Using anxiety to understand primate social relationships

Duncan L. Castles.

University of Tokyo and University of Surrey Roehampton, Japan and UK

Self-directed behaviour (SDB) can be used as a behavioural indicator of stress and anxiety in non-human primates. In a study of wild olive baboons, Papio anubis, post-conflict SDB rate (a combined measure of scratching, self-grooming, self-touching, yawning and body-shaking) increased in both the recipients and the initiators of aggression. Reconciliation reduced SDB rate below baseline levels (Castles & Whiten, 1998a,b). Further to this, the SDB rates of female baboons varied according to the identity of their nearest neighbour. If a female's nearest neighbours was of higher dominance rank SDB rate increase by 40% over SDB rate when the nearest neighbour was a subordinate (Castles et al., 1999). These results reinforce the hypothesis that self-directed behaviour reflects emotional state in primates. Observations of SDB, therefore, offer both a more refined measure of relationship quality and an additional ethological window on primate social cognition.

Castles, D. L., & Whiten, A. (1998). Post-conflict behaviour of wild olive baboons. I. Reconciliation, redirection and consolation. Ethology, 108, 126-147.

Castles, D. L., & Whiten, A. (1998). Post-conflict behaviour of wild olive baboons. II. Stress and self-directed behaviour. Ethology, 108, 148-160.

Castles, D. L., Whiten, A., & Aureli, F. (1999). Social anxiety, relationships, and self-directed behaviour among wild female olive baboons. Animal Behaviour, 58, 1207-1215.

Castles, Duncan L.

Department of Cognitive & Behavioural Science, University of Tokyo

and School of Life Sciences, University of Surrey Roehampton, London

3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

duncan@mochy.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp