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Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice

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Endowment effects in chimpanzees.

Sarah F Brosnan¹, Owen D Jones, Susan P Lambeth

¹Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. sbrosnan@gsu.edu

Current Biology : CB

|September 22, 2007

Summary

Chimpanzees exhibit an endowment effect, valuing items they possess more than those obtainable through trade. This behavior, seen in humans, suggests a shared evolutionary basis for economic decision-making.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Economics
Primatology
Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

Human economic behavior deviates from rational choice predictions.
Deviations may stem from evolutionary pressures, suggesting cross-species commonalities.
The endowment effect, where ownership increases perceived value, is a key human deviation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if chimpanzees exhibit the endowment effect.
To explore the evolutionary roots of economic decision-making biases.
To compare chimpanzee and human endowment effect patterns.

Main Methods:

Chimpanzees were presented with items they received versus items available via exchange.
Behavioral choices were recorded to assess item valuation.
The endowment effect was quantified by comparing preferences.

Main Results:

Chimpanzees demonstrated an endowment effect, favoring possessed items.
The effect was more pronounced for food items compared to non-food objects.
This suggests evolutionary salience influences valuation biases.

Conclusions:

Chimpanzees exhibit endowment effects, similar to humans.
Economic decision-making biases may have deep evolutionary origins.
Evolutionary relevance is crucial for understanding valuation in humans and other species.