continua cog- nition becomes ‘truly’ future-oriented. We question both the assumption that episodic cognition is the most important process in future-oriented cognition and the assumption that future-oriented cognition is uniquely human. We review the studies on future-oriented cognition in the great apes to find little doubt that our closest relatives possess such ability. We conclude by urging that future-oriented cognition not be viewed as expression of some select set of skills. Instead, research into future-oriented cognition should be approached more like research into social and physical cognition. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4693542
- author
- Osvath, Mathias LU and Martin-Ordas, Gema
- organization
- publishing date
- 2014
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- mental time travel, episodic memories, episodic foresight, animal cognition, primate cognition, animal planning
- in
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
- volume
- 369
- issue
- 1655
- article number
- 20130486
- publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:25267827
- wos:000342882400018
- scopus:84907486286
- pmid:25267827
- ISSN
- 1471-2970
- DOI
- 10.1098/rstb.2013.0486
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7ed0ec83-ddea-4a5d-b372-15224f7ba2c1 (old id 4693542)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:18:33
- date last changed
- 2022-04-12 05:04:28
@article{7ed0ec83-ddea-4a5d-b372-15224f7ba2c1,
abstract = {{One of the most contested areas in the field of animal cognition is non-human future-oriented cognition. We critically examine key underlying assumptions in the debate, which is mainly preoccupied with certain dichotomous positions, the most prevalent being whether or not ‘real’ future orientation is uniquely human. We argue that future orientation is a theoretical construct threatening to lead research astray. Cognitive operations occur in the present moment and can be influenced only by prior causation and the environment, at the same time that most appear directed towards future outcomes. Regarding the current debate, future orientation becomes a question of where on various continua cog- nition becomes ‘truly’ future-oriented. We question both the assumption that episodic cognition is the most important process in future-oriented cognition and the assumption that future-oriented cognition is uniquely human. We review the studies on future-oriented cognition in the great apes to find little doubt that our closest relatives possess such ability. We conclude by urging that future-oriented cognition not be viewed as expression of some select set of skills. Instead, research into future-oriented cognition should be approached more like research into social and physical cognition.}},
author = {{Osvath, Mathias and Martin-Ordas, Gema}},
issn = {{1471-2970}},
keywords = {{mental time travel; episodic memories; episodic foresight; animal cognition; primate cognition; animal planning}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1655}},
publisher = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
series = {{Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}},
title = {{The future of future-oriented cognition in non-humans : theory and the empirical case of the great apes}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0486}},
doi = {{10.1098/rstb.2013.0486}},
volume = {{369}},
year = {{2014}},
}