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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

Published on: July 8, 2025

"Self-awareness" in the pigeon.

R Epstein, R P Lanza, B F Skinner

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 8, 1981

Summary

Pigeons demonstrated mirror self-recognition by locating unseen body spots. This behavior, seen in primates, may be explained by environmental factors rather than complex cognition.

Area of Science:

Animal behavior
Comparative psychology
Avian cognition

Background:

Mirror self-recognition is a complex behavior.
Primates exhibit mirror self-recognition, often linked to self-concept.
The cognitive basis of mirror self-recognition in non-primate species is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate mirror self-recognition in pigeons.
To determine if pigeons can use mirrors to guide actions towards their own bodies.
To explore alternative explanations for mirror-guided behavior in animals.

Main Methods:

Three pigeons were trained to use a mirror.
Pigeons were conditioned to locate a specific spot on their body using mirror feedback.
The study observed the pigeons' ability to interact with the marked spot.

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Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Published on: June 2, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

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Published on: July 8, 2025

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)

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Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Published on: June 2, 2014

Main Results:

Pigeons successfully used the mirror to orient themselves and locate the target spot on their bodies.
The behavior demonstrated a capacity for self-directed action guided by visual-spatial information.
No evidence suggested complex cognitive processes like self-awareness were necessary.

Conclusions:

Pigeons can exhibit behaviors previously associated with self-recognition.
The findings suggest that environmental learning and stimulus control can account for such behaviors.
This challenges the assumption that mirror-guided self-directed actions require a sophisticated self-concept.