Researchers have found that preference for framing is not exclusive to humans: bonobos and chimpanzees also opt for a more positive spin to things, as observed in a study.
Published in the journal Biology Letters, the study is included in a larger body of research exploring how psychological factors have an effect on decision-making and behavior.
In experiments carried out at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary and the Tchimpounga Animal Sanctuary in the Republic of Congo, researchers worked with 17 bonobos and 23 chimpanzees, offering them a choice between snacks of some fruit or a handful of peanuts.
In one trial, researchers put a positive spin on choosing fruit, offering a fruit piece with a 50 percent chance of getting more. In another trial, the fruit option was framed negatively, with the monkeys given two pieces of fruit instead, but they were shortchanged half the time receiving only one.
Based on results, bonobos and chimps were likelier to choose fruit when they were given a small amount but sometimes got more compared to being offered more but sometimes getting less. This preference for looking at an option as prize instead of a penalty was particularly evident in males.
People have a tendency to prefer something when positive attributes are highlighted than the negative ones despite the options being essentially the same. It's like people saying a burger that's been labeled as using a patty made from 75 percent lean meat is tastier than a patty made from 75 percent fat. The labels mean the same thing except they're framed differently.
Historically, thinking like this was associated as a result of human culture, a product of how people are socialized or the kinds of experiences they have with financial markets. These experiences don't exist in bonobos and chimpanzees yet they showed the same biases as people, suggesting the preference is more rooted in biology.
"That means it's very difficult to overcome these biases, but it is possible to create environments that might help us make better choices," said Christopher Krupenye, an evolutionary anthropology student from Duke University and co-author for the study.
Other authors include Brian Hare, also from Duke, and Alexandra Rosati from Yale University. The study received funding support through the European Research Commission Advanced Grant Agreement, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation and three grants from the National Science Foundation.
