TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive reinforcement training as a technique to alter nonhuman primate behavior
T2 - Quantitative assessments of effectiveness
AU - Schapiro, Steven J.
AU - Bloomsmith, Mollie A.
AU - Laule, Gail E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial support for parts of the projects came from NIH/NCRR Grants U42–RR05080 and U42–RR03589 to M. E. Keeling, R01–RR05092 and R01–RR03578 to M. A. Bloomsmith, and from the Biomedical Resources Foundation to S. J. Schapiro. Expert observational, training, and technical support for this work was provided by Jaine Perlman, Susan Lambeth, Debra Machamer, Adam Stone, Bob Thurston, Steve Ross, and Brock Boudreau. The positive reinforcement training program was devised in collaboration with M. E. Keeling. Thanks to the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center primate and chimpanzee sections’ veterinary and caregiving staffs for maintaining the animals in exceptional condition. Animals were maintained in facilities approved by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International and in accordance with current United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, and National Institutes of Health regulations and standards. All experimental protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center or the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University. Thanks to H. M. Buchanan-Smith and M. J. Prescott for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Many suggest that operant conditioning techniques can be applied successfully to improve the behavioral management of nonhuman primates in research settings. However, relatively little empirical data exist to support this claim. This article is a review of several studies that discussed applied positive reinforcement training techniques (PRT) on breeding/research colonies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and measured their effectiveness. Empirical analyses quantified the amount of time required to train rhesus monkeys to come up, station, target, and stay. Additionally, a study found that time spent affiliating by female rhesus was changed as a function of training low affiliators to affiliate more and high affiliators to affiliate less. Another study successfully trained chimpanzees to feed without fighting and to come inside on command. PRT is an important behavioral management tool that can improve the care and welfare of primates in captivity. Published empirical findings are essential for managers to assess objectively the utility of positive reinforcement training techniques in enhancing captive management and research procedures.
AB - Many suggest that operant conditioning techniques can be applied successfully to improve the behavioral management of nonhuman primates in research settings. However, relatively little empirical data exist to support this claim. This article is a review of several studies that discussed applied positive reinforcement training techniques (PRT) on breeding/research colonies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and measured their effectiveness. Empirical analyses quantified the amount of time required to train rhesus monkeys to come up, station, target, and stay. Additionally, a study found that time spent affiliating by female rhesus was changed as a function of training low affiliators to affiliate more and high affiliators to affiliate less. Another study successfully trained chimpanzees to feed without fighting and to come inside on command. PRT is an important behavioral management tool that can improve the care and welfare of primates in captivity. Published empirical findings are essential for managers to assess objectively the utility of positive reinforcement training techniques in enhancing captive management and research procedures.
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U2 - 10.1207/S15327604JAWS0603_03
DO - 10.1207/S15327604JAWS0603_03
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14612266
AN - SCOPUS:1542572878
SN - 1088-8705
VL - 6
SP - 175
EP - 187
JO - Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science
JF - Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science
IS - 3
ER -