Recherche par auteur > Ferretti Arianna

The way choices are framed significantly influences decision-making under risk, revealing a bias known as the “description-experience gap”. This bias, extensively documented in humans, indicates that individuals exhibit greater risk aversion when relying on experiential compared to descriptive information. Our study investigates this phenomenon in tufted capuchins (Sapajus spp.) and finds similar results: capuchins displayed increased risk aversion in experiential settings as opposed to descriptive ones. We also found an interaction between age and the way the risky option was presented, suggesting that the description-experience gap diminishes as capuchins age. Additionally, there was an interaction between age and capuchins' past experience, indicating that older capuchins with less experience in risky choice tasks are more likely to take risks. These results may help to understand foraging behavior, as the way in which individuals acquire probabilistic information plays a crucial role in foraging decisions. Furthermore, natural environments encompass both descriptive and experiential aspects and considering both can provide a more comprehensive view of decision-making processes in the wild. These insights contribute to the evolutionary understanding of risk-related behaviors in primates.