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Author (up) Brosnan, S.F.; de Waal, F.B.M. doi  openurl
  Title Responses to a simple barter task in chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Primates Abbreviated Journal Primates  
  Volume 46 Issue 3 Pages 173-182  
  Keywords Analysis of Variance; Animals; Choice Behavior/*physiology; Conditioning (Psychology)/physiology; Learning/*physiology; Pan troglodytes/*physiology; Reward; Sex Factors; *Social Behavior; *Token Economy  
  Abstract Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) frequently participate in social exchange involving multiple goods and services of variable value, yet they have not been tested in a formalized situation to see whether they can barter using multiple tokens and rewards. We set up a simple barter economy with two tokens and two associated rewards and tested chimpanzees on their ability to obtain rewards by returning the matching token in situations in which their access to tokens was unlimited or limited. Chimpanzees easily learned to associate value with the tokens, as expected, and did barter, but followed a simple strategy of favoring the higher-value token, regardless of the reward proffered, instead of a more complex but more effective strategy of returning the token that matched the reward. This response is similar to that shown by capuchin monkeys in our previous study. We speculate that this response, while not ideal, may be sufficient to allow for stability of the social exchange system in these primates, and that the importance of social barter to both species may have led to this convergence of strategies.  
  Address Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. sbrosna@emory.edu  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0032-8332 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:15824938 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 167  
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