| Monkey Justice |
22 September 2003
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Emory Monkey Study Shows Fairness Pre-Dates Humans
The good people at Emory University, Sarah Brosnan and Frans de Waal to be precise, have discovered that the idea of "fairness" is not exclusive to humans. Their recent study of capuchin monkeys suggests that the concept evolved quite some time before homo sapiens turned up. While the study is interesting, a further study into why humans put up with unfairness should follow.
The Emory study had two monkeys trade a token with a human in exchange for a cucumber, which they like. After several repetitions, one of the monkeys was rewarded with a grape instead (by capuchin standards a preferable reward). When the grape was handed over, the monkey stuck with the cucumber (heretofore an acceptable reward), got angry. Either the beast would complete the task assigned to get the token and the ignore the reward altogether, or even give the cucumber to the other monkey. Interestingly, the well-rewarded primate was not the target of any hostility. When the human rewarded one monkey with a grape for doing nothing, the parable was complete.
Humans haven't moved too far along the evolutionary tree. Some work very hard for the meanest bit of cucumber, while others are fed grapes for no reason at all. Most human social behavior is based on trading tokens for something else, material goods, affection, prestige, etc. It is obvious why those grape-eaters who do not work like the current arrangement. And those who do work for their grapes are entitled to them (or so one's sense of fairness has evolved). Perhaps it is dreams of grapes that keeps the rest working for cucumbers. One may read what one wishes into the behavior of monkeys, but it may be wise to learn from them. They have never read Karl Marx nor Adam Smith.
The Emory team is moving on to do a similar study on chimps, who have about 98% of the same DNA as humans. It should be amusing. But the team has raised more questions than it answered. For example, why didn't the "cheated" monkey take out the frustrations on the human, the real cause of the problem?
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