cognitive ethology

the study of mental experiences, including consciousness and intentionality, in nonhuman animals and of the influence of these experiences on the animals’ behavior as they interact with their natural environment. Whether, and which, animals actually possess consciousness and intentionality remains a subject of controversy. [proposed in 1978 by U.S. zoologist Donald Redfield Griffin (1915–2003)]

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

state-dependent behavior

actions that are affected by one’s emotional state, such as saying something hurtful to another while angry.