Why do psychologists compare chimpanzees with human children? Adult chimpanzees will definitely be more skilled than a human toddler, right? What’s the point?
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>Adult chimpanzees will definitely be more skilled than a human toddler, right?
In some regards, yes. In others they would be on par or close to a toddler. Intelligence isn’t some sliding scale with sponges on one end and humans on the other with chimps being somewhere close to humans. It is multiple different categories. In a certain categories, chimpanzees are very similar to toddlers.
>What’s the point?
It gives people a frame of reference that they can understand.
They have similar behaviors. We get frightened by similar things. Chimps and humans help other out similarly, we follow similar social hierarchy structures and mating and grooming behaviors. We are VERY similar. let’s say, It’s thought that a human child will dissociate from all people if they do not receive affection as a baby. You can’t run these kinds of tests on babies obviously so you use other animals
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/power-play/201806/three-lessons-wire-mother%3famp
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