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Inaugural Article
PSYCHOLOGY
The monkey in the mirror: Hardly a stranger

Frans B. M. de Waal ^*, , , Marietta Dindo ^*, Cassiopeia A. Freeman ^*, and Marisa J. Hall ^*

^*Living Links Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322

Contributed by Frans B. M. de Waal, June 9, 2005

It is widely assumed that monkeys see a stranger in the mirror, whereas apes and humans recognize themselves. In this study, we question the former assumption by using a detailed comparison of how monkeys respond to mirrors versus live individuals. Eight adult female and six adult male brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were exposed twice to three conditions: (i) a familiar same-sex partner, (ii) an unfamiliar same-sex partner, and (iii) a mirror. Females showed more eye contact and friendly behavior and fewer signs of anxiety in front of a mirror than they did when exposed to an unfamiliar partner. Males showed greater ambiguity, but they too reacted differently to mirrors and strangers. Discrimination between conditions was immediate, and blind coders were able to tell the difference between monkeys under the three conditions. Capuchins thus seem to recognize their reflection in the mirror as special, and they may not confuse it with an actual conspecific. Possibly, they reach a level of self–other distinction intermediate between seeing their mirror image as other and recognizing it as self.

primate | self-awareness | empathy | development

This contribution is part of the special series of Inaugural Articles by members of the National Academy of Sciences elected on April 20, 2004.

Abbreviation: MSR, mirror self-recognition. See accompanying Profile on page 11137.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dewaal{at}emory.edu.

© 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA

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Profile of Frans B. M. de Waal

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PNAS 2005 102: 11137-11139. [Extract] [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles in HighWire Press-hosted journals:

				J. M. Plotnik, F. B. M. de Waal, and D. Reiss From the Cover: Self-recognition in an Asian elephant PNAS, November 7, 2006; 103(45): 17053 - 17057. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Nuzzo Profile of Frans B. M. de Waal PNAS, August 9, 2005; 102(32): 11137 - 11139. [Full Text] [PDF]

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