It is widely assumed that primates excel at imitation - so much so that we call it aping. Usually we mean more than mere copying. Experts on primate behavior are not in agreement about the more advanced kinds of imitation, however. In its most complete form the imitator adopts the model's perspective and recognizes both the model's goal and his method of bringing this goal closer. Whereas there is little or no evidence that monkeys do so, some scientists believe apes to be different.
Young chimpanzees seem to watch closely and learn from adults.
There are even stories of mothers' correcting their offspring's mistakes, which would amount to active teaching. Unfortunately, these observations are made under uncontrolled conditions, and field-workers have a rather fragment picture of their subjects' learning histories. Experimental psychologists who have carefully tested captive chimpanzees are not convinced that such high-level processes take place. The difference between chimpanzees and macaques emerging from these experiments has been corroborated by Povinelli in a telling study of role-taking. A chimpanzee was taught to select one of four handles.