What Is The Relationship Between Primate And Human Social Behavior

The similarities between the social behavior of primates and humans are quite intriguing. In observation of human interaction in various situations, it is clear that a number of behaviors are also present in their distant primate relatives. Although evolution made a clear distinction on what is human, the innate behaviors of primates are still present within their everyday lives. From watching interactions between close friends, two individuals in a committed relationship, and two siblings, social behaviors present in primates can be seen in human lives. The understanding of the relationship between primate and human social behavior came from observing human interaction in three different settings. The first setting was comprised of closely …show more content…
Empathy is characterized as having the ability to recognize the feelings of another (Jurmain, Kilgore, & Trevathan, 2013, p. 167). This sense of empathy seems to be present within all humans, which in turn influences how they behave in situations. While watching close friends interact, upon arrival, both engaged in giving smiles followed by a large hug. Due to the ability for each to understand that the other was happy/excited to see the other after a period of absence, the smiles and hug can be seen as an empathetically motivated behavior. Similar behaviors were observed with the man and woman who were in a relationship; when greeting the other after no physical contact or interaction for a period of time, both engaged in kissing followed by a long embrace. This can be related to behaving close as well as feeling close. Behaving close deals with coordination of behavior within a pairbond (Dunbar, 2010, n.p.). Behaving close can be described as a ballet or dance in which an individual behaves a certain way based on the behavior of the other. On the other …show more content…
157). For the close friends, the presence of empathy and understanding helps in cultivating a bond between individuals and for a group to be formed. The group that is formed can be beneficial in times of need (such as with problems, accidents, or survival) but also in times of support (such as consolidation after a breakup). With the couple, empathy helps to reinforce the developed bond that they share. This bond can later help in contributing to possible reproduction (if the two were to get married and have children together) as their genes would survive and be passed along. Empathy expressed by the children allows for a bonding to occur between the siblings, but also helps the younger sibling to learn behaviors needed to survive. The behaviors that were exhibited are not innate, they are learned; the help of the older sibling allows them to learn actions and behaviors that are beneficial (Jurmain, Kilgore, & Trevathan, 2013, p. 175). While there is clear reason for the persistence of this behavior, it is important to understand where such behaviors