Yamamoto

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

• to learn more abt helping behaviour in chimpanzees. Specifically wanted to find out:
  1. whether chimpanzees can understand the needs of conspecifics
  2. whether chimpanzees can respond to those needs with targeted helping

Question 2

Theory of mind

Answer 2

• the ability to offer targeted help to members of our own species relies on an understanding of their goals which is linked to the theory of mind ability.
• Tom refers to our capacity to understand the intentions and needs of others

Question 3

Altrustic

Answer 3

acting helpfully towards others without obvious benefit to oneself

Question 4

Targeted or Instrumental helping

Answer 4

• one explanation for conspecific animal helping
• cognitive explanation for social behaviour; where the type of care or help given is based on a cognitive understanding of the need or situation of others

Question 5

Research Method and design

Answer 5

-lab exp
-IV: the ability of the chimpanzee to give targeted helping to another chimpanzee
-repeated measures design
DV: the targeted helping behaviour which was operationalised as the items offered by the participants to conspecifics
-recorded through a video camera

Question 6

Sample

Answer 6

• 5 chimpanzees who were socially housed within the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University
• been part of several perceptual and cognitive studies

Question 7

Procedure

Answer 7

• seven objects
• went through a familarisation phase
• each chimpanzee experienced the conditions in the same order
• the can see condition was repeated in order to confirm any difference in object choice between the first two conditions was due to intentional, targeted helping and not an order effect.
• 48 trials, random order of 24 stick use and 24 straw use situations
• 2-4 trials conducted per day

Question 8

Results

Answer 8

• chimpanzees are capable of flexible targeted helping based on an understanding of the other’s goals
• can see: objects were offered in 91% of the trials, mostly occurred following request, correct tool in most trials

cannot see: at least one object offered in 96% of the trials, mostly occurred following request, correct tool in most trials except Pan who mainly offered a brush

Ayumu peeped
-results suggest that the chimpanzees were only able to understand their partner’s goals when able to see the task themselves.

-a little left

Question 9

Conclusion

Answer 9

-Chimpanzees can understand the needs of conspecifics in order to help them in successfully solving tasks.

1. They will offer help to conspecifics who require it in the majority of cases, but usually as a response to a direct request rather than a spontaneous act.
2. Chimpanzees rely on visual confirmation of conspecifics’ needs in order to offer targeted helping