An Investigation of Shared Intentionality as Evidenced by Informative Communication in Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes)

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Barton, Michelle

Keywords

Chimpanzees, Intentionality, Communication

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

Shared intentionality is the ability to share a goal, exhibited by both an ability to understand the mental states of others and the motivation to share attention with them. This skill is currently considered to be what separates humans from other species; however, animal subjects, specifically chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), sampled in this area have only been tested for their ability to comprehend instances of shared intentionality. To test if chimpanzees are capable of producing acts of shared intentionality, 30 subjects were faced with an experimenter who required communicative help in order to find a misplaced object. The only subjects who provided codeable behavior that could be considered shared intentionality were five chimpanzees who came from an enculturated background, suggesting the ability of a non-human species to exhibit this skill is possible yet dependent upon background. Possible explanations and suggestions for further research are discussed.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS