When the stakes are high, the pressure can become too much. Also for monkeys.

You probably remember a time when failure was not an option for you. For example, your final exam, the driving test, or an important presentation at work. Athletes also often experience pressure to perform, especially those who are currently trying to prove themselves at the Winter Olympics. Sometimes that pressure can become too much for you, where you can no longer bear the burden that you have taken on your shoulders. You then ‘succumb’ to the pressure, as it were. Something typically human? No, it is not.

Study

In a new study some tufted capuchin monkeys had to complete a computer game. The rounds were all of medium difficulty. The only difference was that during some rounds there was a higher reward to be won and wrong answers were penalized with a timeout.

A lot at stake

The team makes an interesting discovery. Because some capuchin monkeys were not always able to handle this high pressure. When the stakes were high, some seemed to succumb to the pressure. But not all. “The monkeys differed significantly in whether they performed worse or better during the high-pressure rounds,” the researchers write in their study. Over time, the monkeys got better and better at the game and they knew how to handle the pressure better.

Uniquely Human

What the study shows, however, is that “succumbing to pressure” may not be as uniquely human as thought. “There are many different explanations for why people ‘succumb’ or ‘prosper’ under pressure,” said study leader Meg Sosnowski. “But all of these explanations are considered quintessentially human traits. Our new results now provide the first evidence that other species are also susceptible to pressure.”

Cortisol

The researchers also found that a naturally occurring biomarker of stress, called cortisol (see box), was linked to the monkeys’ performance. When they experienced more stress – and thus the cortisol level was higher – some capuchin monkeys were less successful in completing the high-pressure rounds. According to the researchers, this provides evidence that a person’s prolonged state of stress can be related to his or her cognitive performance.

About cortisol
Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone. That’s because it’s released with any kind of stress, both physical and psychological. The hormone is produced in the adrenal glands in response to an anxiety or stress stimulus. Cortisol performs essential functions in our body, such as regulating metabolism, blood sugar and blood pressure. In addition, it also affects the immune system and cardiovascular functions.

According to Sosnowski, the study changes our perspective on performance pressure. “Our response to pressure may be partly the result of an evolutionary generalized stress response,” Sosnowski suspects. The results suggest that when you fail under pressure on an important assignment, it may not just be due to human factors, but that it is rooted in evolutionary, conserved biological factors.

The study is therefore a prelude to more. “We can now further investigate how pressure has influenced the evolution of cognition,” Sosnowski says. “In addition, it gives us more insight into how we can avoid failing under pressure to perform, both humans and other species.”