Dr. Robert Mitchell Dr. Margo DeMelloDr. Sara WallerDr.JulieA.Smith

Thisworkshopprovidesamultidisciplinaryexaminationoftheconsciousexperienceofseveralnon-humananimalspecies.Activitiesengagedparticipantsintheevaluationestablishedscientific,artistic,andhumanisticmethodsformeasuring,understanding,andevenexperiencingtypesofanimalconsciousness,coding,andcognition.

THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESSPre-Conference Workshop

Consciousness in AnimalsLoews Ventana Canyon Resort

Monday, April 25, 2016

JulieA.SmithisAssociateProfessorEmeritusfromtheDepartmentofLanguagesandLiteraturesattheUniversityofWisconsin,Whitewater.Heranimal-relatedarticlesfocusonrepresentationsofanimals’mindsinculturaldiscourse,particularlyinliteraryworks.Thisyearshewillhavetwoarticlespublished,including“RepresentingAnimalMindsinEarlyAnimalAutobiography:CharlotteTucker'sTheRamblesofaRat(1857)andNineteenth-CenturyNaturalHistory”(VictorianLiteratureandCulture)and“DeathofaWhite-TailedDeerinDavidLynch’sTheStraightStory(1999)(inLivesBeyondUs:PoemsandEssaysontheFilmRealityofAnimals,SidekickBooks).Sheisco-editorofExperiencingAnimalMinds(ColumbiaUniversityPress,2012).Smithisactiveinanimalrightsandanimalwelfare,foundedtheWisconsinchapteroftheHouseRabbitSociety,andmaintainsasanctuaryoftwelverescuedrabbits.Sheiscurrentlyworkingonabookwhichexaminessixmajorinterpretiveproblemsinrabbitbehaviorasgatewaystounderstanding rabbitconsciousness.

Dr.JulieA.Smith

Dr.Smithopened theworkshopbybringing usintotheworldofrabbitlateralvision,askingifadifferentvisualmodegivesrisetoadifferentkindofconsciousness.Startingwithscientificdataaboutsignificantfeaturesofrabbitvision, sheinvestigatedanalogues inexceptionalvisualexperiencesofhumans.Participantsperformedexercisesthatalteredvisualhabitsalonglinescompatiblewithwhatisknownaboutrabbitvision(e.g.,useperipheralvision).Non-standardnarrativedevices,opticillusions,andalteredphotographs willbeusedtomanipulateparticipants’visualawarenesstotheendofaskingwhethertheygiverisetoadifferentkindofconsciousness.

SaraWallerisanAssociateProfessorofPhilosophyatMontanaStateUniversity,wheresheteachescoursesonanimalcognition,canidvocalizationandtheevolutionofconsciousness, logic,andphilosophyofastrobiology.Herresearchfocusesontherelationshipbetweenvocalizationsand theconceptual categories,cognitionandcommunication innon-humananimals.Specifically,sheexplorestheminds,mentalstatesandintelligenceofcooperativepredators,suchashumanserialkillers,coyotes,wolves,dolphins,andhousecats.ShehaspublishedinsuchjournalsasCognitiveSemiotics,Synthese,andJournalofCognitiveNeuroscience.

Dr. Sara Waller

Dr.Wallerpresentedasurveyofcurrentmethods formeasuring theconsciousnessandcognitionofwolvesandbottlenosedolphins.Shepresentedresearchondolphinsignaturewhistles,coalitioncalls,objectnamingandproblemsolving.Participantsviewedvideosofwolfanddolphin behaviorandengageinamockdata-takingactivitydesigned toraisequestions aboutmethods forunderstanding dolphinandwolfmindsthrough standardbehavioralcategories.Shereviewedcurrentphilosophical questionregardingconsciousnessandcognition, including theirrelationship tolanguage,astheypertaintoempiricalmeasuresofanimalminds

Canid HowlProjecthttp://howlcoder.appspot.com

RobertMitchell,Ph.D., isFoundationProfessorintheDepartmentofPsychologyatEasternKentuckyUniversity.Heisthecoordinatorforboth theinterdisciplinaryAnimalStudiesprogram(whichhefoundedwiththesupportofother faculty)andtheGeneralPsychologyMastersprogram.Hehaseditedandco-editedbooksexaminingarangeofpsychologicaltopicsaboutanimalsandchildren,includingdeception,pretending,imagination,self-recognition,andspatialcognition,produced amonographonthehistoryofpsychologicalstudiesofgreatapes,andpublishednumerousarticlesandbook chapterson thepsychologyofanimalsandonhuman-animalinteraction.Hehasstudiedanimalsofseveralspecies,includingdolphins,apes,monkeys,sealions,dogs,andhumans,andhasalsowrittenextensivelyon therelationsamongself-recognition,imitation,andunderstandingotherminds.He isworkingonabookaboutthehistoryofideasaboutusinganthropomorphismtounderstandanimalsinscience,andiscollaboratingonstudiesofGalapagossealions,focusingontheirplayandtheirinteractionswithpeople.

Dr. Robert Mitchell

Dr.Mitchellaskedparticipantsto“reversetheiranthropomorphism” byworkingthrough severalproblem-solving taskusuallygiven toanimalsincomparativepsychological studies(e.g.,foodstashing) .Inmostofthese,animalsarepresumedtoexperiencementalimagery,insight,projection, andotherformsofcognition.Participantsengagedinthesesametasksandwereaskedtoreflectontheirexperience.Bythismeans,participantsexploredwhethertheformsofconsciousnesspresumedtobepresentinanimalsarepresentorabsentinhumans.Thisassessmentwill,ofcourse,haveimplications forthetypesofconsciousactivitiesanimalsmighthaveinsolvingsimilarproblems.

MargoDeMello receivedherPh.D.inCulturalAnthropology fromU.C.Davisin1995,andisanadjunctprofessorintheAnthrozoology MastersprogramatCanisius College.SheisalsotheHuman-AnimalStudiesProgramDirectorfortheAnimalsandSocietyInstitute,andPresidentofHouseRabbitSociety,aninternationalrabbitadvocacyorganization.Herbooks includeStoriesRabbitsTell:ANaturalandCulturalHistoryofaMisunderstoodCreature,TeachingtheAnimal:HumanAnimalStudiesAcrosstheDisciplines,SpeakingforAnimals:AnimalAutobiographicalWriting,AnimalsandSociety:AnIntroduction toHuman-AnimalStudies.HernewestbookwillbetheeditedcollectiontitledMourningAnimals:RitualsandPracticesSurroundingAnimalDeath.

Dr. Margo DeMello

Dr.DeMello approachedrabbitconsciousness fromtheproblemoftheirsocialandselfawareness.Domesticrabbitswholivewithotherrabbitsdosoincomplicatedsocialstructuresboundbyrulesofhierarchyandterritory,aswellasmoremutableconceptslikefriendship.Howdorabbitsgofrombeingstrangerstobecomingacommunity inwhatisessentiallyafission-fusionsociety?Ifonelooksattheprocessofgoing from“onetomany,”wemightask,‘Dorabbitshaveamodelinmind fromtheoutsetforcreatingwhatwillbecometheirnewsocialstructure?’ ‘Whatrolesemergefromtheinitialencounter thatarenecessaryforthefinalstructure,andwhatkindofunderstanding dotheindividualswhoassumethoserolesseemtohave?”Sheshowedavideoofalong-standing, stablerabbitgroup.Shethenbrought together6strangerrabbitstodemonstratewhattheinitialencounter lookslike.Throughout thedemonstration, participantscommentedonwhattheyaresaw.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Student/FacultyInteraction Grants Program

Supported by:

Netzin &DieterSteklisCo-Directors