A new observational study at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda made a thrilling discovery. When presented with conflicting new evidence, chimpanzees are able to change their minds, a behavior thought to be uniquely human — or for the most part, limited to young children. Smart Growth America’s research was led by Emily Sanford of the UC Berkeley Social Origins Lab. It implies that these creatures are capable of rational deliberation on par with four-year-old humans.
The research team, which comprised experts from various institutions, designed an experiment involving two boxes, one of which contained food. The scientists were especially interested in who the chimpanzees chose. This meant that they were able to observe how the animals revised their beliefs upon learning better evidence.
Research Findings
How could this help us understand the cognitive processes behind collaboration? In this study, chimpanzees were first shown two boxes. One of the boxes had food, but the other box did not have any food. After choosing their first option, the chimpanzees had a chance to change their mind with the help of additional information. The findings showed that chimpanzees indeed had an extraordinary capacity to reverse their decisions when given better, more accurate information.
This capacity to be able to dynamically adjust strategies for decision-making is critical for operating in complicated environments. Sanford explained that the cognitive skills demonstrated by chimpanzees align with those usually found in very young children.
“Chimpanzees were able to revise their beliefs when better evidence became available.”
These discoveries move far past animal cognition. Sanford highlighted how understanding chimpanzee reasoning could influence various fields, stating:
“This kind of flexible reasoning is something we often associate with 4-year-old children. It was exciting to show that chimps can do this too.”
The research was a real team effort spearheaded by these four researchers. In addition to Sanford, Bill Thompson and Snow Zhang from UC Berkeley lent their knowledge of psychology and philosophy, respectively. Joshua Rukundo of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda successfully led the training and testing experiments on location. His artistic vision and administrative acumen were essential to the project’s success.
“This research can help us think differently about how we approach early education or how we model reasoning in AI systems.”
Collaborative Efforts
Specialists at the University of St Andrews and University of Portsmouth contributed helpful perspectives on primate behavior and cognitive development. Other important contributors are Josep Call and Esther Herrmann.
Emily Sanford expressed her enthusiasm for the collaborative nature of this research, noting:
By comparing the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees with those of toddlers aged 2 to 4 years, Sanford’s team aims to deepen the understanding of rational thinking across species.
“It’s fascinating to design a task for chimps, and then try to adapt it for a toddler.”
According to Sanford, this study is extremely consequential. Most importantly, it can reverse society’s harmful and false conception of intelligence and learning in animals and humans. She cautioned against underestimating children’s cognitive abilities:
Broader Applications
The findings raise serious questions about what it should mean to act rationally. Sanford elaborated on this point:
“We shouldn’t assume children are blank slates when they walk into a classroom.”
This view of intelligence can unsettle normative conceptions of intelligence and, if pursued, has the potential to upend established education practices and artificial intelligence models.
“The difference between humans and chimpanzees isn’t a categorical leap. It’s more like a continuum.”
This perspective challenges traditional notions of intelligence and could reshape educational practices and artificial intelligence models.