title: Chimpanzees use self-distraction to cope with impulsivity.
abstract: It is unknown whether animals, like humans, can employ behavioural strategies to cope with impulsivity. To examine this question, we tested whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) would use self-distraction as a coping strategy in a situation in which they had to continually inhibit responses to accumulating candies in order to earn a greater amount of those rewards. We tested animals in three conditions in which they were sometimes given a set of toys and were sometimes allowed physical access to the accumulating candies. Chimpanzees allowed the rewards to accumulate longer before responding when they could divert their attention to the toys, and they manipulated the toys more when the candies were physically accessible. Thus, chimpanzees engaged in self-distraction with the toys when such behaviour was most beneficial as a coping mechanism.
authors: Language Research Center, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA. theodore.evans@gmail.com
authors: Theodore A
authors: TA
authors: Evans
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Beran
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000523:psychology*; D012201:Reward
references: Curr Biol. 2005 Oct 25;15(20):1855-60
references: 16243033
references: Dev Psychobiol. 1999 Mar;34(2):119-27
references: 10086230
references: Am J Primatol. 1997;41(3):213-28
references: 9057966
references: J Gen Psychol. 2002 Jan;129(1):49-66
references: 12038494
references: J Comp Psychol. 1994 Jun;108(2):126-33
references: 8026163
references: Behav Processes. 2006 Nov 1;73(3):315-24
references: 16978800
references: J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 May;21(3):485-9
references: 16811760
references: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1972 Feb;21(2):204-18
references: 5010404
references: Am J Primatol. 2001 Sep;55(1):1-14
references: 11536312