Did you know that monkeys are able to distinguish whether they are wrong or not?

As humans we usually differentiate ourselves from animals, but there are already several investigations that prove that monkeys can be as intelligent as we are.

A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, has revealed that the monkeys can possess metacognition, that is to say the ability to know if they know or do not know something.

Monkeys and their ability to distinguish whether or not they know something

This research was conducted by the University of Rochester and for the study, the monkeys were shown a symbol on the screen and asked to choose that symbol within a series and bet on how certain they were that it was the same image.

They were allowed to bet up to three chips, but if they bet the maximum amount and were wrong, they lost the total bet.

The study showed that monkeys were more likely to place a high bet when they were sure the symbol was the same. That used to happen more often when the repeated symbol had high contrast.

When the contrast declined, the symbol became less clear and the monkeys made a smaller bet, indicating that they were not so sure of their response.

Stephen Ferrigno was the lead author of the study and said that metacognition is a quick way to make a judgment about whether or not a response is known, a behavior that humans have, and apparently also have monkeys.

For scientists, research can help understand how metacognition develops in the case of young children.

A great similarity with humans

In the case of humans, it is a conscious feeling, as our brain has a plan about what it wants to do and sends instructions to its muscles, then determine if the actions it perceives match or not.

For experts, humans, apes, dolphins and monkeys monkeys have demonstrated metacognition in various tests. Scientists believe they are likely to use this ability to recognize their thoughts, combine them with actions, and become self-conscious.

In addition, research results suggest that monkeys are not only aware of their own actions and are able to distinguish whether or not they know something, but are also able to adapt to the actions of others and make plans about it.

Like humans, monkeys have been shown to have metacognition and to be aware of themselves and others. Amazing, right?