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Apes Submentalise
1All Souls College and Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|December 7, 2016
Summary
Great apes, like human infants, can predict actions based on false beliefs. This study investigates whether this ability stems from mentalizing or submentalizing processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive science
- Primatology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Understanding theory of mind in non-human primates is crucial for evolutionary psychology.
- Previous research suggests varying levels of cognitive sophistication in great apes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether great apes possess the ability to attribute false beliefs.
- To differentiate between mentalizing and submentalizing as underlying mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced eye-tracking technology to monitor great ape visual attention.
- Designed behavioral paradigms to assess anticipation of goal-directed actions.
Main Results:
- Great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans) accurately predicted an agent's behavior based on a false belief.
- Behavioral anticipation suggests a sophisticated understanding of others' mental states.
Conclusions:
- Great apes demonstrate a capacity for understanding false beliefs, challenging previous assumptions.
- Further research is needed to definitively distinguish between mentalizing and submentalizing in this context.
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