I love this research, I know many people on this list think that mankind is an essentially selfish creature - this just shows that we got where we are by helping each other, not stabbing each other in the back.
On 3/3/06, Larry C. Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Altruistic behavior exists - saying it doesn't is simply doing what > you have accused Matt of doing. Its an area in psych research that's > been around for a while. calling it Altruism or Phred or whatever > doesn't change things at all, its a set of pro-social behaviors that > may some cross species basis. > > larry > > On 3/3/06, Loathe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Altruism is crap. > > > > It doesn't exist. Self interest at some level guides everything we do. > > > > -- > > Tim Heald > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 703-300-3911 > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Larry C. Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 4:29 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: FW: Human infants and chimps share altruistic behaviors, but > humans > > moreso > > > > At the risk of having those who are against evolution getting upset > again, I > > found this evolutionary psychology study quite interesting. > > > > http://www.antiwrap.com/?917 > > > > Have we come a long way, baby? > > Study suggests humans and chimps share ancient urge to be helpful, but > > humans more so > > > > BY BRYN NELSON > > STAFF WRITER > > > > March 3, 2006 > > > > As young role models of human altruism, 18-month-old toddlers will > readily > > help a needy stranger, according to new research. But these diaper-clad > Good > > Samaritans may share a few traits with young chimpanzees, scientists > say, > > offering new hints that our common ancestors possessed the early > > underpinnings of human courtesy and cooperation. > > > > In separate experiments, toddlers and chimps both returned an object > dropped > > "accidentally," such as a clothespin, marker or lid, but not if a > researcher > > let go of it on purpose. > > > > "It is definitely more surprising that we found this in chimpanzees," > > said Felix Warneken, a study co-author and doctoral student in > developmental > > psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in > > Leipzig, Germany. > > > > Scientists have long puzzled over the evolutionary basis of our > altruism, > > while our closest primate relatives have received a bad rap for their > > supposedly selfish ways. But Warneken said past research on altruism > with > > the notoriously competitive chimpanzees has involved both food and > fellow > > chimps. > > > > By eliminating food as a goal or reward in his group's research, > published > > today in the journal Science, perhaps the chimps would be in the right > > mindset for any natural helpfulness to appear spontaneously. > > > > To the group's surprise, the three young chimps in the study were indeed > > willing to help their caretaker when she was clearly reaching for > something. > > > > Most of the 24 human toddlers in their study were far more altruistic, > > however, assisting a stranger struggling with more complicated tasks > such as > > stacking books or opening a door. > > > > "Children and chimpanzees are both willing to help," Warneken and his > > co-authors write, "but they appear to differ in their ability to > interpret > > the other's need for help in different situations." > > > > In a companion study, Alicia Melis and colleagues at the same institute > in > > Leipzig found that chimpanzees will pick a partner best suited to help > them > > pull two ends of a rope to slide trays of food within reach. > > > > Although cooperation in the animal kingdom is nothing new, "we've never > seen > > this level of understanding during cooperation in any other animals > except > > humans," Melis said in an accompanying news release. > > > > In the experiments, chimps opened the adjoining cage door of an > unrelated > > chimp only when they couldn't reach both rope ends on their own. > > Furthermore, they tended to choose the more cooperative chimp, based on > > experience. > > > > Both studies suggest the precursors for altruism and collaboration were > in > > place well before our evolutionary split with chimpanzees some > > 6 million years ago. But chimp charity apparently only goes so far. > > > > "Human altruism is thought to be based, in part, on empathy," said UCLA > > anthropologist Joan Silk in an e-mail. "To be empathetic, you need to > > understand the thoughts and desires of others." Silk's own studies > suggest > > that chimp empathy is in short supply when it comes to food-based > altruistic > > acts, even if they entail no sacrifice. > > > > Somewhere along the line, humans became considerably more helpful than > other > > primates, Silk said, but understanding that divergence will only come > with > > more research. > > > > Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc. > > > > -- > > Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; > and > > he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion. > > > > Edmond Burke > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:198869 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
