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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
08:42
Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
Published on: May 5, 2015
Animal cognition: time flies when chimps are having fun.
Sarah R Heilbronner1, Michael L Platt
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University Medical Center, Room 427 Bryan Research Building, Research Drive Box 3209, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|December 7, 2007
Summary
Chimpanzees use distraction to manage waiting for rewards, similar to children. This suggests self-control is a shared trait between humans and our primate relatives.
Area of Science:
- Comparative psychology
- Primate behavior
- Cognitive science
Background:
- Self-control is crucial for goal achievement in humans.
- Delayed gratification is a key aspect of self-control.
- Understanding the evolutionary roots of self-control offers insights into human cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate self-control mechanisms in chimpanzees.
- To compare chimpanzee coping strategies during delayed reward tasks with those of human children.
- To explore shared cognitive capacities between humans and chimpanzees.
Main Methods:
- Chimpanzees were presented with choices between immediate smaller rewards and delayed larger rewards.
- Behavioral observations focused on distraction tactics employed during waiting periods.
- Comparison with existing data on similar tasks in human children.
Main Results:
- Chimpanzees actively engaged in self-distraction behaviors while waiting for larger, delayed rewards.
- These distraction strategies were analogous to those observed in human children facing similar situations.
- Evidence suggests a shared capacity for self-control through active coping.
Conclusions:
- Chimpanzees exhibit self-control by using distraction, a strategy also employed by children.
- This finding supports the hypothesis that self-control is an evolved capacity shared with nonhuman primates.
- Further research can elucidate the neural and evolutionary underpinnings of self-control across species.
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