monkeys' response to pay inequality

[webglider]

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next?c=upw1

The presenter says that other animals display the same response to inequality.

 

[Guardian]

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next?c=upw1

The presenter says that other animals display the same response to inequality.

OMG, that's priceless...especially the last thing he says.

 

[Rich]

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next?c=upw1

The presenter says that other animals display the same response to inequality.

That is hilarious. :D

 

[Tigersoap]

We need more capuchins monkeys in protests around the world.

 

[Alada]

The presenter says that other animals display the same response to inequality.

Well, I think there’s more to it than ‘inequality’. Remember grapes contain sugar, and as you know our brains and bodies just love sugar. So it’s not that the money reasoning out for itself that there is inequality here but rather, this is an automatic emotional reaction triggered by the potential chemical fix for the brain. I don’t find it funny, but rather cruel actually.

We are being encouraged to apply attributes of higher thought that simply don’t apply. While his comment at the end about OWS protesters may be true to some extent in that some do so because of similar emotional reactions (it makes them feel good), it would not be true of others who choose to protest through a process of reasoning.

It’s another example of bad science. A better test would have been to pay the first one piece of cucumber and the other two pieces of cucumber. I doubt then you get the same reaction. But have two crack addict monkeys as subjects and pay one in cucumber and the other in cocaine and you will probably get the same result as in the video.

 

[Tigersoap]

Well, I think there’s more to it than ‘inequality’. Remember grapes contain sugar, and as you know our brains and bodies just love sugar. So it’s not that the money reasoning out for itself that there is inequality here but rather, this is an automatic emotional reaction triggered by the potential chemical fix for the brain. I don’t find it funny, but rather cruel actually.

I see what you mean but aren't fruits the main staple of the Capuchin diet in wildlife ?

It says so on wikipedia :

The white-headed capuchin is an omnivore. Its primary foods are fruit and insects.

and

Fruit can make up between 50% and 67% or more of the capuchin's diet.[7] In one study in Panama, white-headed capuchins ate 95 different fruit species.
Among its favorite fruits are figs from the family Moraceae, mangos and related fruits from the family Anacardiaceae, the bean-like fruits from the family Leguminosae and fruits from the family Rubiaceae.[47] It generally only eats ripe fruit, testing for ripeness by smelling, tasting and prodding the fruit.[7] It typically eats only the pulp and juice, spitting out the seeds and fibers.[7] Other plant matter eaten includes flowers, young leaves, seeds of certain plants, and bromeliads.[7][48] It also uses the bromelids as a water source, drinking the water that gets trapped inside.[7] In Carara National Park the capuchins have a varied diet in addition to the above of banana fruits and flowers, heliconia seeds, huevos de caballo fruits and anacardiaceae stems.[49]

They would naturally look for fruits anyway so can they be considered addicted to sugar as we mean it for a human ? Were we can chose to avoid sugars, they're not wired to do same osit.

There was also this video where Capuchins actually share the nuts after cooperating :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAFQ5kUHPkY

 

[Alada]

Well, I think there’s more to it than ‘inequality’. Remember grapes contain sugar, and as you know our brains and bodies just love sugar. So it’s not that the money reasoning out for itself that there is inequality here but rather, this is an automatic emotional reaction triggered by the potential chemical fix for the brain. I don’t find it funny, but rather cruel actually.

I see what you mean but aren't fruits the main staple of the Capuchin diet in wildlife ?

It says so on wikipedia :

[snip]

They would naturally look for fruits anyway so can they be considered addicted to sugar as we mean it for a human ? Were we can chose to avoid sugars, they're not wired to do same osit.

I’m not sure it makes a difference, the point is that there is a greater unconscious emotional reward to eating the juicy, sugary grape, than there is the piece of cucumber. It feels good to eat grapes, whereas cucumber would be neutral by comparison. Fruits can be a natural part of the money’s diet, but I think the brain chemistry, the greater reward produced by the grape would be there all the same.

[quote author=Tigersoap]
There was also this video where Capuchins actually share the nuts after cooperating :
[/quote]

And then the same thing happens when they do the grape experiment after that, the non-grape monkey gets very quickly distressed at not getting the grape. Now, does the money think about this or is it an unconscious emotional response linked to the brain chemistry of a feel good reward? i.e. the sugar?

Wonder what would happen in the sharing experiment if they did it with grapes?

 

[Nook]

Thanks for sharing webglider.

I think both Alada and Tigersoap are right.
While fruit might be one of their primal source of food, the sugar probably heightens their response to not getting the grape, only the cucumber.

After watching the nuts-sharing video, I think a combination of these two videos seems to prove that it's more the sugar-rush they were after rather than 'justice'.
The one that got the grapes in either video, never protested, never refused the grape, nor gave it to his companion to equally share them, even though they could have in both instances.

Also, the nut-sharing monkey had to be reminded by the other monkey to give him his share of the nuts, since it was teamwork.