The researchers compared adolescent risk-taking in humans and chimpanzees. The results showed similar
Biologists conducted two tests involving 40 chimpanzees.born in the wild, in a reserve in the Republic of Congo. In the first test, adolescent chimpanzees and adult monkeys played a game that required them to choose between two containers. One of them always contained peanuts, and the second - a piece of cucumber or banana.
Monkeys could get guaranteed, but notthe most delicious treat is peanuts, or chasing an attractive banana at the risk of getting an unappetizing cucumber. During the experiment, the scientists recorded the choice and recorded the reactions of the monkeys to the result: moans, screams, hits on the table, or aggressive behavior. In addition, they took saliva samples to monitor hormone levels.
Over several rounds of testingAdolescent chimpanzees were more likely than adult chimpanzees to choose the risky option, with adolescents and adults experiencing similar negative reactions when given cucumber.
Second test modeled afterStanford marshmallow experiment, which analyzed delayed gratification in children. Recall that in a series of tests, scientists from Stanford offered children the choice between one small reward immediately or a double reward after 15 minutes of quiet waiting. For the monkeys, marshmallows were replaced with bananas: they could get one banana slice right away or wait a minute to get three slices.
The experiment showed that both young and adultsThe chimpanzees chose the larger delayed reward with equal frequency. In humans, teenagers tend to be more impulsive than adults, so they are more likely to ask for immediate rewards.
Based on these observations, the researchers came tothe conclusion that risky behavior in both adolescent chimps and humans is of a biological nature, but the increase in impulsive behavior in adolescents is acquired and is associated with upbringing and socialization.
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