Summary: Does the Chimpanzee Have a Theory of Mind? 30 years later.
Years after Premack and Woodruff’s seminal paper, Does the Chimpanzee have a theory of mind? Josep Call and Michael Tomasello attempt to answer the 30-year old question. In their review, Call and Tomasello observe that substantial amounts of new evidence confirm that chimpanzees do have a theory of mind. In particular, considerable evidence proves that the chimpanzees can comprehend not only the goals and intentions of others but also their perceptions and knowledge. However, they note that there are studies that suggest otherwise. For instance, there is no substantial evidence that shows chimpanzees can understand false beliefs. Hence, the answer is not conclusive, yes.
According to the scholars, chimpanzees ought to be able to understand and predict the actions of the other for a functional competition and cooperation to exist. One way to do it accomplish is by observing others and making predictions derived from “behavioral rules.” In this way, it is possible to predict what happens next if a highly similar situation occurs. However, the better alternative is to observe the other’s actions, understand the conditions surrounding, and derive his objective.
Similarly, Call and Tomasello propose that it is time to quit thinking that the chimpanzees only understand and react to openly plain behaviors. Like humans, chimpanzee’s social understanding starts with observation of other’s behavior. However, it does not merely end there. They explain that although chimpanzees may fail to comprehend false beliefs, they do not take the superficial perception of behaviors. In response to Premack and Woodruff’s 30-year-old question, Call and Tomasello affirm that the chimpanzee does have a theory of mind. However, this is only in the broader definition of the phrase “theory of mind.” Nevertheless, they point out that ongoing research is focusing on the reason behind their inability to understand a false belief or whether they do understand but only sometimes. The scholars conclude that unlike human beings with full-fledged belief-desire psychology, the chimpanzee only understands others in terms of perception-goal psychology.
A more recent study affirms Call and Tomasselo’s conclusion (Andrews 2018). Understanding others’ perceptions, intentions, knowledge, and beliefs is a feature that was once thought to be unique to humans. To possess a “theory of mind” is to have the capacity to understand that each has his desires, mental states, and beliefs (Andrews 2018). To say that a chimpanzee has a theory of mind is to say that he can tell that the perceptions of the other are different from his and hence create his unconventional beliefs.