Self-injurious behavior and response to human interaction as enrichment in rhesus macaques (2003)

Baker, K. C., Bloomsmith, M., Griffis, C. et al.

Abstract

This study evaluated several levels and styles of interaction provided as environmental enrichment to eleven singly-housed adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) of both sexes. ... An analysis of all subjects found behavioral changes associated only with training, involving increases in affiliative vocalizations. However, when subjects displaying self-injurious behavior (SIB) were analyzed separately, responses to additional [positive] interaction [with caregivers] were found to vary from those of monkeys not displaying this abnormal behavior. For SIB subjects, experimental phases were associated with increased use of enrichment items (one min. extra interaction) and reductions in motor stereotypies (training) and atypically high levels of self-grooming (both quantities of interaction).