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Animal cognition2021; 25(1); 1-4; doi: 10.1007/s10071-021-01538-9

Putting the cart before the horse: claims for mirror self-recognition in horses are unfounded.

Abstract: The recent article by Baragli, Scopa, Maglieri, and Palagi (Anim Cogn https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01502-7 , 2021) that claims to demonstrate mirror self-recognition (MSR) in horses is not based on compelling evidence. We identify problems with their experimental procedures, data, and assertion about "demonstrating MSR at group level." Examples of these problems include incomplete experimental design, absence of important control conditions, inappropriate terminology, suboptimal mark application procedures and coding of videos, ambiguity of videos presented as supporting evidence, and inconsistencies in data presentation and interpretation. It is not the case that their study "marks a turning point in the analytical technique of MSR exploration."
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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Publication Date: 2021-07-27 PubMed ID: 34313872PubMed Central: 8360890DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01538-9Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper critiques a previous study which claimed to demonstrate mirror self-recognition in horses, stating that the claim was not substantiated by compelling evidence due to issues in experimental design, data handling, and interpretation of results.

Critique of Experimental Procedures

The authors of this critique have found several problems with the methodology used in the original study:

  • The experimental design was incomplete, with missing elements that could have provided a more comprehensive picture of the study’s validity.
  • Important control conditions, used to ensure that the results of the experiment are a true measure of what is being tested, were absent. The absence of these controls means that the data may have been influenced by other variables.

Problems with Terminology and Methods Used

There were also issues with the methods and terminology employed in the original study:

  • The mark application procedures, used to judge whether the horses recognized themselves in a mirror, were suboptimal and may have affected the results.
  • The terminology used in the original study was inappropriate, which may have led to confusion and misinterpretation of the data.

Issues with Evidence Presentation and Data Interpretation

The authors further criticize the way evidence and data were handled and interpreted:

  • They found discrepancies in the video evidence presented in the study, encapsulating ambiguities and inconsistencies that could question the validity of the findings.
  • Finally, the data were presented and interpreted inconsistently, indicating a potential lack of rigour in the procedures for data analysis.

Conclusion

The authors conclude that the study they are critiquing does not demonstrate a breakthrough in mirror self-recognition analysis techniques as claimed. They suggest that the evidence presented in the original study is insufficient and the claims made are not firmly grounded in reliable data or sound experimental methodology.

Cite This Article

APA
Gallup GG, Anderson JR. (2021). Putting the cart before the horse: claims for mirror self-recognition in horses are unfounded. Anim Cogn, 25(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01538-9

Publication

Animal cognition
ISSN: 1435-9456
NlmUniqueID: 9814573
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
Pages: 1-4

Researcher Affiliations

Gallup, Gordon G
  • Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA. gallup@albany.edu.
Anderson, James R
  • Department of Psychology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto, Japan.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Recognition, Psychology

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This article includes 20 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Scopa C, Maglieri V, Baragli P, Palagi E. Getting rid of blinkers: the case of mirror self-recognition in horses (Equus caballus). Anim Cogn 2022 Aug;25(4):711-716.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-022-01638-0pubmed: 35704243google scholar: lookup
  2. Hillemacher S, Ocklenburg S, Güntürkün O, Tiemann I. Roosters do not warn the bird in the mirror: The cognitive ecology of mirror self-recognition. PLoS One 2023;18(10):e0291416.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291416pubmed: 37878556google scholar: lookup
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