Positive Reinforcement Training in Squirrel Monkeys Using Clicker Training
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19389503 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Timothy E Gillis (Harvard University), Amy C Janes (0000-0002-3749-5006), Marc J Kaufman (0000-0002-4383-1264, McLean Imaging Center McLean Hospital Harvard Medical School Belmont Massachusetts, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 712-720 |
| Publication date | 2012-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Primatology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0275-2565 • E-ISSN: 1098-2345 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajp.22015 |
| PMID | 22553135 |
| PMCID | PMC3412074 |
| OpenAlex | W1580861280 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 22 |
Nonhuman primates in research environments experience regular stressors that have the potential to alter physiology and brain function, which in turn can confound some types of research studies. Operant conditioning techniques such as positive reinforcement training ( PRT ), which teaches animals to voluntarily perform desired behaviors, can be applied to improve behavior and reactivity. PRT has been used to train rhesus macaques, marmosets, and several other nonhuman primate species. To our knowledge, the method has yet to be used to train squirrel monkeys to perform complex tasks. Accordingly, we sought to establish whether PRT , utilizing a hand‐box clicker (which emits a click sound that acts as the conditioned reinforcer), could be used to train adult male squirrel monkeys ( S aimiri boliviensis , N = 14). We developed and implemented a training regimen to elicit voluntary participation in routine husbandry, animal transport, and injection procedures. Our secondary goal was to quantify the training time needed to achieve positive results. Squirrel monkeys readily learned the connection between the conditioned reinforcer (the clicker) and the positive reinforcer (food). They rapidly developed proficiency on four tasks of increasing difficulty: target touching, hand sitting, restraint training, and injection training. All subjects mastered target touching behavior within 2 weeks. Ten of 14 subjects (71%) mastered all tasks in 59.2 ± 2.6 days (range: 50–70 days). In trained subjects, it now takes about 1.25 min per monkey to weigh and administer an intramuscular injection, one‐third of the time it took before training. From these data, we conclude that clicker box PRT can be successfully learned by a majority of squirrel monkeys within 2 months and that trained subjects can be managed more efficiently. These findings warrant future studies to determine whether PRT may be useful in reducing stress‐induced experimental confounds in studies involving squirrel monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 74:712–720, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Animal behavior · Biology · Clicker · Geography · Mathematics education · Reinforcement · Squirrel monkey · Zoology · Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies · Neuroscience · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Citations per year | 0.29 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |