Intelligenzprüfungen an Menschenaffen
editIntelligenzprüfungen an Menschenaffen is a book by Wolfgang Köhler published in 1921[1]. The English version called "The Mentality of Apes", translated by Ella Winter, was published in 1925[2]. Intelligenzprüfungen an Menschenaffen is the second edition and entails several images and drawings[1].
Context
editComparative Psychology
editBefore Köhler’s work, the field of comparative psychology was revolutionised by Charles Darwin, proposing evolutionary continuity between humans and other animals[3][4]. In the nineteenth century Darwin wrote about possible reasoning abilities of animals[5]. In the early twentieth century, further influential research was amongst others published by Edward Thorndike, who investigated learning abilities of apes and other animals. At the same time Robert Yerkes, studying animals' intelligence and Leonard Hobhouse, who described sudden problem-solving abilities in monkeys, opposed certain proposals of Thorndike. Hobhouse's publications, although less known by the public, had a large influence on Köhler's experiments[5]. Together with a broader shift in the perception of animal intelligence, these different researchers provided the base for Köhler's studies on anthropoid apes[4][5].
Anthropoid Station in Tenerife
editThe experiments described in the book were conducted at the Anthropoid Station in Tenerife. The station was conceptualized by Max Rothmann and funded by the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences[6]. In 1912 most of the chimpanzees arrived, by a shipment from Cameroon, then a German colony[5]. The first director was Eugen Teuber, followed by Wolfgang Köhler as the second and last director. The station's research was not unaffected by World War I, during which the station was suspected of espionage and the estate was subsequently sold by the owner, leading to a relocation of the research station in 1918[5].
By 1920, financial difficulties in post-war Germany forced the cessation of experiments, and Köhler returned to Berlin. The station was officially closed in the same year[6][5].
Contents
editIn Intelligenzprüfungen an Menschenaffen, Köhler documents his experiments with chimpanzees at the Tenerife station. Köhler's methodology involved presenting chimpanzees with a desired target out of reach, requiring creative problem-solving from the apes. For example, reaching some fruit by making use of a stick or a box (See picture). He thoroughly observed and documented the apes' behaviours and the strategies they used to solve these tasks[1][5].
The introduction is highlighting the importance and generalisability of the work due to the similarities of apes and humans. Still, Köhler points out large individual differences between apes and describes their individual characteristics, which he compares to personalities[1].
The following chapters structured by the experimental set-ups, exploring the apes' abilities to find correct ways around obstacles, their tool use in various manners and also building tools and towers of boxes. Lastly, the book highlights the difference between genuine achievements and coincidental problem-solving. Here, Köhler observed and analysed that apes could use tools and exhibit insight, rather than relying solely on trial-and-error learning[1][5]. He emphasises his observation that a genuine solution, is preceded by a perceptual stage, such as an ape carefully looking around.
Influence and Legacy
editThe English translation, The Mentality of Apes, increased the international popularity and interest in Köhler's work[5][7]. The book became a landmark in comparative psychology and greatly influenced the study of apes[4][5].
The translation of the German word Einsicht into insight, which is used in within the book, changed the perception of Köhler's work. It suggested a hypothetical mechanism by which apes solve a problem-solving which was not expressed in the original version. The term insight was thus introduced into problem-solving research and received much attention in the field of creativity research[7][5].
In contrast to Thorndike's publications, Köhler's research, as described in this book, emphasised that apes showed forms of problem-solving beyond trial-and-error learning, thus highlighting the cognitive similarities between apes and humans[5][8].
The increased interest was followed by nearly a century of German primate research[4]. Outside Germany, it led to Ivan Pavlov replicating Köhler's experiments and publishing alternative interpretations of ape behaviour[9]. The influence of the book was also the basis for the ground-breaking work in primatology of Jane Goodall[4].
The publication is said to have further influenced Clark Hull in the development of his theory of learning[5].
The insights of Köhler's book had a profound and lasting impact on animal research, shaping subsequent studies in psychology, primatology, creativity and many other fields[4][5][7].
In recognition of Köhler's contributions, the Tenerife station has been memorialised[10] and the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre (WKPRC) in Leipzig has been established to promote research on non-human primates. This centre underlines the lasting legacy in the field of primate cognition stemming from the book[11].
- ^ a b c d e Köhler, Wolfgang; Köhler, Wolfgang (1921). Intelligenzpru¨fungen an Menschenaffen (2. durchgesehene Aufl. der "Intelligenzprüfungen an Anthropoiden I." ed.). Berlin: J. Springer.
- ^ Wolfgang Kohler (1925). The Mentality Of Apes.
- ^ "Search Results - The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online". darwin-online.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ a b c d e f Bruce, Gary (2022-07-03). "M'Pungu between Charles Darwin and Wolfgang Köhler: the changing human perceptions of great apes". The Historian. 84 (3): 478–503. doi:10.1080/00182370.2023.2262247. ISSN 0018-2370.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ruiz, Gabriel; Sánchez, Natividad (2014). "Wolfgang Köhler's the Mentality of Apes and the Animal Psychology of his Time". The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 17: E69. doi:10.1017/sjp.2014.70. ISSN 1138-7416.
- ^ a b Teuber, Marianne L. (1994). "The Founding of the Primate Station, Tenerife, Canary Islands". The American Journal of Psychology. 107 (4): 551–581. doi:10.2307/1423000. ISSN 0002-9556.
- ^ a b c P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University; Vladimirov, Ilya Yu.; Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (2023-09-30). "Editorial" (PDF). Психология. Журнал Высшей школы экономики. 20 (3): 405–406. doi:10.17323/1813-8918-2023-3-405-406.
- ^ Thorndike, Edward L. (1898). "Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals". The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements. 2 (4): i–109. doi:10.1037/h0092987. ISSN 0096-9753.
- ^ Windholz, George (1984-01-01). "Pavlovvs. Köhler". The Pavlovian journal of biological science : official journal of the Pavlovian. 19 (1): 23–31. doi:10.1007/BF03003103. ISSN 1936-3567.
- ^ Lück, Helmut E. (1994-01-01). "Schaden weit größer als befürchtet. „Köhler-Haus" auf Teneriffa schwer beschädigt". Geschichte der Psychologie - Nachrichtenblatt. 11 (26). doi:10.23668/psycharchives.224.
- ^ "Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center - Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology". www.eva.mpg.de. Retrieved 2024-07-14.