THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFILIATIVE AND AGONISTIC SOCIAL PATTERNS IN DIFFERENTIALLY REARED MONKEYS

Bonnet macaques that had been reared from 3 to 6 months of age in expe rimental environments that appeared to adversely affect their ability to separate from mother to explore a novel physical environment in dya dic assessments shortly after the rearing experience were tested durin g late adolescence, an average of 2.5 years later, under conditions of increasing unfamiliarity and complexity of the social milieu. 6 monke ys, the low-foraging-demand (LFD) group, were reared by mothers having constant easy access to food during the experimental rearing period. Another 6 monkeys, the variable-foraging-demand (VFD) group, were rear ed by mothers having a foraging task that varied between easy and diff icult in 2-week blocks during the experimental rearing period. Althoug h no treatment group differences were evident during the initial reari ng period, during subsequent social challenges VFD monkeys exhibited a diminished capacity for affiliative social engagement relative to LFD monkeys and were socially subordinate to LFD monkeys.