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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 5, 2015

Monkeys benefit from reciprocity without the cognitive burden.

Malini Suchak¹, Frans B M de Waal

¹Living Links Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. msuchak@emory.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|September 6, 2012

Summary

Brown capuchin monkeys exhibit spontaneous prosocial behavior, sharing rewards equally regardless of partner familiarity. Joint action, not direct reciprocity, appears to drive this altruistic tendency in capuchins.

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Last Updated: May 18, 2026

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Area of Science:

Primate behavior
Evolutionary psychology
Animal cognition

Background:

The origins of human prosociality are debated, with research increasingly focusing on underlying mechanisms.
Previous studies have examined prosocial tendencies in various species to understand evolutionary roots.
Direct reciprocity is a proposed mechanism for promoting cooperative behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if direct reciprocity influences prosocial behavior in brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).
To determine the role of partner familiarity (in-group vs. out-group) in capuchin prosocial choices.
To explore the nature of reciprocity driving prosociality in capuchins.

Main Methods:

Capuchins were presented with a choice between a prosocial (1/1 reward) and a selfish (1/0 reward) token.
Choices were compared between familiar partners from the same group and unfamiliar partners from different groups.
A paradigm shift involved alternating choice-making roles between partners to assess reciprocity dynamics.

Main Results:

Capuchins consistently chose the prosocial option at similar rates regardless of partner group affiliation.
Prosocial preference significantly increased when partners alternated making choices, leading to mutualistic payoffs.
No direct contingency was found between individual choices and partner's previous actions, suggesting vague reciprocity.

Conclusions:

Brown capuchin monkeys demonstrate innate prosociality, independent of immediate reciprocity or partner familiarity.
Joint action and mutualistic payoffs, rather than direct reciprocity, appear to promote prosociality in this species.
The findings suggest a form of 'attitudinal reciprocity' where shared action fosters cooperative outcomes.