Studies of Uncertainty Monitoring and Metacognition in Animals and Humans

The chapter investigates episodic memory in a nonhuman primate. The subject for this analysis was a circus gorilla named King, who used symbols to identify several foods and to name several of his trainers. The chapter presents a new paradigm for studying episodic memory in a nonhuman primate but also serves to sharpen the definition of what will and will not qualify as evidence of episodic memory. Most cognitive psychologists consider episodic memory to be the sole domain of human beings and therefore do not consider it an appropriate topic for study in nonhuman animals. During the past few years, a number of investigators have begun to study episodic memory in a variety of species: pigeons, rats, scrub jays, chimpanzees, and gorillas. The chapter evaluates evidence of episodic memory in nonhuman species, specifically primates. The implications of the research are discussed for narrowing the gap in the episodic memory between humans and animals.