And sometimes we deceive others by making them believe something that is not true, or we help them by correcting such false beliefs. Where apes have consistently failed, though, is on tasks designed to assess their understanding of others' false beliefs. Watching what they watchedWe showed the apes videos of a human actor engaging in social conflicts with a costumed ape-like character (King Kong). Even more alike than we thoughtOur findings challenge previous research, and assumptions, about apes' theory of mind abilities. These findings raise the possibility that the capacity to understand others' false beliefs may not be unique to humans after all.

Source: CNN October 07, 2016 13:07 UTC