Imperfect Reciprocity in a Captive Chimpanzee Group: Allogrooming and Time-Matching

Allogrooming is a valuable “economic” activity in chimpanzee societies (individuals grooming each other, which improves hygiene and provides pleasure). Our chimpanzee study found allogrooming reciprocity (time-matching) to be excellent in the short-term, but very poor in the long-term. We suggest that allogrooming reciprocity is emotionally mediated, not a calculated strategy.