近日,，美國(guó)《國(guó)家科學(xué)院學(xué)報(bào)》網(wǎng)絡(luò)版上報(bào)告說(shuō),，日本一個(gè)研究小組發(fā)現(xiàn)黑猩猩不僅具有僅次于人類(lèi)的智慧，還會(huì)做出“利他”行為,，有能力理解伙伴所處的狀況及根據(jù)需要提供幫助。不過(guò),，黑猩猩在伙伴沒(méi)有提出要求的時(shí)候不會(huì)主動(dòng)提供幫助,。
京都大學(xué)靈長(zhǎng)類(lèi)研究所教授山本真也率領(lǐng)的研究小組將6只黑猩猩分成3組進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)。他們準(zhǔn)備了用透明板隔開(kāi)的A,、B兩個(gè)小房間,，并且在透明隔板上開(kāi)了一個(gè)能夠傳遞工具的孔。在A房間外放一個(gè)裝了果汁的杯子,，只有通過(guò)小房間墻壁的縫隙用吸管或者用拐杖把杯子扒拉過(guò)來(lái)，才能喝到里面的果汁,。不過(guò)A房間里沒(méi)有工具,，而在B房間里放置了吸管、拐杖以及刷子,、繩索等7種工具,。
研究小組在兩個(gè)房間里分別放進(jìn)一只黑猩猩，每天進(jìn)行2至4次試驗(yàn),，每組都進(jìn)行了24次試驗(yàn),。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果A房間的黑猩猩從兩個(gè)房間之間透明隔板的孔中伸過(guò)手來(lái)要求B房間的黑猩猩提供幫助，B房間的黑猩猩就會(huì)根據(jù)隔壁房間的情形,，分析需要什么工具,，然后遞過(guò)吸管或者拐杖。觀察3組黑猩猩的行為,，發(fā)現(xiàn)它們大部分時(shí)候能夠正確選擇工具。
但是如果兩個(gè)小房間之間是不透明隔板,，B房間的黑猩猩就不會(huì)做出準(zhǔn)確選擇,。研究小組還發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果一只黑猩猩不請(qǐng)求幫助,，另一只黑猩猩也不會(huì)“多管閑事”主動(dòng)提供幫助,。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1073/pnas.1108517109
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Chimpanzees’ flexible targeted helping based on an understanding of conspecifics’ goals
Shinya Yamamoto, Tatyana Humle, and Masayuki Tanaka
Humans extensively help others altruistically, which plays an important role in maintaining cooperative societies. Although some nonhuman animals are also capable of helping others altruistically, humans are considered unique in our voluntary helping and our variety of helping behaviors. Many still believe that this is because only humans can understand others’ goals due to our unique “theory of mind” abilities, especially shared intentionality. However, we know little of the cognitive mechanisms underlying helping in nonhuman animals, especially if and how they understand others’ goals. The present study provides the empirical evidence for flexible targeted helping depending on conspecifics’ needs in chimpanzees. The subjects of this study selected an appropriate tool from a random set of seven objects to transfer to a conspecific partner confronted with differing tool-use situations, indicating that they understood what their partner needed. This targeted helping, (i.e., selecting the appropriate tool to transfer), was observed only when the helpers could visually assess their partner's situation. If visual access was obstructed, the chimpanzees still tried to help their partner upon request, but failed to select and donate the appropriate tool needed by their partner. These results suggest that the limitation in chimpanzees’ voluntary helping is not necessarily due to failure in understanding others’ goals. Chimpanzees can understand conspecifics’ goals and demonstrate cognitively advanced targeted helping as long as they are able to visually evaluate their conspecifics’ predicament. However, they will seldom help others without direct request for help.
