Are monkeys aesthetists? Rensch (1957) revisited

Area of Science:

• Primate behavior
• Comparative psychology
• Visual perception

Background:

• Aesthetic preferences in non-human primates are not well understood.
• Previous research suggests some animals may prefer visually complex or patterned stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate visual pattern preferences in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).
• To determine if regularity and symmetry influence these preferences.
• To compare monkey preferences with human aesthetic judgments.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted using visual stimuli presented on cards and a touchscreen.
• Monkeys could interact with stimuli by picking up cards or touching images.
• Stimuli included regular and irregular patterns, some with symmetrical elements, and pictorial faces.

Main Results:

• Both capuchin and squirrel monkeys showed a preference for regular visual patterns.
• Symmetry was an influential factor, though not strictly essential for preference.
• Capuchins demonstrated a particular preference for regular and symmetrical stimuli on the touchscreen, while avoiding faces.
• Squirrel monkeys showed less discrimination on the touchscreen.
• Some preference for faces was observed in the card-manipulation task.

Conclusions:

• Monkeys exhibit preferences for regular and symmetrical visual patterns.
• These findings support the hypothesis that monkeys share aesthetic preferences with humans.
• The study highlights differences in stimulus presentation methods (cards vs. touchscreen) affecting responses.