Comments on: Conformity: it’s not just for high school kids http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/ Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:47:49 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Will http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-15223 Will Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:15:20 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-15223 I've never been able to relate to the idea that humans are drastically different than other animals and I'm glad that there are studies like the one mentioned above to help dissolve this illusion. It seems to make a lot of since, and in my humble opinion it seems to fit evolutionary theory very nicely. I do not find it surprising at all that homo sapiens share behavioral traits with other animals because it would make sense that other animals would share certain adaptive traits that come about from similar evolutionary struggles. Especially to a mammal that's as close to us on the evolutionary tree as a chimpanzee. These are just a few thoughts of mine to be taken with a grain of salt. I’ve never been able to relate to the idea that humans are drastically different than other animals and I’m glad that there are studies like the one mentioned above to help dissolve this illusion. It seems to make a lot of since, and in my humble opinion it seems to fit evolutionary theory very nicely. I do not find it surprising at all that homo sapiens share behavioral traits with other animals because it would make sense that other animals would share certain adaptive traits that come about from similar evolutionary struggles. Especially to a mammal that’s as close to us on the evolutionary tree as a chimpanzee. These are just a few thoughts of mine to be taken with a grain of salt.

]]> By: Matt http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-2195 Matt Mon, 22 May 2006 00:14:59 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-2195 Nice write-up. I was just surfing and came along this site, but I think you wrote a nice essay. Nice write-up. I was just surfing and came along this site, but I think you wrote a nice essay.

]]> By: polyscience.org » The human brain is still evolving http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-201 polyscience.org » The human brain is still evolving Thu, 15 Sep 2005 22:09:21 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-201 [...] I have written in the past about the difference between genes and memes, and the human social structure. It is thought that these evolutionary changes conferred to us some greater ability to survive (such is the nature of natural selection). But natural selection doesn’t have to be limited to purely physical pressures. Societal pressures can nudge natural selection along a given path by allowing those with greater societal savvy (for lack of a better term) to procreate more. As humans became more community based and interdependent on one another, the ability to interact socially as a means of reproducing becomes valuable. In essence, genes serve the overarching meme, which is complex interdependence and economics. [...] [...] I have written in the past about the difference between genes and memes, and the human social structure. It is thought that these evolutionary changes conferred to us some greater ability to survive (such is the nature of natural selection). But natural selection doesn’t have to be limited to purely physical pressures. Societal pressures can nudge natural selection along a given path by allowing those with greater societal savvy (for lack of a better term) to procreate more. As humans became more community based and interdependent on one another, the ability to interact socially as a means of reproducing becomes valuable. In essence, genes serve the overarching meme, which is complex interdependence and economics. [...]

]]> By: polyscience.org » Schizotypal creativity http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-160 polyscience.org » Schizotypal creativity Thu, 08 Sep 2005 18:45:09 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-160 [...] From personal experience, this “thinking outside the box” behavior can be learned. I think that most people ignore most creative input, opting instead to do the normal thing with the normal tools at hand. Perhaps this is why children are so much more creative than adults most of the time: young children haven’t learned the social value of conformity. And it is this embraced creative input that schizotypal personalities exhibit that cause them to be labelled “abnormal.” [...] [...] From personal experience, this “thinking outside the box” behavior can be learned. I think that most people ignore most creative input, opting instead to do the normal thing with the normal tools at hand. Perhaps this is why children are so much more creative than adults most of the time: young children haven’t learned the social value of conformity. And it is this embraced creative input that schizotypal personalities exhibit that cause them to be labelled “abnormal.” [...]

]]> By: giantkicks.com » Conformity: it’s not just for high school kids http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-149 giantkicks.com » Conformity: it’s not just for high school kids Mon, 05 Sep 2005 05:02:01 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-149 [...] from polyscience.org, found at arstechnica In the case of this study, two dominant female chimpanzees were taught two different methods of getting food out of an apparatus, poking versus lifting. Then these chimps were sent back to their respective clans, where they taught others how to get the food out of the apparatus. But a funny thing happened along the way. Some chimps from the lifting group discovered that poking was more effective than lifting. But instead of continuing to poke, they conformed to the method that the others in their group used. [...] [...] from polyscience.org, found at arstechnica In the case of this study, two dominant female chimpanzees were taught two different methods of getting food out of an apparatus, poking versus lifting. Then these chimps were sent back to their respective clans, where they taught others how to get the food out of the apparatus. But a funny thing happened along the way. Some chimps from the lifting group discovered that poking was more effective than lifting. But instead of continuing to poke, they conformed to the method that the others in their group used. [...]

]]> By: eldan http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-129 eldan Sun, 28 Aug 2005 17:45:48 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-129 You’re right to be surprised “that research hadn’t already discovered this.”, because this is not a new discovery at all; just a typical university press release trying to make the work sound more groundbreaking than it actually is.

I wrote a paper on this a few years ago (and the actual chimp research I surveyed is about 10 years old now), and I pretty much agree with your analysis of the phenomenon. The only thing I’d add is that I think there’s also a strong element of ingroup-outgroup definition going on here. By that I mean that part of the troop’s identity is defined in terms of not doing things like that other troop over there. I think you can probably see how this also relates to human society…

]]> By: seriously. wtf. http://polyscience.org/2005/08/chimpanzee-conformity/comment-page-1/#comment-115 seriously. wtf. Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:29:55 +0000 http://polyscience.org/?p=72#comment-115 <strong>We are all monkeys.</strong> hanser has a very nice writeup over at polyscience.org about an article about research showing that chimpanzees are conformists too in their little chimp society even when better methods to do things are discovered. From Rian's writeup: In the case... We are all monkeys.

hanser has a very nice writeup over at polyscience.org about an article about research showing that chimpanzees are conformists too in their little chimp society even when better methods to do things are discovered. From Rian’s writeup: In the case…

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