Rhesus Monkeys Prefer Risky Options to Safe Ones

According to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, Rhesus monkeys prefer risky over safe options. [1] The monkeys were initially given small rewards with minimal risk to themselves. The tests then increased the stakes using larger rewards with higher risks. What the study found was that the monkeys consistently preferred the risky options, except when the perceived value of the safe option was greater than that of the risky one.[2] More information can be found at:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00258/abstract

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[1] http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00258/abstract
[2] Xu ER and Kralik JD (2014) Risky business: rhesus monkeys exhibit persistent preferences for risky options. Front. Psychol. 5:258. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00258