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Delay of gratification in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Author(s) -
Beran Michael J.,
SavageRumbaugh E. Sue,
Pate James L.,
Rumbaugh Duane M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2302(199903)34:2<119::aid-dev5>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - troglodytes , psychology , gratification , delay of gratification , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , social psychology , zoology , biology
Delay of gratification in 3 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) was examined by using a paradigm based on research with children. The chimpanzees either pressed a door‐bell button during a trial and received one reward (the immediate reward) or did not press the doorbell and received another reward (the delayed reward). Two chimpanzees were language‐trained, and a 3rd was non‐language‐trained. Foods (one more‐preferred and one less‐preferred), photographs of those foods, or lexigrams representing those foods were presented to the chimpanzees. All 3 chimpanzees delayed gratification when foods were physically present. One language‐trained chimpanzee also delayed gratification with lexigrams present, and the 2nd language‐trained chimpanzee delayed gratification in all three conditions. Language competence and early rearing are proposed as explanations for the different performances of these chimpanzees. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 34: 119–127, 1999