speilproef

The speilproef, commonly called the mirror self-recognition test in English, is a behavioural experiment used to assess whether an animal can recognize itself in a mirror. It was developed by American psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. in 1970 as a measure of self-recognition and, by extension, a form of self-awareness.

In the typical procedure, a subject is given time to acclimate to a mirror. A non-toxic, odorless mark is applied on a part of the animal’s body that it cannot see without the mirror. After recovery, the animal is re-exposed to the mirror, and researchers record whether the animal engages in self-directed behaviors directed at the marked area, such as inspecting or touching the mark while looking into the mirror, or attempting to remove the mark. The key criterion for passing is sustained self-directed inspection of the marked area in the presence of the mirror, indicating the subject recognizes the reflection as itself rather than another animal.

Results have shown passing performances in several taxa under certain conditions, including great apes (notably chimpanzees and orangutans), some cetaceans such as dolphins, elephants, and certain bird species (notably Eurasian magpies). However, passing the test is not universally taken as definitive proof of full self-awareness or a theory of mind. Critics argue that the test may rely on perceptual cues or conditioning, and that different species respond to mirrors in different ways that do not necessarily reflect self-consciousness.