False Beliefs in Monkeys
A new study, performed by researcher Fuminhiro Kano, provides strong evidence that great apes possess an infant like knowledge of theory of mind or the ability to retain specific characteristics like beliefs, intents and desires. The article, published by Scientific American in October of this year, dives into great apes’ talent of discerning the idea of false beliefs or the skill to understand when someone’s assumptions are not the reality of the situation or thought.
Taking place in the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan, the study consisted of Chimpanzees, Orangutans and Bonobos (who are similar to Chimpanzees but are specifically found in the Congo and are much more sexual) displaying data that they do, in fact, recognize false beliefs.
A litmus test, which uses a single event to decisively prove or disprove a hypothesis, was performed with apes being brought into a room one by one and then submitted to videos of events involving a researcher dressed as King Kong antagonizing a human. The apes were given juice and then invited to watch a movie where the human was either attacked or spied on by King Kong.
The first involved King Kong scaring the human before dashing behind a bush as the human ran off screen as well. Once the human was off screen, King Kong would run off himself. The human would come back to look for the Gorilla but would not find him. During the movie each apes consistently showed anticipation of the human’s actions by glancing repeatedly at the bush before the human searched behind it. Although the apes knew the human would not find King Kong, they knew what the human was intending to do before he acted.
The second test held the same concept but involved King Kong spying on the human as he put an object in a specific box out of many before leaving only to come back to to find his treasure stolen by King Kong. This test was also consistently comparable with the animals identifying the specific box through their eye movements recorded by an infrared camera.
Both experiments revealed comparable reactions not only within each test but also across each species.
In my opinion, the study successfully amplifies the idea of animal intelligence by grasping the instincts and tendency of understanding the concept of false beliefs. The job within the animal behavior field is to validate the intelligence and culture of animals, though it is still severely criticized, I believe animals frequently demonstrate components within the idea of theory of mind.
Personally, I have always believed animals are smarter than society will admit, all having styles of false beliefs developing evidence through many correlation studies I have read as well as personal experiences.
For example, crows not only hide their food but will provide a big performance of placing their food in their nest in front of their murder (the name of a flock of crows) only to turn around and move it when no others are around. They like to trick others into thinking they can steal from food, and if the their is caught, a fight will pre-sue.
A personal experience I have frequently witnessed involves my five dogs. They are always attacking the fence when dogs walk by, and if one, Karma, is bored she will pretend to attack the fence to get the others to go crazy. Though, the trick barely works anymore because she has called wolf one too many times.
My favorite example, however, is the story of a tiger and hunter in Siberia who competed for food. A man got annoyed because a specific tiger was hunting all the prey in the area, so he decided to lay a trap for her. He set a trip wire attached to a shotgun with a camera positioned to on a near by tree. The video showed the tiger triggering the gun but unfortunately for the hunter, she was minimally wounded. She was then shown crouching to the ground before exploring the trap, triggering it multiple times with her paw. I think she got pissed, because she then tracked him to his cabin, which was miles away. She then situated herself outside his cabin for two weeks, performing multiple tricks to lure the hunter outside. Several times the hunter described the tiger disappearing for hours or days at a time letting the hunter feel safe enough to step outside. Once he was 10 or so feet from his door the tiger would appear and charge, luckily the hunter survived with no injuries.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chimps-may-be-capable-of-comprehending-the-minds-of-others/
Taking place in the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan, the study consisted of Chimpanzees, Orangutans and Bonobos (who are similar to Chimpanzees but are specifically found in the Congo and are much more sexual) displaying data that they do, in fact, recognize false beliefs.
A litmus test, which uses a single event to decisively prove or disprove a hypothesis, was performed with apes being brought into a room one by one and then submitted to videos of events involving a researcher dressed as King Kong antagonizing a human. The apes were given juice and then invited to watch a movie where the human was either attacked or spied on by King Kong.
The first involved King Kong scaring the human before dashing behind a bush as the human ran off screen as well. Once the human was off screen, King Kong would run off himself. The human would come back to look for the Gorilla but would not find him. During the movie each apes consistently showed anticipation of the human’s actions by glancing repeatedly at the bush before the human searched behind it. Although the apes knew the human would not find King Kong, they knew what the human was intending to do before he acted.
The second test held the same concept but involved King Kong spying on the human as he put an object in a specific box out of many before leaving only to come back to to find his treasure stolen by King Kong. This test was also consistently comparable with the animals identifying the specific box through their eye movements recorded by an infrared camera.
Both experiments revealed comparable reactions not only within each test but also across each species.
In my opinion, the study successfully amplifies the idea of animal intelligence by grasping the instincts and tendency of understanding the concept of false beliefs. The job within the animal behavior field is to validate the intelligence and culture of animals, though it is still severely criticized, I believe animals frequently demonstrate components within the idea of theory of mind.
Personally, I have always believed animals are smarter than society will admit, all having styles of false beliefs developing evidence through many correlation studies I have read as well as personal experiences.
For example, crows not only hide their food but will provide a big performance of placing their food in their nest in front of their murder (the name of a flock of crows) only to turn around and move it when no others are around. They like to trick others into thinking they can steal from food, and if the their is caught, a fight will pre-sue.
A personal experience I have frequently witnessed involves my five dogs. They are always attacking the fence when dogs walk by, and if one, Karma, is bored she will pretend to attack the fence to get the others to go crazy. Though, the trick barely works anymore because she has called wolf one too many times.
My favorite example, however, is the story of a tiger and hunter in Siberia who competed for food. A man got annoyed because a specific tiger was hunting all the prey in the area, so he decided to lay a trap for her. He set a trip wire attached to a shotgun with a camera positioned to on a near by tree. The video showed the tiger triggering the gun but unfortunately for the hunter, she was minimally wounded. She was then shown crouching to the ground before exploring the trap, triggering it multiple times with her paw. I think she got pissed, because she then tracked him to his cabin, which was miles away. She then situated herself outside his cabin for two weeks, performing multiple tricks to lure the hunter outside. Several times the hunter described the tiger disappearing for hours or days at a time letting the hunter feel safe enough to step outside. Once he was 10 or so feet from his door the tiger would appear and charge, luckily the hunter survived with no injuries.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chimps-may-be-capable-of-comprehending-the-minds-of-others/
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