A field study of emotions, dominance, and social behavior in a group of baboons (Papio anubis)

Abstract

This study involved the testing of a new rating instrument designed to measure emotional behavior, and the examination of the correlations between dominance and certain classes of emotional behavior. The sample population was a troop of 7 olive baboons. The rating scale was found to be very effective. Wide individual differences in scores on the 8 dimensions of the scale were detected. Also, there was high interjudge reliability indicating that independent observers can agree on the temperamental characteristics of primates. “Mean time being groomed,” a duration/frequency ratio, more fully reflects the dominance relationship between two animals than any other single index. “Mean time being groomed” was found to correlate significantly with the dimensionsprotection, deprivation, rejection anddestruction. More dominant animals showed less sociability and more aggression than the submissive animals, who showed a great deal of both sociability and fearfulness.