When a person’s behavior is out of control, people might say he is “going ape”(发疯). It appears, however, that our closest relatives can behave themselves better than we thought. New research in chimpanzees(n.黑猩猩) and monkeys could reveal clues about how self-control originated in humans. Even children know that resisting instant（adj.即刻的）gratification(n.满意) can lead to greater rewards. Past research showed that to cope with such delays kids can distract themselves by playing.
Now psychologists Theodore Evans and Michael Beran of Georgia State University find that chimpanzees can also employ diversions(n.转移，娱乐) to control themselves. The scientists tested chimps with a candy dispenser（糖果售货机） that delivered a treat every 30 seconds. As soon as the apes reached for the accrued(v.产生,增加) sweets, no more candy came—so if the chimps exercised restraint, they earned a greater reward. Sometimes the chimpanzees were given toys, such as magazines or toothbrushes. Evans and Beran found that the apes could resist temptation about 50 percent longer when they could amuse themselves with playthings, racking up（累积）17 candies on average with toys and only 11 without toys. The evolution of more sophisticated degrees of self-control might have been key to our ancestors’ developing time- and labor-intensive（劳动密集型）faculties such as tool making, Evans says. Further comparisons(n.比较) between humans and other primates(n.灵长类) could help us understand when and how our self-control became as complex as it did.
现在，乔治亚州立大学的心理学家Theodore Evans和 Michael Beran发现猩猩也可以通过转移注意力来自控。科学家们通过使用糖果分配机来试验猩猩，它会每隔30秒发一次糖果。一旦猩猩伸手去拿糖果，他们就一颗也得不到;但如果这些猩猩抵制诱惑，他们就会得到更多的奖励。有时候他们会得到玩具，如杂志和牙刷。Evans and Beran发现，当有玩具可玩时猩猩能够抵抗住糖果诱惑的时间比没有玩具的情况长百分之五十，前者可以累计到17个而后者平均只能到11个。Evans说，更为复杂的自控能力的发展对我们的祖先来说可能是发展的关键，如劳动集中型的工作——制造工具。对人类与其它灵长类动物的对比可以帮助我们了解我们的自我控制是何时，怎样变为如此复杂的。
