Handedness and approach-avoidance behavior in chimpanzees (Pan).
The relationship between hand preference and approach-avoidance behavior was examined in 49 chimpanzees (Pan). Ss were presented with 2 sets of novel objects on 4 consecutive days. The objects were presented for 2 hr during each session, and latency to touch any object was recorded for each S. Latency scores were then compared for chimpanzees that had been determined to be non-right- or right-handed. Right-handed Ss approached and touched the objects significantly faster than non-right-handed Ss did. In addition, males touched the objects significantly faster than did females. Correlations in approach-avoidance behavior were significant across stimulus sets and days of testing. The overall results support recent theoretical models linking hemispheric specialization with the expression of positive and negative affective behaviors.
Division of Behavioral Biology, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
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Hopkins
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Bennett
D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors