How fairly do chimpanzees play the ultimatum game?

• Authors: Darby Proctor, Emory University; Sarah F. Brosnan, Georgia State University; Frans B M De Waal, Emory University
• Journal Title: Communicative and Integrative Biology
• Volume: Volume 6, Number 3
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Open | 2013-05-01, Pages e23819-e23819
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.4161/cib.23819
• Subjects: Psychology, Behavioral; Biology, Zoology

Abstract

Humans can behave fairly, but can other species? Recently we tested chimpanzees on aclassic human test for fairness, the Ultimatum Game, and found that they behaved similarly to humans. In humans, Ultimatum Game behavior is cited as evidence for a human sense offairness. By that same logic, we concluded that chimpanzees behaved fairly in our recent study. However, we make a distinction between behavior and motivation. Both humans and chimpanzees behaved fairly, but determining why they did so is more challenging.