Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Magical Thinking

Magical Thinking

Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...

Reason and Intuition

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...

Cognitivism

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are themselves.

Metacognition

Metacognition

Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory perception, or ESP, suggests the ability to perceive events beyond the conventional senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Parapsychologists, who research ESP and related psychic phenomena, categorize ESP into three main types: precognition, telepathy, and clairvoyance.
Precognition involves foreseeing future events, such as predicting an accident before it happens. An example of precognition could be someone dreaming about a specific event, like a car crash, which then occurs...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

You talkin' to me? An assessment of commands as play signals during dog-human play.

Animal cognition·2021

Same author

Atom-by-atom analysis of sintering dynamics and stability of Pt nanoparticle catalysts in chemical reactions.

Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences·2020

Same author

Single Atom Dynamics in Chemical Reactions.

Accounts of chemical research·2020

Same author

A critique and empirical assessment of Alexandra Horowitz and Julie Hecht's "Examining dog-human play: the characteristics, affect, and vocalizations of a unique interspecific interaction".

Animal cognition·2017

Same author

Self-awareness without inner speech: a commentary on Morin.

Consciousness and cognition·2009

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

A resolution between mentalism and teleonomy, or fodder for a continuing dialogue?

Robert W Mitchell¹

¹Department of Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475, USA. robert.mitchell@eku.edu

Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science

|July 29, 2010

Summary

This study explores teleonomic approaches to animal behavior, contrasting them with mentalistic interpretations. It explains why humans often attribute mental states to animal actions, even with scientific descriptions.

More Related Videos

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Area of Science:

Comparative psychology
Ethology
Philosophy of mind

Background:

Psychological interpretation of animal behavior can be problematic.
Teleonomic approaches offer an alternative to mentalistic explanations.
Early comparative psychologists debated teleonomic vs. mentalistic views.

Observation:

Nick Thompson proposed a teleonomic approach to avoid assuming mental states cause behavior.
This perspective offers a framework for describing behavior without recourse to internal mental causation.
However, tensions exist between teleonomic and mentalistic views in the study of animal behavior.

Findings:

Humans possess a skill for kinesthetic-visual matching, which may explain the tendency to infer mental states from observed behavior.
This cognitive bias contributes to the persistent use of mentalistic interpretations, even when teleonomic descriptions are available.
The study elucidates the psychological underpinnings of anthropomorphism in animal behavior analysis.

Implications:

Understanding the cognitive basis of anthropomorphism can refine scientific interpretations of animal behavior.
Teleonomic approaches offer a more objective framework for ethological research.
This research encourages a critical re-evaluation of mentalistic assumptions in comparative psychology.