Citation

Author Website

https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/lindsay-r-mehrkam/

Thread

Jennifer Mather, What is in an octopus's mind?

Abstract

Mather makes a convincing case for octopus sentience based on a lot of evidence of their complex learning capabilities. It should follow from Mather’s findings that these intelligent invertebrates are worthy of welfare considerations, just as vertebrate species with similar capabilities are. I provide a complementary environment-behavior analysis of how we might understand the world of the octopus more straightforwardly, borrowing from Mather’s examples, to show how to promote opportunities for complex learning and species-typical behaviors in the octopus.

Author Biography

Lindsay R. Mehrkam is an assistant professor of psychology, board-certified behavior analyst, and applied animal behaviorist. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating behavioral interventions to promote both human and animal welfare in society. Website

DOI

10.51291/2377-7478.1491