Chimpanzees Thrive Under the Spotlight: Audience Effect Unveiled

Recent research from Kyoto University reveals that chimpanzees perform complex tasks better when observed by a human audience. This audience effect, once thought unique to humans, suggests that non-human primates may also be influenced by social scrutiny. The study's findings challenge long-held beliefs about the origins of reputation management.

Chimpanzees appear to boost their performance on complex tasks when watched by a human audience, a study by Kyoto University researchers suggests. The phenomenon, known as the 'audience effect,' was previously believed to be unique to humans, where societal reputation plays a significant role.

In this extensive study published in iScience, six chimpanzees underwent cognitive testing involving touchscreen software over six years and 2,100 sessions. Remarkably, chimps performed better on challenging tasks with a larger audience but struggled on simpler tasks under scrutiny.

Authors Christen Lin and Shinya Yamamoto propose these findings indicate that audience-related influences may predate human reputation-driven societies. Further research on non-human apes is called for to explore this evolutionary trait.

(With inputs from agencies.)