Introduction. The Concept of Umwelt in Experimental Animal Cognition

Abstract

.

The concept of "Umwelt" was coined by Jakob von Uexküll during the nineteenth century. The term comprises the "Merkwelt" (how living beings perceive the world through their senses) and the "Wirkwelt" (how living beings interact with the world through their actions). Since all animal cognition tests consist of animals performing actions after having perceived some stimuli, taking each species' umwelt into account when designing the tests and control conditions is deemed mandatory. The authors introduce these concepts and highlight their relevance by providing some experimental examples.