Monkey cooperation and fairness

A pair of capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) show very compelling signs of cooperation and a sense of fairness, by working together to solve a problem using tools, and then sharing the reward.

They also seem to understand fairness: when unequal rewards are given to one monkey and not another, the monkey receiving the lesser treat would rather go hungry than accept anything less than an equal reward.

The token exchange from the latter half of the video is interesting in and of itself; I'm sure it took a lot of training. There is another example of its usage by the same experimenter here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=aAFQ5kUHPkY

From the BBC documentary "Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle", narrated by the ever brilliant Sir David Attenborough.

More Information:
http://www.bucknell.edu/x30370.xml
http://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/pub...

Papers/Citations:
de Waal, F. B. M. & Davis, J. M. (2003). Capuchin cognitive ecology: Cooperation based on projected returns. Neuropsychologia, 41, 221-228. doi:10.1016/S0028-3932(02)00152-5
[PDF] http://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/pub...
Brosnan, S. F. & de Waal, F. B. M. (2003). Monkeys reject unequal pay. Nature, 425, 297-299. doi:10.1038/nature01963
[PDF] http://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/pub...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[exclamation3mark]

ORIGINAL: From a TED talk by Frans de Waal, a primatologist, ethologist, and professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University.

[tehinfidel]

The original research is indeed from Frans de Waal, but they're from papers he published in 2003-2004 (to which I just added links to the description). TED talks give interesting highlights, but are not primary sources.

[TrueFork]

Teaching humans to act sensibly is very frustrating work for monkeys...

[deChelca]

He'd rather have nothing than be treated unfairly. Damn, that is interesting shit...

[VideoSouls]

the first monkey was very generous. there were like what? 4 nuts in there? and he gave the other guy 3. such a nice guy.

[Eddy Phoenix]

hahahah

[Kitlun79]

Interestingly you get similar behaviour in humans. If you put people randomly into 2 groups and then ask them to divide resources between their group and the other they will tend to divide so that there is the maximum difference between groups, rather than giving themselves maximum gain. It's called minimal group paradigm, it's interesting shit...

[RonyClay]

'I dont want your stinking biscuits, give me grapes your fathead!'

[mimprincesa]

Awwwwww those clever fucks :3

[Oletitptip Sm]

Those monkeys need to unionise!

[yamilet rodriguez]

Awwwwee omggg too cuteeee!!

[MrQkumber]

Yeah, when you have those fuckers as a pet, then YEAH they create much chaos.

[rosepalooza]

he enjoyed that grape