The Mirror Test
What is the Mirror Test?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.
- "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.
- 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.
- 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.
