Aspies For Freedom

A study of Macaca mulatta monkeys in Puerto Rico reveal that by using visual cues, monkeys are able to figure out what other monkeys and humans think. The study involved presenting or holding up grapes, with the last test showing the person’s eyes or mouth as covered. It showed that the monkey took the grapes if it saw that the person holding the grape either could not see them or were not paying attention.

    * Monkeys can deduce what other monkeys and humans think, want and see based on visual cues, according to a new paper.
    * This inspired Jonathan Flombaum, a graduate student in the psychology department at Yale University and colleague Assistant Professor Laurie Santos to test the monkeys on their ability to assess the visual perspectives of others.
    * All involved a human holding a grape next to a curious monkey.
    * For the first experiment, the human grape holder stood either facing the monkey or turned away from it.
    * For the final experiment, the human held up a small rectangular cut-out that blocked either the human's eyes or his mouth.
    * Interacting with other monkeys Reading other monkeys' minds may help these primates to attract mates or protect offspring (Image: Laurie Santos) "We know that cells in the monkey superior temporal sulcus [part of the brain] encode this information.
    * "If we are right that rhesus monkeys can 'mind read' in the ways that we say they can, then our own similar abilities probably did not evolve in us," Flombaum says.
    * While Flombaum does not believe in true psychic phenomena, he thinks that humans experience intuition based on such deductions; for example, when a person gets a sudden feeling that a situation should be avoided, or when a bad vibe suggests that someone is lying or staring, even when the possible victim cannot be sure.
    * People with autism appear to have a hyperactive amygdala, part of the brain that deals with emotions and negative feelings.
    * Monkey traits This monkey research is also helping researchers to learn more about autism (Image: Laurie Santos) Dr Brian Hare, a researcher and postdoctoral associate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, studies chimpanzees.
http://www.newstarget.com/005788.html

Greetings,

I'm really starting to believe that psychologists must be among the dumbest people in the academic world.

If you can see that someone is not looking and it is therefore ok to take something does that mean you are reading their mind??  The only 'intuitive' thing about that whole article is the fact that the opportinustic / scavenger like instinct evolved in the species for the same reason most things do - maximum survival, minimum risk.

And I dont see what the hell it has to do with autism either.  The only thing of note was the mention of a hyperactive amygdala.  From this, one can infer that too many negative feelings are the cause of misunderstanding and communication failure - which is of course quite false.  It does contribute to anxiety and paranoia but thats about it.

This person is definately barking up the wrong tree if they want to learn more about autism.

Oh great, now we are being compared to telepathic monkeys  :roll:


Why didn't they use bananas? And why don't they study Autistic people to learn about Autism?

"And why don't they study Autistic people to learn about Autism?"

Strange isnt it. Why isnt the monkey's behaviour telling them about NTs, instead of autistics?

Why isnt the monkey's behaviour telling them about NTs, instead of autistics?

I think that very fact that they are running this experiment is telling us volumes about them.


"Oooh, now we can get a grant for Autism AND monkey reseach. The dean will be impressed..."

I'v heard it said that if you put a bunch of monkey's at a bunch of typewriters, you will eventually get the works of shakespeare or any other kind of literary masterpiece.                                                                                              
"Shall we their fond pageant see?  Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
Act 3, scene 2, line 114, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."