Intentionality As Measured in the Persistence and Elaboration of Communication by Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes)

Overview

Journal Child Dev

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2005 Feb 8

PMID 15693773

Citations 85

Authors

David A Leavens

Jamie L Russell

William D Hopkins

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In human infancy, 2 criteria for intentional communication are (a) persistence in and (b) elaboration of communication when initial attempts to communicate fail. Twenty-nine chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were presented with both desirable (a banana) and undesirable food (commercial primate chow). Three conditions were administered: (a) the banana was delivered (successful communication), (b) half of the banana was delivered (partially successful communication), and (c) the chow was delivered (failed communication). The chimpanzees exhibited persistence in and elaboration of their communication in every condition except when the banana was delivered. Thus, their communication was about a specific item, demonstrating that both intentionality and nonverbal reference are capacities shared by humans with our nearest living relatives, the great apes.

Citing Articles

Infants Produce Optimally Informative Points to Satisfy the Epistemic Needs of Their Communicative Partner.

Tauzin T, Call J, Gergely G Open Mind (Camb). 2024; 8:1228-1246.

PMID: 39474157 PMC: 11520476. DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00166.

Exploring horses' (Equus caballus) gaze and asymmetric ear position in relation to human attentional cues.

Barrera G, Albiach-Serrano A, Guillen-Salazar F Anim Cogn. 2024; 27(1):67.

PMID: 39436472 PMC: 11496336. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01909-y.

Bottlenose dolphins () display gaze alternation and referential communication in an impossible task.

Zeng Y, Baciadonna L, Davies J, Pilenga C, Favaro L, Garcia-Pelegrin E Heliyon. 2024; 10(12):e33192.

PMID: 39005890 PMC: 11239698. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33192.

Bodies at play: the role of intercorporeality and bodily affordances in coordinating social play in chimpanzees in the wild.

van Boekholt B, Wilkinson R, Pika S Front Psychol. 2024; 14:1206497.

PMID: 38292528 PMC: 10826840. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1206497.

Planning abilities of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in tool-using contexts.

Musgrave S, Koni D, Morgan D, Sanz C Primates. 2023; 65(6):525-539.

PMID: 38103142 PMC: 11561005. DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01106-4.

References

Vea . Spontaneous Pointing Behaviour in the Wild Pygmy Chimpanzee (Pan paniscus). Folia Primatol (Basel). 1998; 69(5):289-290. DOI: 10.1159/000021640. View

Leavens D, Hopkins W, Thomas R . Referential communication by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Comp Psychol. 2004; 118(1):48-57. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.118.1.48. View

Povinelli D, Eddy T . What young chimpanzees know about seeing. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev. 1996; 61(3):i-vi, 1-152; discussion 153-91. View

Krause M, Fouts R . Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) pointing: hand shapes, accuracy, and the role of eye gaze. J Comp Psychol. 1998; 111(4):330-6. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.111.4.330. View

Pika S, Liebal K, Tomasello M . Gestural communication in young gorillas (Gorilla gorilla): gestural repertoire, learning, and use. Am J Primatol. 2003; 60(3):95-111. DOI: 10.1002/ajp.10097. View

Tomasello M, Call J . The role of humans in the cognitive development of apes revisited. Anim Cogn. 2004; 7(4):213-5. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-004-0227-x. View

Bodamer M, Gardner R . How cross-fostered chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) initiate and maintain conversations. J Comp Psychol. 2002; 116(1):12-26. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.116.1.12. View

Tomasello , Hare , Agnetta . Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, follow gaze direction geometrically. Anim Behav. 1999; 58(4):769-777. DOI: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1192. View

Doherty M, ANDERSON J . People don't keep their heads still when looking to one side, and other people can tell. Perception. 2001; 30(6):765-7. DOI: 10.1068/p2998. View

10.

Suddendorf T, Whiten A . Mental evolution and development: evidence for secondary representation in children, great ages, and other animals. Psychol Bull. 2001; 127(5):629-50. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.127.5.629. View

11.

Povinelli D, Giambrone S . Reasoning about beliefs: a human specialization?. Child Dev. 2001; 72(3):691-5. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.00307. View

12.

Leavens D, Hopkins W . Intentional communication by chimpanzees: a cross-sectional study of the use of referential gestures. Dev Psychol. 1998; 34(5):813-22. PMC: 2080769. DOI: 10.1037//0012-1649.34.5.813. View

13.

Liszkowski U, Carpenter M, Henning A, Striano T, Tomasello M . Twelve-month-olds point to share attention and interest. Dev Sci. 2004; 7(3):297-307. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00349.x. View

14.

Pika S, Liebal K, Tomasello M . Gestural communication in subadult bonobos (Pan paniscus): repertoire and use. Am J Primatol. 2005; 65(1):39-61. DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20096. View

15.

Carroll S . Genetics and the making of Homo sapiens. Nature. 2003; 422(6934):849-57. DOI: 10.1038/nature01495. View

16.

Leavens D, Hopkins W, Bard K . Indexical and referential pointing in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Comp Psychol. 1996; 110(4):346-53. PMC: 2175394. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.110.4.346. View

17.

Leavens D, Hopkins W . The whole-hand point: the structure and function of pointing from a comparative perspective. J Comp Psychol. 1999; 113(4):417-25. PMC: 2080771. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.113.4.417. View

18.

Hostetter A, Cantero M, Hopkins W . Differential use of vocal and gestural communication by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in response to the attentional status of a human (Homo sapiens). J Comp Psychol. 2002; 115(4):337-43. PMC: 2080764. DOI: 10.1037//0735-7036.115.4.337. View

19.

Golinkoff R . 'I beg your pardon?': the preverbal negotiation of failed messages. J Child Lang. 1986; 13(3):455-76. DOI: 10.1017/s0305000900006826. View

20.

Matsuzawa T . Development of stone tool use by wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Comp Psychol. 1997; 111(2):159-73. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.111.2.159. View