Naturalist: Different nonhuman primate species exhibit many contrasts in behavior. If a zookeeper leaves a screwdriver within reach of a chimpanzee, the animal is likely to examine and play with it for a time, and then move on to something else. In the same circumstances, an orangutan is likely to pretend to ignore the tool at first; later, in the zookeeper's absence, the orangutan may use the screwdriver to try to dismantle its cage.
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the naturalist's statements?
Orangutans are the most intelligent of nonhuman primates.
Unsupported. The stimulus does not compare the intelligence or orangutans to the intelligence of any other nonhuman primates.
Orangutans have better memories than chimpanzees have.
Unsupported. The stimulus doesn’t give any information about the memories of orangutans and chimpanzees. Just because an orangutan returns to the tool later while the chimpanzee loses interest does not mean that the orangutan has a better memory.
Some nonhuman primates are capable of deception.
Strongly supported. Because the orangutan pretends to ignore the screwdriver and then later tries to dismantle its cage with it, we can conclude that it is capable of deception.
Orangutans dislike being caged more than chimpanzees do.
Unsupported. We do not know that orangutans dislike being caged more than chimpanzees do simply based on the fact that an orangutan may try to dismantle its cage when given a screwdriver.
Not all nonhuman primates understand tool use.
Unsupported. Just because the chimpanzee does not try to use the screwdriver as a tool does not mean that it does not understand tool use.