Effects of two types and two genre of music on social behavior in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Is music just noise, and thus potentially harmful to laboratory animals, or can it have a beneficial effect? Research addressing this question has generated mixed results, perhaps because of the different types and styles of music used across various studies. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of 2 different types (vocal versus instrumental) and 2 genres (classical vocal versus 'easy-listening' vocal) of music on social behavior in 31 female and 26 male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Results indicated that instrumental music was more effective at increasing affiliative behavior in both male and female chimpanzees, whereas vocal music was more effective at decreasing agonistic behavior. A comparison of 2 genre of vocal music indicated that easy-listening (slower tempo) vocal music was more effective at decreasing agonistic behavior in male chimpanzees than classical (faster tempo) vocal music. Agonistic behavior in females remained low (<0.5%) throughout the study and was unaffected by music. These results indicate that, like humans, captive chimpanzees react differently to various types and genres of music. The reactions varied depending on both the sex of the subject and the type of social behavior examined. Management programs should consider both type and genre when implementing a musical enrichment program for nonhuman primates.

[1]  Rollin McCraty,et al.  MUSIC ENHANCES THE EFFECT OF POSITIVE EMOTIONAL STATES ON SALIVARYIgA , 1996 .

[2]  N. Rickard,et al.  Relaxing music prevents stress-induced increases in subjective anxiety, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate in healthy males and females. , 2001, Journal of music therapy.

[3]  Deborah L. Wells,et al.  The Influence of Auditory Stimulation on the Behaviour of Dogs Housed in a Rescue Shelter , 2002, Animal Welfare.

[4]  H. B. Lammers,et al.  An Oceanside Field Experiment on Background Music Effects on the Restaurant Tab , 2003, Perceptual and motor skills.

[5]  H. Crawford,et al.  Effects of vocal and instrumental music on visuospatial and verbal performance as moderated by studying preference and personality , 1994 .

[6]  A. Morton,et al.  Methamphetamine toxicity in mice is potentiated by exposure to loud music , 2001, Neuroreport.

[7]  D. Sutoo,et al.  Music improves dopaminergic neurotransmission: demonstration based on the effect of music on blood pressure regulation , 2004, Brain Research.

[8]  M. Christie.  Music Therapy Applications in a Skilled and Intermediate Care Nursing Home Facility , 1992 .

[9]  N. Schneiderman,et al.  Social Environment Influences the Progression of Atherosclerosis in the Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbit , 2002, Circulation.

[10]  A. Devries,et al.  Social structure influences effects of pair-housing on wound healing , 2005, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

[11]  A. Moursi,et al.  The effect of music distraction on pain, anxiety and behavior in pediatric dental patients. , 2002, Pediatric dentistry.

[12]  M. Bloomsmith,et al.  Effects of human activity on chimpanzee wounding , 1997 .

[13]  Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith,et al.  Control and Complexity in Novel Object Enrichment , 1997, Animal Welfare.

[14]  L. Brent,et al.  The physiological and behavioral effects of radio music on singly housed baboons , 1996, Journal of medical primatology.

[15]  M. Schwandt,et al.  A Stereo Music System as Environmental Enrichment for Captive Chimpanzees , 2003, Lab Animal.

[16]  P. Mañá,et al.  Music, immunity and cancer. , 2002, Life sciences.

[17]  A. Furnham,et al.  The distracting effects of vocal and instrumental music on the cognitive test performance of introverts and extraverts , 1999 .

[18]  K. Houpt,et al.  A preliminary study of the effect of music on equine behavior , 2000 .

[19]  Francis C. Biley,et al.  The effects on patient well-being of music listening as a nursing intervention: a review of the literature , 2000 .

[20]  P. Honess,et al.  Enrichment and aggression in primates , 2006, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

[21]  Leah K. Rosling,et al.  Music and Drawing with Institutionalized Elderly , 1993 .

[22]  Martin Reite,et al.  On the physiology of grooming in a pigtail macaque , 1989, Physiology & Behavior.

[23]  J. Daun,et al.  The effects of noise stress on leukocyte function in rats. , 1992, Research in nursing & health.

[24]  J. M. Davila,et al.  Relaxing effects of music in dentistry for mentally handicapped patients. , 1986, Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry.

[25]  S. Line,et al.  Effects of cage size and environmental enrichment on behavioral and physiological responses of rhesus macaques to the stress of daily events. , 1991 .

[26]  L. Morris,et al.  Effects of Stimulative and Sedative Music on Cognitive and Emotional Components of Anxiety , 1976, Psychological reports.

[27]  Makoto Iwanaga,et al.  Disturbance Effect of Music on Processing of Verbal and Spatial Memories , 2002, Perceptual and motor skills.

[28]  F. D. de Waal,et al.  Injury risks among chimpanzees in three housing conditions , 2000, American journal of primatology.

[29]  H. McClure,et al.  Group formation of female pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) , 1996, American journal of primatology.

[30]  R. E. Milliman,et al.  The Influence of Background Music on the Behavior of Restaurant Patrons , 1986 .

[31]  M. Bloomsmith,et al.  Behavioral management of chimpanzees in biomedical research facilities: the state of the science. , 2005, ILAR journal.

[32]  Shu-Chuan Chang,et al.  Randomized controlled trial of music during kangaroo care on maternal state anxiety and preterm infants' responses. , 2006, International journal of nursing studies.

[33]  S. Schapiro.  Effects of social manipulations and environmental enrichment on behavior and cell-mediated immune responses in rhesus macaques , 2002, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.