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Numerical competence in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
1Primate Cognition Project, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
Summary
Chimpanzees can perform simple addition. This study shows chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) can sum arrays of items and numbers, demonstrating early mathematical cognition similar to preschoolers.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive science
- Primatology
- Comparative psychology
Background:
- Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) possess advanced cognitive abilities.
- Understanding numerical cognition in non-human primates offers insights into the evolution of mathematical skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the chimpanzee's ability to perform arithmetic summation.
- To explore the representational use of numbers in chimpanzees.
Main Methods:
- A chimpanzee was trained to count objects and use Arabic numerals.
- The chimpanzee was presented with arrays of food items or Arabic numbers in two of three possible locations.
- Performance was assessed based on the selection of the correct arithmetic sum.
Main Results:
- The chimpanzee demonstrated above-chance performance from initial sessions in summing arrays of both food items and Arabic numbers.
- The animal successfully selected the correct arithmetic sum under novel test conditions without explicit training in combining arrays.
Conclusions:
- Chimpanzees exhibit counting strategies and the representational use of numbers.
- These findings suggest that basic arithmetic abilities are present in the cognitive domain of chimpanzees, comparable to those observed in young children.