Social Learning With Chimpanzees And Other Animals

Learning by observation is a type of learning in which an individual observes the behavior of others, sees the consequences of the behaviors, and then attempts to carry out the same behavior. Social learning is based on the standards of classical and operant conditioning and observational learning. It is a commonly shared belief that people have an instinctive ability to imitate the behavior of others. However, this ability is not unique to humans. Animals have also showed evidence of being able to mimic humans and other animals (Mazur, 2013). Chimpanzees, or Pan Troglodytes, have demonstrated social learning through many different experiments in different settings. Chimpanzees have shown the ability to observe the behavior of a model and reproduce the behavior. However, chimpanzees have also demonstrated the mental capacity of understanding when behaviors do not elicit a desired reaction and not repeating these behaviors under these circumstances. This paper will focus on chimpanzee s and their ability to learn new behaviors through social learning. Marshall-Pescini and Whiten (2008) discuss social learning with chimpanzees in East Africa, focusing on the task of nut-cracking. Nut-cracking is unique to wild chimpanzees who live in West Africa, so this study intended to measure whether or not chimpanzees who do not live in the wild in West Africa would demonstrate the same ability to learn nut-cracking. The study took place on Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria, Uganda at aShow MoreRelatedChimpanzees Exhibit Culture Through Social Interaction1167 Words   |  5 Pagesindividuals make up social groupings that form ideas, behaviors and materials objects that encompass what they define as culture. Culture is not only essential for survival, but for growth and communication; through interaction, observation and imitation our behavioral patterns thus create culture. 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