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Are We the Only Animals That Understand Ignorance?
The Atlantic
Format: Magazine Article
Publication Date: 2016/06/28/
Sources ID: 38826
Collection: Theory of Mind
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
This article discusses the exclusivity of Theory of Mind as a human capacity, and explicates how non-human primates acquire the capacity to perceive the mental states of others, but only when the contents of the minds are aligned. Monkeys and apes have been found to fail the false-belief task, and despite holding the ability to reflect on knowledge that is currently present, these primates are unable to make predictions about any mind that does not have the same knowledge.