The mind of organisms: Some issues on animal cognition (Focal article and Replies to commentaries)

We argue that the study of animal cognition (AC) should be considered a component of cognitive sciences. The goals of AC research and its comparative nature are discussed. The classical objections to cognitivism, the methodology used to address these problems, and the notion of representation as a basic element of cognition are presented. The two views of representation adopted to AC are discussed in detail. The "semantic mind" approach regards representations as mental states defined by mode and content and involved in causing behavior. An alternative approach, the "computing mind," is based on the form and formal manipulation of information processing psychology (IPP). The challenge for comparative psychology is to integrate the approaches based on mental states and IPP. The study of AC contributes to developmental, evolutionary, and ecological aspects of cognition