Read the following passage:
In recent experiments, cognitive biologists observed that Western scrub jays will retrieve and re-hide their food caches if they were watched by a dominant competitor during the initial caching process. Because the jays alter their caching strategy exclusively in response to being observed by a potential thief, the researchers concluded that these birds possess a 'theory of mind'—the advanced cognitive capacity to attribute mental states, such as knowledge and intentions, to others.
Evaluate the following statement based on the passage:
The researchers' conclusion logically depends on the assumption that the jays' re-caching behavior cannot be adequately explained by simpler associative learning mechanisms, such as a conditioned stress response triggered by the presence of a dominant competitor.
Answer: Answer