Abstract
A 12-year-old female total isolate rhesus monkey was pretested with age mates and subsequently housed for 20 weeks with an infant “therapist” monkey. Daily observations during that period revealed a 24-fold increase in the probability of social behavior. Self-directed behaviors also increased significantly. Disturbance behaviors (self-slapping, self-biting, bizarre limb movements, etc.) remained unchanged. Although problems obviously exist in cross-species generalization, and are here considered, these results emphasize the importance of early therapeutic intervention as well as the need for a more comprehensive approach to both social and disturbance behaviors if the treatment of adults is to be as successful as the treatment of immature isolate subjects.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Clark, D. The effects of social isolation on social behavior: A review of the literature. Unpublished masters thesis, University of Wisconsin, 1966.
Dennis, W.Children of the crèche. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1973.
Gluck, J. P., Harlow, H. F., & Schiltz, K. A. Differential effect of early enrichment and deprivation on learning in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1973,84, 598–604.
Gomber, J., & Mitchell, G. Preliminary report on adult male isolation-reared rhesus monkeys caged with infants.Developmental Psychology, 1974,10, 298.
Harlow, H. F., & Harlow, M. K. The affectional systems. In A. M. Schreier & H. F. Harlow (Eds.),Behavior of nonhuman primates: Modern research trends (Vol. II). New York: Academic Press, 1965.
Harlow, H. F., & Harlow, M. K. Learning to love.American Scientist, 1966,54, 244–272.
Harlow, H. F., & Suomi, S. J. Social recovery by isolation reared monkeys.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 1971,68, 1534–1538.
Lovaas, O. I., & Newson, C. D. Behavior modification with psychotic children. In H. Leitenberg (Ed.),Handbook of behavior modification and behavior therapy, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1976.
Mahler, M. S., Furer, M., & Settlage, C. F. Severe emotional disturbances in childhood: Psychosis. In S. Arieti (Ed.),American handbook of psychiatry. New York: Basic Books, 1959.
Mason, W. A., Davenport, R. K., Jr., & Menzel, W. W., Jr. Early experience and the social development of rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees. In G. Newton & S. Levine (Eds.),Early experience and behavior. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 1968.
Pratt, C. L. The developmental consequences of variations in early social stimulation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 1969.
Rosenblum, L. A., & Kaufman, C. I. Laboratory observations of early mother-infant relations in pigtail and bonnet macaques. In S. A. Altman (Ed.),Social communication among primates. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967.
Sackett, G. P. The persistence of abnormal behavior in monkeys following isolation rearing. In R. Porter (Ed.),Ciba Foundation Symposium on the Role of Learning in Psychotherapy. London: Churchill, 1968.
Sackett, G. P., Holm, R. A., & Ruppenthal, G. C. Social isolation rearing: Species differences in behavior of Macaque monkeys.Developmental Psychology, 1976,12, 283–288.
Suomi, S. J., & Harlow, H. F. Social rehabilitation of isolate reared monkeys.Developmental Psychology, 1972,6, 487–496.
Suomi, S. J., Harlow, H. F., & Novak, M. A. Reversal of social deficits produced by isolation rearing in monkeys.Journal of Human Evolution, 1974,3, 527–534.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The authors are indebted to Harry F. Harlow for his support and cooperation in this research.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Strongin, T.S., Gluck, J.P. & Frank, R.G. Development of social behavior in an adult total isolate rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). J Autism Dev Disord 7, 329–336 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540391
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540391