page_title: Anecdotal cognitivism
section_title: Current discussions
hierarchical_section_title: Anecdotal cognitivism / Current discussions
caption_attribution_description: English: Seated Felis silvestris catus (domestic cat) playing with a passive Calotes versicolor, (oriental garden lizard), facing it, in Laos Français&#160;: Chat domestique assis jouant avec un Calotes versicolor (agame versicolore) passif, lui faisant face, au Laos Euskara: Felis silvestris catus (katu arrunta) bat Calotes versicolor (ekialdeko lorategi-muskerra) batekin jolasten, Laosen. Polski: Kot domowy (Felis catus) bawiący się z&#160;jaszczurką z&#160;gatunku Calotes versicolor sfotografowane w&#160;Laosie. Deutsch: Hauskatze (Felis silvestris catus) spielt mit einer Schönechse (Calotes versicolor), in Laos. Українська: Кіт, що грається зі східною садовою ящіркою Calotes versicolor у Лаосі. Čeština: Sedící kočka domácí (Felis silvestris catus) si hraje s ještěrkou lepoještěr pestrý severní (Calotes versicolor) v Laosu. Español: Gato doméstico jugando con un lagarto (Calotes versicolor) en Laos. Magyar: Egy agámával játszó macska Laoszban Македонски: Мачка како си игра со гуштер во Лаос. Nederlands: Huiskat (Felis silvestris catus) spelend met een bloedzuiger (Calotes versicolor) Português: Gato doméstico (Felis silvestris catus) brincando com um lagarto (Calotes versicolor), Laos. हिन्दी: बिल्ली
context_page_description: Anecdotal cognitivism is a method of research using anecdotal, and anthropomorphic evidence through the observation of animal behaviour.
  A psychological methodology that attributes mental states to animals on the basis of anecdotes and on the observation of particular cases, other than those observations made during controlled experiments. The purpose is to understand by what means animals interpret external stimuli from the world around them, and subsequently how and why they act on that information. Charles Darwin devised this method in the late nineteenth century, naming it anecdotal cognitivism. This method proved controversial within the academy for the first half of the twentieth century, as Behaviourist methods were favoured at this time. Behaviourists maintain that controlled experiments are necessary to measure stimuli and record observable behaviour. From the middle of the twentieth century ethology and later, cognitive ethology became increasingly important within the scientific and academic milieu.
  After the introduction of natural history documentary film production in the 1960s animal behaviour became popular in the general population.
context_section_description: Within Classic Ethology, Darwin’s anecdotal and anthropomorphic approach was modified by European researchers. Classical Ethologists, Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989) and Niko Tinbergen (1907-1988), undertook a return to Darwin’s evolutionary theory and natural history with a reliance on more meticulous anecdotal and anthropomorphic methodologies. The research carried out by both scientists focused on observations, free use of anecdotes and an emphasis on emotion and inner states, “instincts”, “drives”, “motivational impulses” and “outward flowing nervous energy”. In 1973 they were awarded the Nobel Prize with Karl von Frisch (1886-1982) for animal behaviour and were the founders of the field of ethology.
  Though there are many differences between the schools of behaviourism and ethology, they agreed upon scepticism of the “folk” interpretations of over emphasising anecdotes to explain animal intelligence.
  There has been a resurgence in the adaption and use of this method in the twenty-first century. In current research this methodology has evolved and is no longer called ‘anecdotal cognitivism,’ with the scientific vernacular having changed to ‘cognitive ethology’ a term coined by Don Griffin, which involves anecdotal and anthropomorphic observations with reference to the cognition, internal states and behaviour analysis of animals. Ethograms, a quantitative method consisting of an inventory table of descriptions, are used to document typical animal behaviour. In unusual or rare animal behaviour, an “incident” or "qualitative report” is written rather than referencing the term “anecdote”, due to the negative connotation that resulted from Darwin’s method.
caption: Animal behaviour, curiosity and play between species.
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