Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 February 2005
The metacognitive stance of Smith et al. (2003) risks ignoring sensory consciousness. Although Smith et al. rightly caution against the tendency to preserve the uniqueness of the human mind at all costs, their reasoned stance is undermined by a selective association of consciousness with high-level cognitive operations. Neurobiological evidence may offer a more general, and hence more inclusive, basis for the systematic study of animal consciousness.
Commentary onJ. D. Smith, W. E. Shields & D. A. Washburn (2003). The comparative psychology of uncertainty monitoring and metacognition. BBS 26(3): 317–339.