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Abstract
Non-human primates have demonstrated a preference for efficient route choices in the wild and in simulated foraging experiments. This experiment tested the preferences of two adult male capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) for efficient route choices while stationary using a joystick-controlled laser pointer apparatus. In Experiment 1, subjects were presented with two identical food items in Egocentric (one item nearer to the subject) or Allocentric (both items equidistant from the subject) conditions with the laser dot between the food items. One subject demonstrated an Egocentric bias, preferring the item closest to himself even when this was not the most efficient choice. The other subject did not always demonstrate this Egocentric bias. In Experiment 2, subjects directed the laser dot at three identical food items in Egocentric and Allocentric conditions. Subjects did not demonstrate a clear Egocentric bias in Experiment 2, and did not significantly prefer the most efficient route to retrieve all three foods.