Study: If it's unfair, chimps will forgive a friend (Reuters)

[truthpusher]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/01/27/chimp.fairness.reut/index.html

Study: If it's unfair, chimps will forgive a friend
But animal doesn't like it if a stranger gets the bigger piece

Thursday, January 27, 2005 Posted: 11:09 AM EST (1609 GMT)



Chimpanzees' sense of fair play depends on who they're with, a study found.


LONDON (Reuters) -- Chimpanzees have a sense of fair play but how much they will tolerate depends on who they are dealing with, according to scientists.

They will put up with being short-changed if they are friends or family of the animal getting the better deal, but won't allow any monkey business if it's a stranger.

"We found variation in the response of the chimpanzees that was based on the social group they were in," said Sarah Brosnan, a researcher at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

"It is interesting because social psychologists have found that humans have this variability in response based on the quality of the social relationship," she added in an interview.

more:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/01/27/chimp.fairness.reut/index.html