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Both humans and primates exhibit complex social behavior. Different types can be distinguished in social behavior: being aggressive, being nice, and trying to steer other people's choices. Marjolijn Vermande (Clinical Child and Family Studies) and Liesbeth Sterck (Animal Ecology) of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ argue that this social complexity is important for the acquisition of scarce and desirable resources over which there is competition between peers, such as food, the best toys, support, attention and doing favourite activities. In short: getting your way.

People and nonhuman primates apply different types of social behavior to achieve different goals. What type of social behavior is exhibited turns out to be related to the type of goal. While aggression seems to be beneficial for gaining access to goods, being nice seems to be more effective in getting help and support. The third type of social behavior – inspire someone to follow one’s example – is new and has not been researched extensively yet. It leads to getting your way in general and presumably specifically to undertaking the inspirator's favorite activities together.

Vermande and Sterck notice strong similarities between social behavior in people and primates, but the methodological differences makes it difficult to make good comparisons between the two. Based on this comparative study, the researchers argue that biologists in particular should pay more attention to the way primates combine the different types of social behavior, while psychologists and pedagogues should investigate more thoroughly what the results of this behavior are, especially in children.