Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
Summer 1999
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Experimental Psychology
First Advisor
Roger S. Fouts
Second Advisor
Susan D. Lonborg
Third Advisor
Mary Lee Jensvold
Abstract
The responses of five captive chimpanzees to 16 familiar and 16 unfamiliar humans were examined. The chimpanzees' responses were recorded and analyzed for directed attention, proximity, levels and recipients of arousal behaviors, latency of response and use of American Sign Language (ASL). With the exceptions of closer proximity associated with familiars and increased ASL use with familiars, results were statistically nonsignificant. This may have been because the unfamiliar humans were instructed to maintain a submissive and noninteractive posture during the trials. Trends within the results indicated that the unique behaviors of the individual human are more important than familiarity alone. It was concluded that zoos and other captive situations should educate their caregivers and visitors to use nonoffensive behavior appropriate to each species in their care.
Recommended Citation
King, Bonita Aline, "The Effect of Familiarity on Social Interactions Between Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and Jumans (Homo sapiens)" (1999). Master of Psychology Theses. 7.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/psytheses/7