Joan Silk Quotations

Yet, potential recipients sometimes displayed begging gestures, suggesting that at least they had some understanding of the other's role in delivering reward to them,

Human altruism is thought to be based, in part, on empathy. To be empathetic, you need to understand the thoughts and desires of others.

Humans in situations like this, and at a greater personal cost to themselves, are willing to behave in generous ways with complete strangers, ... These chimps were not motivated to provide rewards to others, even those that they knew socially. In order to be pro-social, you have to demonstrate that it is about the other. This just didn't happen.

This is the first experiment to show that chimps don't share the same concern for the welfare of others as do humans, who routinely donate blood ... volunteer for military duty and perform other acts that benefit perfect strangers,

Nevertheless, chimpanzees were clearly motivated to obtain rewards for themselves, but not to provide rewards for other group members.