In our project, we coded videos of chimpanzees who were sat in front of a mirror. We coded instances of mark-directed behavior (points where each chimpanzee touched a part of their body where they saw the laser in the mirror). With the use of this dynamic test, we tested the ability of self-recognition in chimpanzees. We want people to take away that we should challenge preconceived notions that humans are the only beings able to embody certain skills or characteristics, such as self-recognition. We chose this topic because this concept piqued our interest, as the idea of chimpanzees recognizing themselves in a mirror was something interesting to test. Our process throughout analyzing information and completing the project was fun, as we were able to watch chimpanzees in videos that showed their ability to recognize themselves in their reflection.
FINAL-STEAM-POSTER_Group-3_12-05Members:
Mashiat Sultana
Berenice Alfaro Chavez
Karina Fernandez-Saito
Abigail Tenenbaum
Saadiya Taylor
