The Mirror Test

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What is the Mirror Test?

The mirror test is a semi-accurate way of evaluating a species's self-recognition. Usually, a mark or spot is put on the animals body, but in a place they can't normally see. The animal is then presented a mirror, if they respond to the spot on their own body as a result of the mirror, it can signify that they understand the connection between the two.

Here is Audrey interacting with a mirror.

How Did Audrey Learn About the Mirror?

It would probably take a couple long articles to fully explain all of the techniques we've used with Audrey to improve her awareness (if there's interest I'll write those articles). At a high level there are a few primary tools we used to help her reach this point.

  1. "Eyes on me" trick, which she has been practicing since she was only 6 weeks. We use "me" throughout our tricks to help her learn the abstract "me" instead of associating it with a specific person. She now understands that "me" applies to whoever is talking.
  2. Spending a lot of time around mirrors. Pretty obvious, but also very important. Almost all of our rooms have had mirrors, and this allows it to be a natural part of her day.
  3. Interactions with other "reflective" devices such as tablets, and phones with selfie mode. She still doesn't understand how they function, but she can easily differentiate between a real person and a person on the screen.

If there's interest/questions, I'd be happy to write something more comprehensive.