The perception of causality in chimpanzees (Pan spp.)

Anim Cogn. 2005 Jan;8(1):60-6. doi: 10.1007/s10071-004-0231-1. Epub 2004 Aug 19.

Abstract

Chimpanzees (Pan spp.) were tested on a habituation/dishabituation paradigm that was originally developed to test for comprehension of causality in very young human infants. Three versions of the test were used: a food item being moved by a hand, a human pushing another human off a chair to obtain a food item, and a film clip of natural chimpanzee behaviour (capturing and eating a monkey). Chimpanzees exhibited similar results to those obtained with human infants, with significantly elevated levels of looking on the dishabituation trials. Since the level of response was significantly greater on natural/unnatural sequences than on unnatural/natural sequences, we conclude that the chimpanzees were not responding just to novelty but rather to events that infringed their sense of natural causation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Association Learning*
  • Awareness
  • Concept Formation*
  • Female
  • Habituation, Psychophysiologic*
  • Male
  • Pan paniscus / psychology*
  • Pan troglodytes / psychology*
  • Perception