Positive reinforcement training and physiological responses in chimpanzees (2006)

Lambeth, S. P., Hau, J., Perlman, J. E. et al.

Abstract

A subset of variables potentially indicative of acute stress were analyzed to determine if the method of adminstration of anesthetic (voluntary present for injection compared with nonvoluntary injection) and/or the method of obtaining the blood sample (voluntary compared with anesthesized) affected these physiogical parameters. Those subjects that voluntarily presented for an anesthetic injection and/or venipuncture differed significantly on many of these parameters from those subjects that were nonvonluntarily anesthetized by more traditional means or whose blood was obtained following anesthesia. This data set objectively demonstrates that positive reinforcement training for behaviors relevant to the blood sampling process significantly affects some of the physiological measures correlated with stress responses in captive chimpanzees.