Stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides) have a complex social organiza
tion. Each individual in a group has a particular role that differs fr
om others according to sex and age, as well as kinship and status. In
a group context such a role enables them to play a strategic cognitive
game in consecuence, individuals may display differential responses o
r behavioral strategies in the learning processess, particularily if t
hey are exposed to a social context. In this study we observed that th
e exploratory behavior was indicative of a learning process in three g
roups of stumptailed macaques (8, 8 and 10, respectively). These anima
ls are in captivity in outdoor cages in the Departamento de Etologia y
Bioterio, Division de investigaciones en Neurociencias of the Institu
to Mexicano de Psiquiatria. Every sex-age category was represented in
each group. During one hour per day, and for three days, we exposed ea
ch group to a little cage: the novel stimulus. Sessions were recorded
in a videotape and analyzed later, taking into account the following b
ehaviors: approach, contact and contact latency with the cage, entranc
e and average time of staying in side. We found that adult males initi
ate the exploratory activity; infants tend to remain more time interac
ting with tha stimulus; and adult females apper to be less afraid to e
nter the novel object. The habilities requiered in exploratory process
ess, like memory and atention, were discused, and the relation with th
e ontogeny of the exploratory behavior, that is, infants play to aquir
e important experience for their futures social roles is explained.