Different Developmental Outcomes Following Lab Rearing by Biological or Adoptive Mothers: Maternal Influence on Behavioral and Physiological Responses to Separation Stress in Rhesus Macaques (Macacamulatta)

Authors

Andrea Sorenson, Brigham Young University
Dr. James D. Higley, Brigham Young University

Keywords

biological mothers, adoptive mothers, maternal influence, physiological response, separation stress, Rhesus macaques, Macacamulatta

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Initially this project was looking at the effects that multiple short term separations of a mother rhesus macaque from their infant would have on their relationship. More specifically, looking at adoption pairs (an infant raised by a non biological mother) to see if the relationship between the mother and the infant changed differently than the relationship of a mother and their biological infant. The focus of this analysis was looking at the mother/infant pair’s cortisol levels, which are a measure of the body’s physiological response to stress. The hope was to determine whether mother infant pairs with similar cortisol levels, as would be seen in mother/infant pairs biologically related, would respond differently to the separation periods than those with significantly different cortesol levels, as would be seen in adoptive infant pairs. However shortly after analysis began on the data it was determined that there was no significant effect between the separations and the mother/infant pairs relationships, based upon their cortesol levels.

Recommended Citation

Sorenson, Andrea and Higley, Dr. James D. (2013) "Different Developmental Outcomes Following Lab Rearing by Biological or Adoptive Mothers: Maternal Influence on Behavioral and Physiological Responses to Separation Stress in Rhesus Macaques (Macacamulatta)," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 514.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/514