Responses to novel social stimuli in callitrichid monkeys: a comparative perspective

Abstract

Among the unfamiliar stimuli that primates confront during the course of their lifetime, social stimuli are arguably the most critical. The potential for novelty inherent in social interactions is extensive when one considers the myriad of ways in which social partners may interact. An encounter with an unfamiliar conspecific involves unpredictability and novelty due to a lack of information regarding the behaviour of a new social partner. Moreover, novelty in a social context is not limited to interactions between unfamiliar individuals; it can be generated in an interaction between two well-acquainted individuals simply by modifying the sequences of behavioural elements in a social exchange. A behavioural pattern of low probability inserted into a well-established behavioural sequence can alter the nature and outcome of even the most familiar social interactions. For instance, play behaviour in primates is characterized by such behavioural flexibility, and some consider behavioural novelty to be the critical feature of primate play (Baldwin, 1986).