Big Think Interview With Laurie Santos

TL;DR

Yale professor studies primates to understand humans, stripping away cultural and educational influences to observe humans in their more ancestral state.

Transcript

my name is Laura Santos and I'm a professor of psychology at Yale University I study primates because I'm interested in humans I want to know what makes humans tick um but if you're really interested in that question it's actually kind of bad to study humans because they have too much stuff you know too much education and culture and all that stuff... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙈 Primates, such as capuchin monkeys, are studied to understand human behavior in a more ancestral state and uncover evolutionary origins.
• 🙈 Capuchin monkeys demonstrate high intelligence and can outsmart researchers.
• 👻 Comparing primates and infant humans allows for the identification of similarities and differences in cognitive capacities.
• 🤯 Capuchin monkeys possess some aspects of a theory of mind, particularly in understanding what others can see.
• 💁 Humans have a unique motivation to share information with others, which may be the basis for our advanced communication and cooperation abilities.
• 🙈 Research with capuchin monkeys reveals that they show similar biases to humans in economic decision-making, such as loss aversion.
• 🙈 The similarities in biases between capuchin monkeys and humans indicate that these biases may be shared and have ancient origins.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do researchers study primates instead of humans to understand human behavior?

Primates are studied to strip away cultural and educational influences and observe human behavior in a more ancestral state, providing insights into our evolutionary origins.

Q: How do capuchin monkeys at Yale outsmart researchers?

Capuchin monkeys at Yale, named after characters in James Bond movies, demonstrate high intelligence by breaking apparatuses and stealing items they are not supposed to have.

Q: How do researchers use the comparison of primates and infant humans to understand cognitive capacities?

Comparing primates and infant humans allows researchers to identify similarities and differences in cognitive capacities, observing how infants have the potential to develop certain abilities while primates may never acquire them.

Q: What is a theory of mind, and do primates possess it?

A theory of mind refers to the ability to understand and infer the beliefs, intentions, and desires of others. Research with primates, such as capuchin monkeys, suggests that they have some aspects of theory of mind, particularly in deception and understanding what others can see.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Professor Laura Santos studies primates to understand human behavior and evolutionary origins.

• Capuchin monkeys are an ideal model for studying humans due to their similarity in tool usage and complex social relationships.

• The comparison of primates and infant humans allows researchers to identify similarities and differences in cognitive capacities.