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Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
Published on: November 11, 2011
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Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions
Raphaela Heesen1,2, Klaus Zuberbühler3,4, Adrian Bangerter1
1Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Royal Society Open Science
|December 15, 2021
Summary
Great apes, like bonobos and chimpanzees, naturally resume interrupted social activities, suggesting a form of joint commitment similar to humans. This behavior was observed in grooming and play, independent of social bonds or rank.
Area of Science:
- Primatology
- Comparative Psychology
- Evolutionary Anthropology
Background:
- Human joint action is characterized by joint commitment, a mutual sense of obligation.
- Previous research on great ape joint commitment relied on experimentally induced interruptions.
- The natural handling of interruptions in great ape social interactions remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how bonobos and chimpanzees naturally handle interruptions in joint actions.
- To explore whether great apes exhibit behaviors indicative of joint commitment during naturalistic social interactions.
- To examine the influence of social bonds and rank on the resumption of interrupted joint actions.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of naturally occurring joint actions (grooming, play) in bonobos and chimpanzees.
- Focus on instances where joint actions were interrupted and subsequently resumed.
- Analysis of resumption strategies, including partner, location, and behavior continuity.
Main Results:
- Both bonobos and chimpanzees frequently resumed interrupted joint actions with previous partners and at previous locations.
- Resumption included continuing the same behavior (e.g., grooming the same body part, playing the same play type).
- The probability of attempting resumption was not influenced by social bonds or individual rank.
Conclusions:
- Great apes demonstrate behaviors consistent with a form of joint commitment during natural social interactions.
- These findings suggest that precursors to human joint commitment may have evolutionary origins in non-human great apes.
- Naturalistic observation provides valuable insights into the spontaneous regulation of joint actions in non-human primates.
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