DISTINGUISHING INTENTIONAL FROM ACCIDENTAL ACTIONS IN ORANGUTANS (PONGO-PYGMAEUS), CHIMPANZEES (PAN-TROGLODYTES), AND HUMAN CHILDREN (HOMO-SAPIENS)

Citation
J. Call et M. Tomasello, DISTINGUISHING INTENTIONAL FROM ACCIDENTAL ACTIONS IN ORANGUTANS (PONGO-PYGMAEUS), CHIMPANZEES (PAN-TROGLODYTES), AND HUMAN CHILDREN (HOMO-SAPIENS), Journal of comparative psychology, 112(2), 1998, pp. 192-206
Citations number
40
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology,Psychology,"Behavioral Sciences",Zoology
ISSN journal
07357036
Volume
112
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
192 - 206
Database
ISI
SICI code
0735-7036(1998)112:2<192:DIFAAI>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
This study investigates the understanding of others' intentions in 2- and 3-year-old children, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). During training, subjects learned to use a discrimi native cue to select a baited box. During testing, the experimenter pl aced a marker on top of the baited box to inform the subject of the re ward's location. However, the experimenter also accidentally dropped t he marker on top of an unbaited box, so that during any given trial th e experimenter marked 2 boxes, 1 intentionally and 1 accidentally. All 3 species preferentially selected the box the experimenter had marked intentionally (especially during the initial trials), with 3-year-old children presenting the most robust results. These findings suggest t hat subjects understood something about the experimenter's intentions. The authors speculate that understanding of others' intentions may pr ecede the understanding of others' beliefs both at the ontogenetic and phylogenetic levels.