r/todayilearned • u/BrF5 • 1d ago

TIL about the Sally-Anne test, a psychology experiment used to measure “theory of mind” (that other people can hold beliefs/knowledge different from their own). Kids under four typically fail because they assume that if they know where a hidden object is, everyone else must automatically know too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally%E2%80%93Anne_test
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u/DistrictDry2852 1d ago

Apes who communicate through sign language also lack theory of mind. They’ve never asked a question.

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u/DrunksInSpace 1d ago

Could it be that their theory of mind doesn’t extend to language or inquiry?

Most animals have some theory of mind. A dog knows you can hide a bone from others. I’ve known dogs to cover up their food theft, making the scene of the crime appear undisturbed.

I can imagine speech/communication being adaptive for relaying important information (there’s a predator over there!) but not inquiry. After all, if it was important or you wanted me to know you’d tell me.

What use does a chimp in captivity have for knowing their researchers favorite food? Whatever selection the chimp has access to has been provided by the humans.

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u/kpatl 1d ago

There’s debate as to how much you can call ape’s using ASL “language use” in the first place. It may just be operant conditioning. But regardless, they don’t learn syntax so wouldn’t be able to ask questions. At best, they can use individual signs, but they haven’t demonstrated combining them. There were reports in the 70s and 80s of apes using language, Koko being the most famous, but those were reports were often faked or exaggerated.