Psychological test revealed: Elephants have an ability that humans struggle to use

A new study published in PLOS One revealed that Asian elephants demonstrate exceptional self-control and restraint. In an experiment involving 16 elephants in Thailand, the elephants managed to bypass a transparent box containing fruit instead of trying to break into it head-on, overcoming their immediate impulse. Researchers identified a difference between young and old elephants.

A new study published in the scientific journal PLOS One reveals an impressive level of restraint and self-control in Asian elephants. A team of researchers led by psychologists Sydney Hope and Joshua Plotnik from the City University of New York, in collaboration with the Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation in Thailand, challenged 16 elephants aged 4 to 60 with a cognitive task that sometimes even stumps humans. The experiment focused on a trait called "inhibitory control" – impulse control. In the first phase, the elephants were trained to eat fruit from a black, opaque box with a side opening. After learning the route, the black box was replaced with a completely transparent one. The elephants could see and smell the fruit but had no way to retrieve it from the front. The elephants did not get confused: instead of rampaging or trying to ram the transparent front, they continued to bypass it to the opening, just as they had learned. To test flexibility, the researchers rotated the box so the opening changed position. Older elephants had more difficulty adapting to the change compared to younger ones, suggesting a decline in cognitive flexibility with age.