University of Stirling

Psychology Department

Stirling

FK9 4LA
Scotland

UK

Budongo Trail is installing video cameras throughout the chimpanzee habitat to catch a glimpse of life as viewed by the great apes themselves. The chimpanzees, if they choose, will learn to use a computer with a touch screen monitor (much like a TV) that will allow them to view all the different areas of their exhibit. This new technology will allow us to ask many questions about their cognitive abilities -- the mental processes that are needed to carry out any task, no matter how simple.

Of particular interest is chimp reaction to the content displayed on the monitor. Do chimps recognize themselves on the screen? Do chimps learn from and use the information available on the monitors?

In the first phase of the study, we are encouraging the chimps to voluntarily enter the research pods. New places can often take a while to get used to, so to help make the chimps comfortable in the new research pods, we are using positive reinforcement techniques to make the visits an enjoyable experience. It's a great way to train new behaviors because, just as it sounds, it links a positive event (food and verbal reward) to a desired behavior (becoming comfortable in a new room).

Since the project is run on a voluntary basis, if the chimps are not interested, they do not have to participate. Stay tuned for more updates over the next two years of the project.

Claire (Senior Keeper) using positive reinforcement to help Liberius (age 9) to become comfortable in a new location, the research pods.

Liberius (age 9) working to get the sweet potato mash out of the bottle.

Cindy (age 44) voluntarily exploring one of the research pods.

Chimps preparing for a scatter feed.

Ricky (age 47) catching as much food as he can during a scatter feed.

Dr. Sarah-Jane Vick

Professor Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

Master of Arts in Psychology - Animal Behavior and Conservation, 2006
•    Thesis: Effects of environmental and demographic changes on the social behavior within a captive troop of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)
•    Committee: Dr. Sheila Chase (Hunter College) and Dr. Colleen McCann (Bronx Zoo)     

Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2003