Human beings can adaptively regulate their cognitive/behavioral strategies to accomplish goals by using information regarding their internal cognitive states. This ability is called metacognition. Comparative studies of metacognition have found that certain primates also possess this ability, and recent studies have apparently found it in rats. These results suggest that these species can serve as animal models for metacognition. Furthermore, studies with animal models would allow researchers to investigate metacognitive mechanisms in detail. However, because metacognitive research in animals has focused on proving the existence of metacognition, findings about its properties have not been organized or consolidated. In this paper, we reviewed and summarized findings from studies of metacognition in primates and rats, and then compared them with related research on human beings. Finally, we discuss the properties of metacognition that human beings and animals have in common, and the potential for future work on metacognition in animals.
