TY - JOUR
T1 - Correspondence: Reply to ‘Chimpanzee helping is real, not a byproduct’
AU - Jensen, Keith
AU - Tennie, Claudio
AU - Call, Josep
PY - 2018/2/12
Y1 - 2018/2/12
N2 - In their recent study, Tennie et al.1 argue that positive instances of chimpanzees helping others can be a byproduct of testing methods1. The study includes a new task where chimpanzees can behave prosocially toward a conspecific either through an action (GO-condition) or by omission (NO-GO condition). The study further aims to test whether stimulus enhancement or carry-over effects from prior experiences explain previous results. We agree that a helping-by-omission task could in principle provide intri- guing new evidence for chimpanzee helping. However, here we raise a number of crucial methodological issues that question the current interpretation of the study’s results. Furthermore, the study fails to consider the evidence from prior work addressing these concerns.
AB - In their recent study, Tennie et al.1 argue that positive instances of chimpanzees helping others can be a byproduct of testing methods1. The study includes a new task where chimpanzees can behave prosocially toward a conspecific either through an action (GO-condition) or by omission (NO-GO condition). The study further aims to test whether stimulus enhancement or carry-over effects from prior experiences explain previous results. We agree that a helping-by-omission task could in principle provide intri- guing new evidence for chimpanzee helping. However, here we raise a number of crucial methodological issues that question the current interpretation of the study’s results. Furthermore, the study fails to consider the evidence from prior work addressing these concerns.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042043696&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-017-02328-z
DO - 10.1038/s41467-017-02328-z
M3 - Letter
C2 - 29434268
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 9
SP - 616
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 616
ER -