Responses to animal stimulus photographs in stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides)

Demaria, Cristina; Thierry, Bernard

doi:10.1007/bf02381125

Cited by 38 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Viewing time is often used as a measure of interest in both nonhuman primates and human infants [16, 17]. As in previous studies [9], viewing time and choice preferences in our data were not strictly correlated, suggesting these two metrics index distinct processes.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 49%

Social Signals in Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex

2012

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Summary Primate evolution produced an increased capacity to respond flexibly to varying social contexts as well as expansion of the prefrontal cortex [1, 2]. Despite this association, how prefrontal neurons respond to social information remains virtually unknown. People with damage to orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) struggle to recognize facial expressions [3, 4], make poor social judgments [5] [6], and frequently make social faux pas [7, 8]. Here we test explicitly whether neurons in primate OFC signal social information and, if so, how such signals compare with responses to primary fluid rewards. We find OFC neurons distinguish images that belong to socially-defined categories, such as female perinea and faces, as well as the social dominance of those faces. These modulations signaled both how much monkeys valued these pictures and their interest in continuing to view them. Far more neurons signaled social category than signaled fluid value, despite the stronger impact of fluid rewards on monkeys’ choices. These findings indicate that OFC represents both the motivational value and attentional priority of other individuals, thus contributing to both the acquisition of information about others and subsequent social decisions. Our results betray a fundamental disconnect between preferences expressed through overt choice, which were primarily driven by the desire for more fluid, and preferential neuronal processing, which favored social computations.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 49%

Social Signals in Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex

2012

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“…There is also evidence that viewing preferences are linked to stimulus attractiveness in nonhuman primates. Demaria and Thierry (1988) found that female stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides) preferred images of conspecific females holding infants vs. those without, presumably as infants are attractive to females. Studies examining specific discrimination among macaques report that individuals prefer viewing images of their own vs. novel macaque species (Fujita and Wantanabe, 1995), and it may be the case that heterospecifics are less attractive than conspecifics (Pascalis et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preferences for Symmetry in Conspecific Facial Shape Among Macaca mulatta

Waitt

Little

2006

Int J Primatol

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In human males and females, bilateral symmetry of facial shape influences assessments of attractiveness. It is possible, however, that other primate species also possess preferences for conspecific facial symmetry. To assess this experimentally, we presented 13 adult rhesus macaques (8 females, 5 males) with computer-manipulated images of symmetrical and asymmetrical versions of opposite-sexed conspecific faces. We utilized looking behavior to assess visual preferences for these factors. We found significant preferences for symmetry, raising the possibility that human preferences for facial symmetry are more deeply rooted in our evolutionary history than previously realized. Our results also have implications for the use of facial shape as a mechanism for attractiveness appraisals across the Primates.

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“…They can also recognize themselves in videos (Anderson et al. ), differentiate between species (Fujita ; Demaria & Thierry ; Dufour et al. ; Méary et al.…”

Section: The History and Implementation Of Looking Time Paradigmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives: The Looking Time Experimental Paradigm in Studies of Animal Visual Perception and Cognition

2015

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Experiments are the foundation of empirical science, and experimental paradigms that are broadly applicable across settings and species are particularly useful for comparative research. Originally developed to address questions related to perception and cognition of pre-verbal human infants, the looking time experimental paradigm has been increasingly used to study animal behavior and cognition, particularly in non-human primates. Looking time experiments are based on the assumption that animals direct eye gaze toward objects or scenes based on their degree of interest, and use looking behavior to infer perceptual or cognitive characteristics of subjects. This paradigm can be used in a variety of contexts and is not based on species-typical behaviors, allowing for intra-and interspecific comparisons. Here, we describe the history of use of looking time measures, provide an overview of the problems and controversies related to this method, and offer recommendations on how to implement looking time tasks, focusing on the preparation of stimuli, experimental procedures, and data analysis. Our overview focuses on non-human primates, where most work has been carried out, but the issues discussed should be applicable to a wide range of species. We conclude that despite pertinent criticism, looking time tasks are practical when executed and interpreted properly. The further implementation of these methods in studies of animal behavior and cognition is likely to be fruitful.

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Responses to animal stimulus photographs in stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides)

Cited by 38 publications

References 23 publications

Social Signals in Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex

Social Signals in Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex

Preferences for Symmetry in Conspecific Facial Shape Among Macaca mulatta

Perspectives: The Looking Time Experimental Paradigm in Studies of Animal Visual Perception and Cognition

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