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Aggressive and affiliative behavior in green monkeys with differing housing complexity
Author(s) -
Clarke Margaret R.,
Mayeaux Darryl J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/1098-2337(1992)18:3<231::aid-ab2480180306>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - aggression , agonistic behaviour , psychology , developmental psychology , demography , sociology
Eleven green monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops ) were combined into three social groups (two heterosexual, one all‐male) in enclosures with similar volume but different levels of environmental complexity (two or four compartments). Agonistic and affiliative interactions were recorded over a 21‐week period. The two heterosexual groups had their environmental complexity reduced (number of compartments reduced by one‐half and volume/floorspace reduced by one‐third) for a 5‐week period in the middle of the study. Rates of contact aggression were low throughout the study. In the group with complexity reduced to one compartment, rates of noncontact aggression and affiliative behavior increased, and remained high after complexity was restored. In the group reduced to two compartments, rates of affiliative behavior increased but rates of noncontact aggression decreased, trends which continued after complexity was restored. The all‐male group exhibited low rates of affiliative behavior throughout. Two compartments appear to foster successful group formation, but any change in a group's enclosure can have long‐term effects on rates of aggression. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.