We're not the only creatures with beliefs. Although it is harder to prove than humans, animals also have beliefs. In an article published in the journal "Mind and Language" on June 16, 2020, Dr. from the Institute of Philosophy 2 of the Ruhr University Tobias Starzak and Professor Albert Newen proposed 4 criteria for understanding and experimentally investigating the belief system in animals.
4 Criteria Of Faith In Animals
Criterion 1: Knowledge Of The Environment
The first criterion of the existence of beliefs is that the animal must have knowledge about its environment. But this information should not only lead to an automatic response. For example, frogs instinctively catch the insect with their tongue...
Criterion 2: the ability to exhibit different behaviors with the same information
Second criterion: the animal should be able to exhibit different behaviors using the same information. Albert Newen explains:
"This is the case where one and the same piece of information can be combined with different motivations to produce different behaviors. For example, the animal should be able to use the information that there is food there at that moment to eat or store the food."
Criterion 3: Knowledge Must Be Structured As An Internal Belief
The third criterion: information must be structured in such a way that it is internally a belief, and accordingly different parts of that information must be processed separately. For example, this has been observed in experiments with rats that can learn that a certain type of food can be found in a certain place at a certain time. This information has a WHAT-WHEN-WHERE structure.
Criterion 4: Knowledge Must Be Reassemblable
The fourth criterion is that animals with beliefs should be able to reunite the components of knowledge in new ways. This reassembled belief should lead to variable behaviour.
Researcher Jonathan Crystal showed in his 8-way labyrinth experiments that rats were also able to do this. Animals, maze 3 in the morning. if they reach normal food in their path, 7 p.m. they found out that chocolate could be found on the way.
The Crows Meet All The Criteria!
The authors also cite Crows and shrubs as examples of animals of faith.
British researcher Nicola Clayton conducted experiments with shrubs. When birds are hungry, they tend to eat food at first. And when they're not hungry, they store leftovers systemically. In the process, they record what food (worm or peanut) they store where and when. If they get hungry later, they first look for their preferred worms. After the time has passed when the worms become inedible, they head to places where they store their nuts instead. Dr. Tobias Starzak says:
"What best explains this change in behaviour is the birds ' belief that worms are degraded and their belief about the location of other food."
Animals can also react variously in other situations. For example, if they realize that they are being watched by their competitors while hiding their food, they hide the food again later.
Variable behavior, which can be interpreted as being caused by beliefs, has also been shown in rats, chimpanzees and Border collie-type dogs. Albert Newen finally adds:
"We believe that there are many more species that have not yet been discovered to have beliefs."