Journal Articles

1. Evans, A; Tomasello, M, Evidence for social referencing in young chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)., Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology, vol. 47 no. 1 (January, 1986), pp. 49-54 [doi].
   (last updated on 2026/01/19)

   Abstract:
   A captive chimpanzee group was observed in order to determine the extent to which the social interactions of the infants and juveniles (18-50 months) were affected by their mothers' relationships with other adult group members. It was found that the young chimpanzees initiated more interactions with adults who interacted more with their mothers. A vast majority of those interactions occurred at significant distances from the mother. It is argued that these data imply a social-cognitive ability in young chimpanzees closely related to the human infant's ability to use its mother in 'social referencing'.