POSTCONFLICT AFFILIATION AND STRESS-RELATED BEHAVIOR OF LONG-TAILED MACAQUE AGGRESSORS

Previous studies on macaques and baboons showed that after agonistic c onflicts aggressees as well as aggressors show an increase in stress-r elated behavior such as scratching. Reconciliation reduces stress-rela ted behavior of the aggressee. We investigated the influence of variou s affiliative postconflict behaviors of the aggressor on the aggressor 's scratching rates in captive long-tailed macaques: reconciliation, c ontacts with the aggressee's kin (or substitute reconciliation), and c ontact with other group members (or triadic affiliation). After a conf lict the aggressor showed an increase in rates of scratching. Scratchi ng rates were reduced after reconciled conflicts compared to nonreconc iled conflicts. Substitute reconciliation did not reduce scratching wh en we controlled for the influence of reconciliation, i.e., the aggres sor might not interpret it as a substitute for reconciliation. Triadic affiliation did not reduce scratching rates, hence, triadic affiliati on probably does not console the aggressor. Scratching rates after rec onciliation are significantly lower than scratching rates after triadi c affiliation. This proves that the stress-reducing effect of reconcil iation is not due to the calming effect of general body contact but th at the stress reduction is specifically associated with contacts with the former opponent. The contestants are anxious about their relations hip, and only reconciliation takes away this anxiety. Reconciliation i s thus an important social repair strategy.