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Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
Published on: May 5, 2015
Social games between bonobos and humans: evidence for shared intentionality?
Simone Pika1, Klaus Zuberbühler
1School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom. simone.pika@manchester.ac.uk
American Journal of Primatology
|September 27, 2007
Summary
Bonobos engage in social games with humans, showing mutual social awareness and shared intentionality. These behaviors, similar to human children, suggest early origins of cooperation in primates.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive science
- Primatology
- Comparative psychology
Background:
- Triadic social games require mutual social awareness and attention coordination.
- Such games are common in dogs but understudied in nonhuman primates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To observe bonobos (Pan paniscus) engaging in social games with humans.
- To analyze bonobo behavior for insights into social cognition and shared intentionality.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral analysis of bonobos interacting with a human playmate in social games.
- Observation of turn-taking sequences, object interaction, and communicative gestures.
Main Results:
- Bonobos exhibited behaviors similar to human children during social games.
- They showed interest in joint activity over play objects.
- Bonobos used gestures to encourage partner participation, indicating rudimentary intention understanding.
Conclusions:
- Bonobo social game behavior suggests shared intentionality may predate hominid origins.
- These findings imply early emergence of cooperative abilities in the primate lineage.
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