Chimpanzees do not perform the acts of altruism that humans do,
according to a new UCLA study on chimp behavior.
A study conducted by researchers at UCLA, Emory University, the
University of Texas and the University of Louisiana shows that
chimps are indifferent to performing selfless acts in order to
benefit or reward other chimps.
The research, published in the scientific journal Nature, was
based on a study conducted on chimps who had been unrelated members
of stable social groups since birth.
The experiment was performed in Louisiana and Texas.
In one study, a chimp was separated from a fellow chimp of the
same social group in such a manner that both chimps could see and
hear each other. A feeding device with two trays of food attached
was accessible to one chimp.
In this situation, the chimp with access to food had two
options; the chimp could either have food delivered solely to
himself or to both himself and his fellow chimp in the adjacent
room.
The number of times the chimp chose the first option and the
second option were about the same.
“The chimps’ behavior was not affected by the
presence of another chimp. They were equally likely to choose
either option regardless of if there was another chimp
present,” said Joan Silk, lead researcher of the study and
UCLA professor in the department of anthropology.
“Sometimes the other chimp begged and looked interested in
getting a reward, but that didn’t seem to make much
difference (to the chimp with access to the food)” she
said.
Although chimps do participate in collective activities such as
sharing food, researchers say they are motivated to do so as a
benefit to themselves.
“In human beings, we’re disposed to share and give
to others even when there is a minor cost to ourselves ““ we
vote, we give blood … Researchers have found that in cultures
around the world people will share with complete strangers,”
said Daniel Povinelli, professor and director of the cognitive
evolution center at University of Louisiana.
In the study, though it did not cost the chimps to provide food
for their counterpart, they did not make an effort to provide the
available food.
“This is another piece of evidence that suggests that
humans are quite special in the extent to which we rely on
cooperation and the extent to which we do nice things for others
even though we may not know them,” Silk said.
The distinction between chimp and human acts of altruism is that
humans are willing to aid one another, even if there is a cost
associated with the aid, researchers say.
“A lot of that cooperation (between chimps) can be
explained by pure self interest. They will cooperate when it
benefits them,” said Joe Henrich, an assistant professor in
the department of anthropology at Emory University.
“There’s a lot of cross-cultural work in comparing
this experiment in various societies. There is a great deal of
variation but no society approaches the selfishness of
chimps,” he said.
Similar experiments with other species and young children are
being studied.
“I believe that humans are very interested in what other
people think about them,” Povinelli said.
“(Humans are) worried about our reputations. I don’t
think that chimps have any notion of what a reputation is so
they’re not worried about that,” Povinelli said.