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Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Standard

Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions. / Bohn, Manuel; Eckert, Johanna; Hanus, Daniel et al.
In: Nature Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 7, No. 6, 06.2023, p. 927-938.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Bohn, M, Eckert, J, Hanus, D, Lugauer, B, Holtmann, J & Haun, DBM 2023, 'Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions', Nature Ecology and Evolution, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 927-938. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8

APA

Bohn, M., Eckert, J., Hanus, D., Lugauer, B., Holtmann, J., & Haun, D. B. M. (2023). Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 7(6), 927-938. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8

Vancouver

Bohn M, Eckert J, Hanus D, Lugauer B, Holtmann J, Haun DBM. Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2023 Jun;7(6):927-938. doi: 10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8

Bibtex

@article{717fb595bd5945b4870269507c44ae0e,
title = "Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions",
abstract = "Great ape cognition is used as a reference point to specify the evolutionary origins of complex cognitive abilities, including in humans. This research often assumes that great ape cognition consists of cognitive abilities (traits) that account for stable differences between individuals, which change and develop in response to experience. Here, we test the validity of these assumptions by assessing repeatability of cognitive performance among captive great apes (Gorilla gorilla, Pongo abelii, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes) in five tasks covering a range of cognitive domains. We examine whether individual characteristics (age, group, test experience) or transient situational factors (life events, testing arrangements or sociality) influence cognitive performance. Our results show that task-level performance is generally stable over time; four of the five tasks were reliable measurement tools. Performance in the tasks was best explained by stable differences in cognitive abilities (traits) between individuals. Cognitive abilities were further correlated, suggesting shared cognitive processes. Finally, when predicting cognitive performance, we found stable individual characteristics to be more important than variables capturing transient experience. Taken together, this study shows that great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities that respond to different developmental conditions.",
keywords = "Psychology, Animal behaviour, Human behaviour",
author = "Manuel Bohn and Johanna Eckert and Daniel Hanus and Benedikt Lugauer and Jana Holtmann and Haun, {Daniel B.M.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank D. Olaoba, A. Wolff and N. Eisenbrenner for the data collection. We are very grateful to M. Allritz for his helpful comments on an earlier version of the paper. Furthermore, we thank all keepers at the Wolfgang K{\"o}hler Primate Research Centre for their help conducting this study. We received no specific funding for this work. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s).",
year = "2023",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8",
language = "English",
volume = "7",
pages = "927--938",
journal = "Nature Ecology and Evolution",
issn = "2397-334X",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "6",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities and predicted by developmental conditions

AU - Bohn, Manuel

AU - Eckert, Johanna

AU - Hanus, Daniel

AU - Lugauer, Benedikt

AU - Holtmann, Jana

AU - Haun, Daniel B.M.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank D. Olaoba, A. Wolff and N. Eisenbrenner for the data collection. We are very grateful to M. Allritz for his helpful comments on an earlier version of the paper. Furthermore, we thank all keepers at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre for their help conducting this study. We received no specific funding for this work. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).

PY - 2023/6

Y1 - 2023/6

N2 - Great ape cognition is used as a reference point to specify the evolutionary origins of complex cognitive abilities, including in humans. This research often assumes that great ape cognition consists of cognitive abilities (traits) that account for stable differences between individuals, which change and develop in response to experience. Here, we test the validity of these assumptions by assessing repeatability of cognitive performance among captive great apes (Gorilla gorilla, Pongo abelii, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes) in five tasks covering a range of cognitive domains. We examine whether individual characteristics (age, group, test experience) or transient situational factors (life events, testing arrangements or sociality) influence cognitive performance. Our results show that task-level performance is generally stable over time; four of the five tasks were reliable measurement tools. Performance in the tasks was best explained by stable differences in cognitive abilities (traits) between individuals. Cognitive abilities were further correlated, suggesting shared cognitive processes. Finally, when predicting cognitive performance, we found stable individual characteristics to be more important than variables capturing transient experience. Taken together, this study shows that great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities that respond to different developmental conditions.

AB - Great ape cognition is used as a reference point to specify the evolutionary origins of complex cognitive abilities, including in humans. This research often assumes that great ape cognition consists of cognitive abilities (traits) that account for stable differences between individuals, which change and develop in response to experience. Here, we test the validity of these assumptions by assessing repeatability of cognitive performance among captive great apes (Gorilla gorilla, Pongo abelii, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes) in five tasks covering a range of cognitive domains. We examine whether individual characteristics (age, group, test experience) or transient situational factors (life events, testing arrangements or sociality) influence cognitive performance. Our results show that task-level performance is generally stable over time; four of the five tasks were reliable measurement tools. Performance in the tasks was best explained by stable differences in cognitive abilities (traits) between individuals. Cognitive abilities were further correlated, suggesting shared cognitive processes. Finally, when predicting cognitive performance, we found stable individual characteristics to be more important than variables capturing transient experience. Taken together, this study shows that great ape cognition is structured by stable cognitive abilities that respond to different developmental conditions.

KW - Psychology

KW - Animal behaviour

KW - Human behaviour

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153702561&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8

DO - 10.1038/s41559-023-02050-8

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 37106158

AN - SCOPUS:85153702561

VL - 7

SP - 927

EP - 938

JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution

JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution

SN - 2397-334X

IS - 6

ER -

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DOI