(June 15, 2015) Humans
are unlikely to be the only animal capable of self-awareness, a new study has
shown.
Conducted by University of Warwick researchers, the study
found that humans and other animals capable of mentally simulating environments
require at least a primitive sense of self. The finding suggests that any
animal that can simulate environments must have a form of self-awareness.
Often viewed as one of man’s defining characteristics, the
study strongly suggests that self-awareness is not unique to mankind and is
instead likely to be common among animals.
The researchers, from the University of Warwick’s
Departments of Phycology and Philosophy, used thought experiments to discover
which capabilities animals must have in order to mentally simulate their
environment.