Emotional Engagement: How Chimpanzee Minds Develop
Kim A. Bard
Professor of Comparative Developmental Psychology, Centre for the Study of Emotion, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth UK
Traditional models of social cognition propose representational capacities as 'prime movers' in development, typically ignoring the important roles of emotion. Emotional engagement plays a critically important role in the development of social cognition skills, by providing foundational motivation for the expression of competencies, or by actually co-constituting social cognition (Bard et al., 2004). Chimpanzees have inborn capacities for emotional engagement with caregivers, and possess developmental processes, such as neonatal imitation and intersubjectivity, by which emotion becomes integrated in communication and cognition. There is no doubt that early experiences and socialization practices have a major impact on the nature and developmental trajectories of emotional engagements in primates, with potentially long-lasting effects. Socialization effects on expressions of happiness, distress, and anger are evident within the first month of life in chimpanzees, and by 3 months, socialization has an impact on many social, emotional and interactional outcomes, such as mutual gaze (Bard et al., 2005). By 6 months, the effects of early experiences become evident in cognitive outcomes in chimpanzees (e.g., early stress compromises attention, leading to poor cognitive performance whereas positive emotional experiences enhance cooperation, leading to enhanced cognitive outcomes). At 8-10 months, chimpanzees spontaneously exhibit joint engagement with caregivers and objects, and by 1 year, emotional attachments with specific caregivers have developed. When caregivers are emotionally responsive, chimpanzees’ cognitive and emotional development is positively stimulated. Many chimpanzees raised in institutional settings, however, do not develop secure attachments, impairing their ability to emotionally engage, and seriously compromising performance on tests of social cognition later in life. The study of emotional engagement in primates is important for understanding communication and cognition, especially social cognition.