The modal-modular model of animal self-representation: a comparative and operational framework.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2026 Ivan A Khvatov
Self-awareness in animals is not a single capacity that a species either has or lacks, as the classic mirror test implies. Instead, self-representation can be understood as a modular regulatory system through which an organism accounts for its own body, actions, and agency. The authors propose a Modal-Modular Model with three levels of self-representation—implicit bodily, minimal self-related awareness, and reflective self-consciousness—and several candidate modules such as body size, weight, agency, and appearance. The framework shifts research from asking whether an animal 'has' self-awareness to constructing species-specific profiles across sensory channels and ecological contexts.