Intentional deception in primates

Abstract

Abstract Deception can be defined as the projection, to one's own advantage, of an inaccurate or false image of knowledge, intentions, or motivations. A great many scientists have reported the use of deception by nonhuman primates. Their accounts have been based on observations of primates in close contact with people, in captive groups, and in the wild. Qualitative descriptions are presented along with experimental evidence for the phenomenon. The accumulated evidence is quite suggestive, implying sophisticated cognitive mechanisms, particularly in the great apes. Primates not only suppress or hide certain signals, but also project false images or seem to react to nonexisting external events to redirect another's attention. The predominantly descriptive evidence needs to be complemented by experiments on the possibility of attribution and intentional manipulation of other individuals' mental states.

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