Premium
Compensatory social responses of older pigtailed monkeys to maternal separation
Author(s) -
Bernstein Irwin S.,
Dobrofsky Miriam
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420140210
Subject(s) - offspring , juvenile , sniffing , psychology , developmental psychology , physiology , social contact , demography , medicine , biology , pregnancy , neuroscience , ecology , genetics , sociology
Thirteen 3‐ to 5‐year‐old pigtailed monkeys were subjected to five 2‐hr maternal separations while remaining in their normal social group. Significant changes in avctivity profiles were noted during separation and reunion phases. This suggests the continued social dependence of older offspring upon the matriarch. The shift in social activities reflected attempts by the juvenile and adolescent subjects to compensate for maternal absence by intensification of other affiliative social behavior and avoidannce of potentially socially disruptive situation. The subjects oriented more towards kin in the absence of the matriarch, but actual time with kin decreased. Upon the return of the matriarch, they intensified some responses depressed during her absence and returned to preseparation social relationships. Play and aggressive responses declined whereas social approaches increased during maternal absences. Submissive responses declined upon the return of the matriarch, and play increased. The subjects also showed a marked, temporary increase of direct interaction, largely sniffing and grooming, with the matriarch upon her return.