14 DAY TRIAL // According to a paper published in the American Journal Primatology this past February 23, not only are chimps extraordinarily gifted when it comes to solving puzzles, but they also enjoy testing their brain power in this way.
Most people are well aware of the fact that these animals are quite good at completing tricky puzzles, yet up until now it was believed that they only struggled to accomplished such tasks because of the promise of a food reward.
However, it now seems that chimps also experience feelings of satisfaction when completing puzzles, and that this is more than enough to keep them motivated. EurekAlert quotes Fay Clark, a researcher now working with the Zoological Society of England, who explained how, “We noticed that the chimps were keen to complete the puzzle regardless of whether or not they received a food reward.”
Furthermore, “This strongly suggests they get similar feelings of satisfaction to humans who often complete brain games for a feel-good reward.”