A novel methodology for assessing reinforcement choice in primates under human care

Abstract

Positive Reinforcement Training is a technique commonly employed in zoological collections to elicit a desired behaviour from an animal under human care. Typically, a food item is offered as a reward for performing that behaviour. Three non-human primate species (Mandrillus sphinx, Pan troglodytes, and Hylobates lar) were offered four different foods (banana, grape, apple, and sweet potato) in a series of choice experiments. Latent variable models were employed to investigate which foods were the best selection to use as reinforcement items. Results show that food preference varies between the three primate species. Pan troglodytes and H. lar showed strong preferences for grape and banana, whereas M. sphinx showed a very strong preference for sweet potato. This study indicates that foraging ecology might play an important part in fruit selection and preference in primates. The findings highlight that understanding a species' natural behaviour and dietary preferences is key to informing reinforcement and training decisions.