# Andrew Whiten

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British zoologist and psychologist

Andrew Whiten FBA FSB FBPsS FRSE Born David Andrew Whiten 1948 (age 77–78) Grimsby, England Known for research in social cognition Title Professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Psychology; Professor Wardlaw Emeritus at University of St Andrews in Scotland Awards 2001 Delwart International Scientific Prize 2007 Rivers Memorial Medal 2007 Osman Hill Medal 2014 Sir James Black Medal 2015 Senior Prize and Medal for Public Engagement Academic background Alma mater University of Sheffield: Zoology University of Bristol: PhD in Psychology Academic work Discipline Psychology Sub-discipline Evolutionary psychology Developmental psychology Institutions University of St Andrews Main interests evolution of social cognition in human and non-human primates Website Andrew Whiten

**David Andrew Whiten**, known as **Andrew Whiten** (born 1948), is a British [zoologist](/source/Zoologist) and psychologist, Professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Psychology, and Professor [Wardlaw](/source/Henry_Wardlaw) [Emeritus](/source/Emeritus) at [University of St Andrews](/source/University_of_St_Andrews) in Scotland.[1][2] He is known for his research in [social cognition](/source/Social_cognition), specifically on [social learning](/source/Social_learning_theory), [tradition](/source/Tradition) and the evolution of [culture](/source/Culture), social [Machiavellian intelligence](/source/Machiavellian_intelligence), [autism](/source/Autism) and [imitation](/source/Imitation), as well as the behavioral ecology of [sociality](/source/Sociality).[3] In 1996, Whiten and his colleagues invented an artificial fruit that allowed them to study learning in apes and humans.[4][5]

## Personal life and education

Whiten was born in 1948 in [Grimsby](/source/Grimsby), [England](/source/England).[6] He graduated with a degree in [zoology](/source/Zoology) from the [University of Sheffield](/source/University_of_Sheffield) and achieved a [PhD](/source/PhD) in [Psychology](/source/Psychology) at the [University of Bristol](/source/University_of_Bristol).[3]

## Career

Whiten started reading and lecturing at the [University of St Andrews](/source/University_of_St_Andrews) in 1970, joined the Department of Psychology in St Andrews in 1975, and became professor of [evolutionary](/source/Evolutionary_psychology) and [developmental psychology](/source/Developmental_psychology) in 1997.[1][3] Whiten was co-founder of the [Scottish Primate Research Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scottish_Primate_Research_Group&action=edit&redlink=1).[3] In 2003, he founded the Centre for Social Learning and Cultural Evolution at the University of St Andrews.[1] He was the founder and first director of the primate research centre Living Links to Human Evolution (short: *Living Links*) that opened 2008 in [Edinburgh Zoo](/source/Edinburgh_Zoo) and draws more than 250,000 visitors per year.[2][7][3]

## Research

Whiten conducted long-term research on cultural evolution in chimpanzees and other primates and is noted for his contributions to this field. He has demonstrated the existence of traditions in primate culture in areas such as foraging, tool use and courtship. He has also shown that it is possible to introduce new traditions, by teaching primates in different groups different methods for getting a treat from a box. The first two chimps taught others, who almost always learned the method used first in their group. In another study, [vervet monkeys](/source/Vervet_monkeys) which had learned to avoid grains of corn of a particular color (flavored by a bitter taste) relearned their color preferences for food once they became part of another group with different preferences.

Such [transmission chain studies](/source/Transmission_chain_studies) have shown cultural learning between individuals in at least 20 different species. The ability to learn from others is particularly important for adaptability under changing conditions such as [climate change](/source/Climate_change).[8]

## Fellowships

Whiten is member of the following [learned societies](/source/Learned_society):[9]

- [British Academy](/source/British_Academy) since 2000

- [British Psychological Society](/source/British_Psychological_Society) since 2000

- [Royal Society of Edinburgh](/source/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh) since 2001

- [Cognitive Science Society](/source/Cognitive_Science_Society) since 2013

He was member of the [Editorial Board](/source/Editorial_Board) of the [Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society](/source/Philosophical_Transactions_of_the_Royal_Society), Biological Sciences, from 2008 to 2013.[10] He additionally chaired the Research Awards Committee of the British Academy from 2011 to 2013.[1][9]

## Awards and honors

Whiten was awarded the Delwart International Scientific Prize by the [Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium](/source/Royal_Academies_for_Science_and_the_Arts_of_Belgium) in 2001,[11] the [Rivers Memorial Medal](/source/Rivers_Memorial_Medal) of the [Royal Anthropological Institute](/source/Royal_Anthropological_Institute_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland) (RAI), and the [Osman Hill](/source/William_Charles_Osman_Hill) Medal of the [Primate Society of Great Britain](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Primate_Society_of_Great_Britain&action=edit&redlink=1) in 2007. He is the first and only scientist who was awarded both, the [Sir James Black](/source/James_Black_(pharmacologist)) Medal (in 2014) and the Senior Prize and Medal for Public Engagement (in 2015) by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[1][12][13][9][14][15]

He was awarded an [honorary doctor](/source/Honorary_doctor) of the [Heriot-Watt University](/source/Heriot-Watt_University) in Edinburgh in 2015, of the [University of Stirling](/source/University_of_Stirling) in 2016, and of the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) in 2016/2017.[12][16][17][18]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BA_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BA_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-BA_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-BA_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-BA_1-4) [Professor Andrew Whiten](https://www.britac.ac.uk/users/professor-andrew-whiten). britac.ac.uk

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-award_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-award_2-1) [*Professor Andrew Whiten has been awarded the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Senior Prize and Medal for Public Engagement*](https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/solace/2015/04/17/professor-andrew-whiten-has-been-awarded-the-royal-society-of-edinburghs-senior-prize-and-medal-for-public-engagement/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170408171458/https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/solace/2015/04/17/professor-andrew-whiten-has-been-awarded-the-royal-society-of-edinburghs-senior-prize-and-medal-for-public-engagement/) 8 April 2017 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). st-andrews.ac.uk, April 17, 2015

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Primate_Eye_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Primate_Eye_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Primate_Eye_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Primate_Eye_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Primate_Eye_3-4) [*Professor Andrew Whiten: Osman Hill Memorial Lecturer, 2010*](http://www.psgb.org/PrimateEyePDF/2010%20Vol%20102.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180507085639/http://www.psgb.org/PrimateEyePDF/2010%20Vol%20102.pdf) 7 May 2018 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). In: Primate Eye. Primate Society of Great Britain. No. 102. October 2010. p. 3-4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** A. Whiten et al.: *Imitative learning of artificial fruit processing in children (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes),* 1996. In: Journal of comparative psychology 110 (1), 3. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1037/0735-7036.110.1.3](https://doi.org/10.1037%2F0735-7036.110.1.3)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Ludwig Huber](/source/Ludwig_Huber_(biologist)): [*Social learning affects object exploration and manipulation in keas, Nestor notabilis*](http://behav.zoology.unibe.ch/sysuif/uploads/files/esh/pdf_online/taborskym/Huber_AnimBeh2001.pdf). In: Animal Behaviour, 2001, 62, 945–954 [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1006/anbe.2001.1822](https://doi.org/10.1006%2Fanbe.2001.1822)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Bruce Gilchrist: *The descendants of Charles Gilchrist and Catherine Robinson: married in Boston, Lincolnshire, 1798*. Gateway Press, 2004

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [*Edinburgh becomes heart of monkey study business*](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/09/science.science). [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian), November 9, 2004

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Vernimmen_8-0)** Vernimmen, Tim (29 July 2022). ["Cultural transmission makes animals flexible, but vulnerable"](https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2022/cultural-transmission-makes-animals-flexible-vulnerable). *Knowable Magazine*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1146/knowable-072822-1](https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fknowable-072822-1). Retrieved 10 August 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-St_Andrews_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-St_Andrews_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-St_Andrews_9-2) ["Andrew Whiten"](https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/andrew-whiten(00983056-5f70-4a76-ad39-5820ce066bf3).html). st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Andrew Whiten](https://royalsociety.org/people/andrew-whiten-10855/) at royalsociety.org

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [News of Members](https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/getfile/2868)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]. In: The Psychologist. Vol 15, No 2. February 2002

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-prizes_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-prizes_12-1) [Andrew Whiten: Prizes](https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/andrew-whiten(00983056-5f70-4a76-ad39-5820ce066bf3)/prizes.html). st-andrews.ac.uk

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Honorary Graduates"](http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/graduations/honorary/future-honorary-grads). ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Award"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170408171458/https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/solace/2015/04/17/professor-andrew-whiten-has-been-awarded-the-royal-society-of-edinburghs-senior-prize-and-medal-for-public-engagement/). st-andrews.ac.uk. Archived from [the original](https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/solace/2015/04/17/professor-andrew-whiten-has-been-awarded-the-royal-society-of-edinburghs-senior-prize-and-medal-for-public-engagement/) on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Andrew Whiten"](https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=Zp5KLo8AAAAJ). Retrieved 7 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Heriot-Watt University Honorary Graduates since 1966](https://www.hw.ac.uk/services/docs/honorary-graduates-1966-present.pdf). hw.ac.uk

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Honorary Graduates of the University of Stirling - Emeritus Professor Andrew Whiten](https://www.stir.ac.uk/events/graduation/honorary-graduates/). stir.ac.uk

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Honorary graduates 2016/17](https://www.ed.ac.uk/about/people/honorary-degrees/2016-17). ed.ac.uk

## Selected works

- Whiten, Andrew (2017). ["Social Learning and Culture in Child and Chimpanzee"](https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-psych-010416-044108). *[Annual Review of Psychology](/source/Annual_Review_of_Psychology)*. **68**: 129–154. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044108](https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-psych-010416-044108). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [28051932](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28051932).

- Whiten, Andrew (2015). ["Experimental studies illuminate the cultural transmission of percussive technologies in Homo and Pan"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4614722). *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences*. **370** (1682) 20140359. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rstb.2014.0359](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2014.0359). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [4614722](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4614722). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [26483537](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26483537).

- Van De Waal, E.; Borgeaud, C.; Whiten, A. (2013). "Potent Social Learning and Conformity Shape a Wild Primate's Foraging Decisions". *Science*. **340** (6131): 483–485. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2013Sci...340..483V](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013Sci...340..483V). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1126/science.1232769](https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1232769). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [23620053](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23620053). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [206546598](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:206546598).

- Whiten, Andrew; Erdal, David (2012). ["The human socio-cognitive niche and its evolutionary origins"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385679). *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences*. **367** (1599): 2119–2129. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rstb.2012.0114](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2012.0114). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3385679](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385679). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [22734055](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22734055).

- Whiten, Andrew; Hinde, Robert A.; Laland, Kevin N.; Stringer, Christopher B. (2011). ["Culture evolves"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3049105). *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences*. **366** (1567): 938–948. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rstb.2010.0372](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2010.0372). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3049105](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3049105). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [21357216](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21357216).

- Whiten, Andrew; Horner, Victoria; De Waal, Frans B. M. (2005). "Conformity to cultural norms of tool use in chimpanzees". *Nature*. **437** (7059): 737–740. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2005Natur.437..737W](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005Natur.437..737W). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/nature04047](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature04047). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [16113685](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16113685). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [4408848](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4408848).

- Whiten, A.; Goodall, J.; McGrew, W. C.; Nishida, T.; Reynolds, V.; Sugiyama, Y.; Tutin, C. E. G.; Wrangham, R. W.; Boesch, C. (1999). "Cultures in chimpanzees". *Nature*. **399** (6737): 682–685. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1999Natur.399..682W](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999Natur.399..682W). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/21415](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F21415). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [10385119](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10385119). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [4385871](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4385871).

- Whiten, Andrew; Custance, Deborah M.; Gomez, Juan-Carlos; Teixidor, Patricia; Bard, Kim A. (1996). "Imitative learning of artificial fruit processing in children (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)". *Journal of Comparative Psychology*. **110** (1): 3–14. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1037/0735-7036.110.1.3](https://doi.org/10.1037%2F0735-7036.110.1.3). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [8851548](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8851548).

- A. Whiten, Richard W. Byrne (ed.): *Machiavellian intelligence. Social expertise and the evolution of intellect in monkeys, apes, and humans*, 1988.

## External links

- [Andrew Whiten](https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/andrew-whiten(00983056-5f70-4a76-ad39-5820ce066bf3).html) at the University of St Andrews

- [Andrew Whiten](https://www.britac.ac.uk/users/professor-andrew-whiten) at the British Academy

- [Andrew Whiten](https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/42618387_Andrew_Whiten) at [ResearchGate](/source/ResearchGate)

- [Andrew Whiten](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2392357/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Andrew Whiten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Whiten) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Whiten?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.