Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions
Human joint action seems special, as it is grounded in joint commitment—a sense of mutual obligation participants feel towards each other. Comparative research with humans and non-human great apes has typically investigated joint commitment by experimentally interrupting joint actions to study subje...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211121 |
| _version_ | 1818701597303111680 |
|---|---|
| author | Raphaela Heesen Klaus Zuberbühler Adrian Bangerter Katia Iglesias Federico Rossano Aude Pajot Jean-Pascal Guéry Emilie Genty |
| author_facet | Raphaela Heesen Klaus Zuberbühler Adrian Bangerter Katia Iglesias Federico Rossano Aude Pajot Jean-Pascal Guéry Emilie Genty |
| author_sort | Raphaela Heesen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human joint action seems special, as it is grounded in joint commitment—a sense of mutual obligation participants feel towards each other. Comparative research with humans and non-human great apes has typically investigated joint commitment by experimentally interrupting joint actions to study subjects’ resumption strategies. However, such experimental interruptions are human-induced, and thus the question remains of how great apes naturally handle interruptions. Here, we focus on naturally occurring interruptions of joint actions, grooming and play, in bonobos and chimpanzees. Similar to humans, both species frequently resumed interrupted joint actions (and the previous behaviours, like grooming the same body part region or playing the same play type) with their previous partners and at the previous location. Yet, the probability of resumption attempts was unaffected by social bonds or rank. Our data suggest that great apes experience something akin to joint commitment, for which we discuss possible evolutionary origins. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T15:23:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da158941601b493aa80709d0bf3cce36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T15:23:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-da158941601b493aa80709d0bf3cce362022-12-21T21:43:20ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032021-12-0181210.1098/rsos.211121Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actionsRaphaela Heesen0Klaus Zuberbühler1Adrian Bangerter2Katia Iglesias3Federico Rossano4Aude Pajot5Jean-Pascal Guéry6Emilie Genty7Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandInstitute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandInstitute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandSchool of Health Sciences (HEdS-FR), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western SwitzerlandDepartment of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, USAInstitute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandZoological Park La Vallée des Singes, FranceInstitute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandHuman joint action seems special, as it is grounded in joint commitment—a sense of mutual obligation participants feel towards each other. Comparative research with humans and non-human great apes has typically investigated joint commitment by experimentally interrupting joint actions to study subjects’ resumption strategies. However, such experimental interruptions are human-induced, and thus the question remains of how great apes naturally handle interruptions. Here, we focus on naturally occurring interruptions of joint actions, grooming and play, in bonobos and chimpanzees. Similar to humans, both species frequently resumed interrupted joint actions (and the previous behaviours, like grooming the same body part region or playing the same play type) with their previous partners and at the previous location. Yet, the probability of resumption attempts was unaffected by social bonds or rank. Our data suggest that great apes experience something akin to joint commitment, for which we discuss possible evolutionary origins.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211121joint actionjoint commitmentgreat apessocial groomingsocial playpoliteness theory |
| spellingShingle | Raphaela Heesen Klaus Zuberbühler Adrian Bangerter Katia Iglesias Federico Rossano Aude Pajot Jean-Pascal Guéry Emilie Genty Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions Royal Society Open Science joint action joint commitment great apes social grooming social play politeness theory |
| title | Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions |
| title_full | Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions |
| title_short | Evidence of joint commitment in great apes' natural joint actions |
| title_sort | evidence of joint commitment in great apes natural joint actions |
| topic | joint action joint commitment great apes social grooming social play politeness theory |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211121 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT raphaelaheesen evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT klauszuberbuhler evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT adrianbangerter evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT katiaiglesias evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT federicorossano evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT audepajot evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT jeanpascalguery evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions AT emiliegenty evidenceofjointcommitmentingreatapesnaturaljointactions |