Human-directed contra-aggression training using positive reinforcement with single and multiple trainers for indoor-housed rhesus macaques

Minier, Darren E.; Tatum, Lindsay; Gottlieb, Daniel; Cameron, Ashley; Snarr, Jessica; Elliot, Richard D.; Cook, Ashleigh; Elliot, Kami; Banta, Kimberly; Heagerty, Allison; McCowan, Brenda

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2011.04.009

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Past research has shown that rhesus who perceive daily cleaning and health checks as aversive are unable to habituate, despite repeated exposure (Line et al, 1991). The degree to which these events are perceived as aversive can depend on factors such as an animal's ability to control the event, the quality of the human-animal relationship between the animal and caretaker, the presence of a social partner, and the predictability of the event (Bassett and Buchanan-Smith, 2007; Gilbert and Baker, 2011; Kikusui et al, 2006; Minier et al, 2011; Rennie and Buchanan-Smith, 2006). In addition to these aversive events, feeding events can also be a source of stress to some individuals (Waitt and Buchanan-Smith, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Gottlieb

Coleman

McCowan

2013

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed indoors experience many routine husbandry activities on a daily basis. The anticipation of these events can lead to stress, regardless of whether the events themselves are positive or aversive in nature. The specific goal of this study was to identify whether increasing the predictability of husbandry events could decrease stress and anxiety in captive rhesus macaques. This study was conducted on 39 single-housed subjects in four indoor rooms at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Temporal and signaled predictability were added to four daily husbandry events: morning and afternoon feeding, enrichment distribution, and room cleaning. Temporally predictable husbandry events occurred reliably at the same time daily, while signaled predictable husbandry events were preceded by a distinct event-specific signal in the form of a doorbell. Informal tests prior to study onset found the doorbells not to be aversive to the subjects. Subjects received each of four treatments: unpredictable events, temporally predictable events, signaled predictable events, and temporally and signaled predictable events. Change in stress was evaluated by monitoring changes in motor stereotypies and displacement behaviors. Our results showed that subjects displayed less stress and anticipatory behaviors related to feeding and enrichment events when the events were temporally predictable (P < 0 .0001). When husbandry events were preceded by a reliable signal, subjects vocalized less prior to the event and were less responsive to activity outside of the room (P < 0 .01). However this may have come at a cost as the animals were extremely reactive to the doorbell signals and showed a heightened stress response during the actual husbandry events (P < 0 .01). Similar to temporal predictability alone, when temporal predictability was combined with signaled predictability subjects displayed less stress and anticipatory behaviors related to feeding and enrichment events (P < 0 .0001). In addition, when both forms of predictability were combined subjects showed less stress behaviors while waiting for daily room cleaning (P < 0 .01). When signaled predictability was paired with temporal predictability subjects no longer had the negative response to the doorbell signal, as they were able to predict and anticipate when the events would occur. Because these results are not necessarily applicable to animals that are given control over their environment or housed in a group setting, the management recommendation that can be made from this study is that temporal predictability of feeding reduces stress and anxiety and is thus beneficial to captive indoor single-housed rhesus macaques.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Gottlieb

Coleman

McCowan

2013

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…Researchers have used this paradigm to measure a variety of different behavioral constructs, including anxiety and fear [Bethea et al 2004; Corcoran et al 2011; Davidson et al 1993; Fox et al 2008; Kalin et al 2004; Kalin et al 2001; Williamson et al 2003], behavioral inhibition [Coleman et al 2003; Kalin et al 2007; Rogers et al 2008], emotionality [Izquierdo and Murray 2004; Izquierdo et al 2005], defensive behavior [Kalin and Shelton 1989; Kalin and Shelton 1998; Kalin et al 2007; Kalin et al 2005; Kalin et al 1991a], and aggression [Minier et al 2011]. However there has never been an attempt to evaluate comprehensively the structure of the behavioral responses to a human intruder test, and identify the underlying latent factors affecting the different responses among subjects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kalin and colleagues have occasionally modified this test to exclude the stare condition [Davidson et al 1993; Kalin et al 1998; Rogers et al 2008], and have sometimes extended the profile condition and repeatedly entered and exited the room to prevent habituation to the intruder [Fox et al 2008; Kalin et al 2005; Rogers et al 2008]. Capitanio and colleagues further modified this paradigm and created a four-condition human intruder paradigm [Capitanio 1999; Capitanio et al 2006; Capitanio et al 2011; Golub et al 2009; Karere et al 2009; Kinnally et al 2010; Minier et al 2011; Rommeck et al 2011]. In this version of the human intruder test, the profile and stare conditions are each repeated twice, once with the intruder positioning himself 1 meter from the cage, and once at 0.3 meters from the cage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latent Variables Affecting Behavioral Response to the Human Intruder Test in Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Gottlieb

Capitanio

2012

American J Primatol

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The human intruder test is a testing paradigm designed to measure rhesus macaques’ behavioral responses to a stressful and threatening situation. In the test, an unfamiliar human positions him/herself in various threatening positions relative to a caged macaque. This paradigm has been utilized for over twenty years to measure a variety of behavioral constructs, including fear and anxiety, behavioral inhibition, emotionality, and aggression. To date there have been no attempts to evaluate comprehensively the structure of the behavioral responses to the test. Our first goal was to identify the underlying latent factors affecting the different responses among subjects, and our second goal was determine if rhesus reared in different environments respond differently in this testing paradigm. To accomplish this, we first performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the behavioral responses of 3–4 month-old rhesus macaques, utilizing data from over 2,000 separate tests conducted between 2001–2007. Using the resulting model, we then tested to see whether early rearing experience affected responses in the test. Our first analyses suggested that most of the variation in infant behavioral responses to the human intruder test could be explained by four latent factors: “Activity,” “Emotionality,” “Aggression,” and “Displacement.” Our second analyses revealed a significant effect of rearing condition for each factor score (P < 0.001); most notable socially-reared animals had the lowest Activity score (P < 0.001), indoor mother-reared animals had the highest Displacement score (P < 0.001), and nursery-reared animals had the highest Emotionality (P < 0.001) and lowest Aggression scores (P < 0.001). These results demonstrate that this standardized testing paradigm reveals multiple patterns of response, which are influenced by an animal’s rearing history.

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“…All sessions were conducted by the same person, who had undergone our internal animal trainer education and had an understanding of the theoretical background of training as well as proper training terminology (Table 1). As the same trainer performed all training sessions, this enabled the trainer to build a relationship with the animals in both treatment groups through the establishment of a positive reinforcement history (Minier et al, 2011). The husbandry behaviours, also known as cooperative behaviours (Ramirez, 1999), trained during the 22 afternoon sessions were taking treats from the trainer's hand, touching a target and stationing in the small protruding den-boxes ( Fig.…”

Section: Animals and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training pair-housed Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) using a combination of negative and positive reinforcement

Wergård

Temrin

Forkman

et al. 2015

Behavioural Processes

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Human-directed contra-aggression training using positive reinforcement with single and multiple trainers for indoor-housed rhesus macaques

Cited by 20 publications

References 32 publications

The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Latent Variables Affecting Behavioral Response to the Human Intruder Test in Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Training pair-housed Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) using a combination of negative and positive reinforcement

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