New research reveals chimpanzees and children share deep curiosity about social interactions, with both species preferring to watch others engage rather than individuals alone, suggesting nosiness has evolutionary roots.
A groundbreaking study has discovered that humans and chimpanzees both possess an innate fascination with observing social behaviour, with some participants even sacrificing rewards to watch social interactions unfold.
The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, indicates that our tendency to be curious about others’ lives extends far beyond human nature and into our primate relatives.
Shared Social Interest
Dr Laura Simone Lewis from the University of California in Santa Barbara, who led the study, explained that researchers were motivated to investigate social curiosity after repeatedly observing both children and chimpanzees abandoning activities to watch their peers interact.
The study found that both species demonstrated a clear preference for viewing social interactions rather than watching single individuals, with young children and male chimpanzees willing to forgo material rewards to access social information.
“This demonstrates that social curiosity develops early in human growth and is present in one of our nearest living relatives,” Dr Lewis noted. “Our fascination with others’ lives appears to stem from deep evolutionary origins within our great ape family tree.”
Research Methods
The investigation comprised three experiments conducted at Uganda’s Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and various California locations, including Oakland Zoo and the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Dr Esther Herrmann from the University of Portsmouth’s Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, who co-authored the research, said the findings reveal that curiosity about others’ activities begins early and runs deep, likely helping both species navigate complex social environments.
Researchers constructed specialised ‘curiosity boxes’ containing tablets displaying different video content. Participants could choose between boxes showing social interactions such as grooming, playing, or conflicts, versus boxes displaying solitary individuals.
Key Findings
The first experiment showed both species consistently devoted more time to watching social scenarios. In the second test, participants chose between receiving treats (jackfruit seeds for chimps, marbles for children) and viewing social videos, with some prioritising the videos over rewards.
The final experiment examined preferences between positive interactions like grooming and negative ones such as conflicts. Whilst chimpanzees showed no strong preference, human children displayed age and gender-related patterns, with older boys favouring negative interactions and girls preferring positive ones.
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Evolutionary Significance
This research represents one of the first direct comparisons of social curiosity between humans and chimpanzees using identical experimental setups. The findings suggest our interest in monitoring others’ relationships and conflicts may stem from a common ancestor millions of years ago.
Such curiosity likely serves practical purposes beyond entertainment, helping individuals understand social dynamics, avoid potential dangers, and identify trustworthy companions.
Dr Herrmann emphasised that social curiosity plays a crucial role in environmental learning, decision-making, and relationship building.
The researchers propose future studies could examine social curiosity development in younger chimpanzees across different human cultures, compare adult specimens from both species, and test other great apes including bonobos and orangutans to better understand how this trait evolved and varies across demographics.
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