Why Monkeys Can Only Count to Four

David Goldenberg‘s monkey experiment showed that monkeys use relative comparison to process the amount of apples presented to them. This way of thinking focuses on the size of the mass rather than the exact quantity. Monkeys can discern small differences between amounts, but knowing the exact number is less important when there are many items. Monkeys were able to see the reduction from three to two apples but couldn’t perceive the difference when the amount increased from four to five.

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