COOPERATION AMONG NONHUMAN-PRIMATES

The behaviour of cooperative individuals appears to involve cognitive abilities specific to human beings. However, biologists have proposed mathematical models to investigate the dynamics of cooperation in cin evolutionary framework; cooperative behaviour is assumed to be transmi tted genetically from one generation to another. These mathematical mo dels calculate the costs and benefits of cooperative behaviour and pre dict the evolution of different behavioural strategies in animal popul ations. In this neo-darwinian perspective, the question of the existen ce of intentional cooperation in animals is not approached. From a cog nitive-psychological perspective, the problem is to determine the crit eria that allow us to define cooperation, to decide if cooperative beh aviour exists in animals, and possibly, to explain how this behaviour is acquired. We propose a << cognitive >> definition of cooperation an d discuss the nature of this ability in non-human primates.