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Study Finds Apes Can Imagine and Play Pretend, a First for Animals
Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo, correctly identified pretend juice in 68% of trials, showing evidence of imagination and pretend play in a study published in Science.
- On Thursday, the journal Science published results showing Kanzi, a bonobo, could imagine and track invisible juice being poured in a controlled experiment, providing first evidence of animal pretense.
- Researchers adapted childhood development tests into a tea-party task to test pretense, addressing skepticism over anecdotal observations of chimpanzees and bonobos in a make-believe setup.
- In the tests, Kanzi chose the correct cup 34 of 50 trials and pointed to real juice 14 of 18 trials across three experiments with 18-trial sessions.
- Christopher Krupenye and co-authors say the results imply Kanzi could hold imagined and real scenarios simultaneously, but his lexigram language training may limit generalizing findings to other apes.
- In the broader debate, researchers point to social cognition as a possible human differentiator, with some scientists unconvinced Kanzi's choices prove make-believe while others say apes share cognitive imagination, feeding debate over human uniqueness and social collaboration.
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Daily Journal+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Scientists discover apes play pretend and are able to imagine
Scientists showed for the first time that apes can use their imagination and play pretend, an ability previously thought to be unique to humans.
·Cherokee County, United States
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Do apes have imagination? A tea party experiment offers clues
Scientists wondered whether Kanzi, the bonobo, had the capacity to play pretend
·London, United Kingdom
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Drink juice that is not there at all: a Bonobo can be used for this game. His reactions make a research team suspect that monkeys also have an imagination and can sink into worlds that only exist in their imagination.
New experiments confirm that these animals are able to play with non-existent objects just as children do. “In their minds, they can conceive things that do not exist,” experts say.
·Spain
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Total News Sources55
Leaning Left19Leaning Right4Center22Last UpdatedBias Distribution49% Center
Bias Distribution
- 49% of the sources are Center
49% Center
L 42%
C 49%
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