17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Chapter 6 MiniMeta: in search of minimal criteria for metacognition Josef Perner This is a transitory chapter linking Section I on comparative animal studies with the upcoming Section II on developmental studies with human infants and children. I am surveying the animal literature for useful methods to use with children when trying to avoid reliance on heavy meta- cognitive verbalization of mental states. A sizeable research effort has evolved over the last 15 years with the aim of demonstrating metacognition in animals. The techniques involved are obviously interesting to the developmen- tal psychologist for use on young (pre- or minimally verbal) children. Unfortunately, there are still lingering doubts (e.g. Carruthers 2008; Metcalfe 2008) as to whether these studies do show metacognition. These doubts are due to novel alternative interpretations of existing studies that have not yet been ruled out and to questions of definition. Not that there are no clear definitions, but the feeling is that these may be too restrictive for research with non-verbal organisms cutting out interesting lower level metacognitive abilities (Proust 2007, 2010; Smith 2011). My prime objective is not to arbiter between animals being or not being capable of metacognition. I want to Fig. 6.1 Minimally meta. 06-Beran-Chap-06.indd 94 06-Beran-Chap-06.indd 94 4/16/2012 3:39:05 PM 4/16/2012 3:39:05 PM OUP UNCORRECTED PROOF – First Page Proofs, 16/04/2012, CENVEO