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Defining value through quantity and quality-Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) undervalue food quantities when items are
Audrey E Parrish1, Theodore A Evans2, Michael J Beran1
1Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Psychology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Behavioural Processes
|December 3, 2014
Summary
Chimpanzees prefer whole food items over broken ones, even when the broken items offer more quantity. This shows that food quality, not just quantity, influences chimpanzee decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Primate Behavior
- Animal Decision-Making
Background:
- Decision-making is influenced by the perceived value of options.
- Value is determined by factors like quantity and quality of stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how quantity and quality of food items influence chimpanzee food preferences.
- To understand the competing influences of these factors in choice paradigms.
Main Methods:
- Chimpanzees were presented with two-option natural choice tasks involving food sets.
- Experiments manipulated the quantity and original state (quality) of food items.
- Choices were observed between whole vs. broken items and discrete vs. clumped items.
Main Results:
- Chimpanzees consistently preferred sets of whole food items over broken ones, irrespective of quantity.
- Preference for whole items persisted even when items were broken just before choice.
- Chimpanzees favored discrete sets retaining their original state over clumped sets.
Conclusions:
- Chimpanzee food preferences are influenced by quality (original state) beyond mere quantity.
- Factors beyond caloric intake, such as item integrity, play a significant role in value assignment.
- These findings shed light on the complex nature of value-based decision-making in primates.
