A new symbolic profile uses three observable behaviors—volition, interaction, and self-direction—to represent subjective experience across animals with a centralized nervous system. Each behavior is quantified by frequency, variety, and dynamism, creating a 3-by-3 matrix that can be displayed as a bidirectional heatmap. This approach allows quick comparison of subjective experience between species, from crustaceans to primates, highlighting similarities and differences without relying on human-centered metrics or empirical data. The profile is a theoretical construct based on markers of consciousness in humans but grounded in behaviors measurable in any animal.
Cognitive science is increasingly influenced by embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive perspectives alongside traditional computational assumptions. Neuroscience has advanced understanding of brain function within classical frameworks, but newer alternative perspectives can enrich interpretations of many findings. These frameworks highlight how an animal's cognitive requirements are shaped by its environment, how biology and ecology coevolve to shape cognition, and how cognition extends beyond the brain. The embodied cognition paradigm reveals the central role of 'place' in the cognitive landscape, offering insights for cognitive scientists and philosophers. The concept of place applies to cognitive function, species comparisons, ecologically relevant experimental designs, and approaches to the 'hard problem' of consciousness.