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If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
08:42

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Published on: May 5, 2015

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) do not develop contingent reciprocity in an experimental task.

Sarah Frances Brosnan1, Joan B Silk, Joseph Henrich

  • 1Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, PO Box 5010, Atlanta, GA, 30302-5010, USA. sbrosnan@gsu.edu

Animal Cognition
|March 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Chimpanzees do not consistently show reciprocal altruism in experimental settings. Helping behavior was not significantly influenced by a partner

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Area of Science:

  • Primate behavior
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Animal cognition

Background:

  • Chimpanzees exhibit helping behaviors towards unrelated individuals.
  • Contingent reciprocity is hypothesized as a driver for altruism evolution in chimpanzees.
  • Field observations suggest cooperation with reciprocating partners, but experimental evidence is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate whether chimpanzees display contingent reciprocity.
  • To determine if past food-sharing influences future helping behavior in chimpanzees.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a bar-pull apparatus to allow chimpanzees to deliver food rewards.
  • Tested 11 dyads of chimpanzees from the same home group.
  • Evaluated if food provision to a partner in one round influenced the actor's behavior in subsequent rounds.

Main Results:

  • Chimpanzee helping behavior was not consistently influenced by partners' previous actions.
  • Only one out of 11 dyads showed evidence of positive reciprocity.
  • Contingent reciprocity did not spontaneously emerge in this experimental paradigm.

Conclusions:

  • Contingent reciprocity does not appear to be a spontaneous behavior in experimental chimpanzee interactions.
  • The study highlights a discrepancy between field observations and experimental findings regarding chimpanzee reciprocity.
  • Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying cooperation in chimpanzees.