ABSTRACT
The term cognitive ethology could have many meanings given the variety of meanings attached to the word cognitive and to the word ethology. Griffin (1978, 1981, 1984) defined cognitive ethology as the “study of the mental experiences of animals”. In this paper, we will argue that this definition of cognitive ethology is impractical and unproductive, because nonobservable conscious mental events constitute the very heart of the field. In overem phasizing conscious events and largely ignoring the efforts of cognitive scientists, this definition is unduly restrictive. There is a more suitable
definition possible for cognitive ethology, one that involves true integration of the cognitive and ethological approaches and offers hope of eventually understanding the structure, evolution, and function of mind.
