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The Open University

Living psychology: animal minds

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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Does your pet cat or dog experience emotions the same way you do? Can non-human animals solve complex problems? To what extent do other species have minds that are like human minds? This free course, Living psychology: animal minds, explores these, and other, issues in the psychology of animal minds. Studying animal minds is of great importance to psychologists as humans are, of course, also animals. Researching other species can provide extremely useful insights into how human minds developed throughout evolutionary history.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Everyday perspectives: animal minds
  • 1 Everyday perspectives: animal minds
  • 1.1 How people attribute human-like traits to animals
  • 2 Human ideas about other animals’ minds
  • 2 Human ideas about other animals’ minds
  • 3 The evolution of brains and minds
  • 3 The evolution of brains and minds
  • 3.1 How brain structures enable mind processes: emotion
  • 3.2 Emotions in different species: humans and dogs
  • 4 From animal to human emotions
  • 4 From animal to human emotions
  • 4.1 The neurobiology of emotions
  • 4.2 From neurobiology to mental health
  • 5 Comparative cognition: reasoning and problem-solving
  • 5 Comparative cognition: reasoning and problem-solving
  • 5.1 Animal problem-solving: using tools
  • 5.2 Cooperating elephants
  • 5.3 New Caledonian crows
  • 5.4 Collaborative problem-solving: the role of emotions
  • 6 Do animals understand other minds?
  • 6 Do animals understand other minds?
  • 6.1 How can researchers test Theory of Mind in animals?
  • 6.2 Animal understanding of human goals and intentions
  • 6.3 Chimpanzees’ understanding of perception and knowledge
  • 6.4 Chimpanzees’ understanding of false belief
  • 7 Thinking about methods: laboratory and natural settings
  • 7 Thinking about methods: laboratory and natural settings
  • 7.1 Studies on animals’ understanding of ‘seeing’
  • 7.2 Studies on animals’ understanding of false belief: deception
  • 7.3 Behind the scenes of the Dog Cognition Centre
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

3.8 rating at OpenLearn based on 12 ratings

Start your review of Living psychology: animal minds

  • Profile image for Enrique Enriquez
    Enrique Enriquez @EEnriquez
    17
    Having completed "Living Psychology: Animal Minds," this course provides a rigorous examination of the cognitive and emotional lives of non-human species. The exploration of evolutionary theory and comparative psychology offers a robust framework for considering the continuum of mind, from primal emotions processed by the limbic system to complex executive function. The material thoughtfully investigates the compelling evidence for animal problem-solving and tool use, while presenting a balanced, critical perspective on the ongoing debate surrounding Theory of Mind.
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