Variation in primate decision-making under uncertainty and the roots of human economic behaviour

Uncertainty is a ubiquitous component of human economic behaviour, yet people can vary in their preferences for risk across populations, individuals, and different points in time. As uncertainty also characterizes many aspects of animal decision-making, comparative research can help evaluate different potential mechanisms that generates this variation, including the role of biological differences or maturational change versus cultural learning, as well as identify human-unique components of economic decision-making. Here we examine decision-making under risk across primates, our closest relatives. We first review theoretical approaches and current methods for understanding decision-making in animals. We then assess current evidence for variation in animal preferences between species and populations; between individuals based on personality, sex, and age; and finally, between different contexts and individual states. We then use this primate data to evaluate the processes that can shape human decision-making strategies and identify the primate foundations of human economic behaviour.