Reflections on a Behavioral Research Laboratory for Platyrrhine Primates (Platyrrhini): Lessons from the Experimental Primate School

Abstract

This text describes the context of a research program in a laboratory dedicated to the experimental study of the learning potential of stimulus relations in primates (Sapajus spp., Platyrrihni), currently with 23 individuals that were adopted after being raised by humans or were born at EEP, aiming to answer scientific questions and to develop relevant and innovative technology devoted to the understanding and solution of behavioral problems. Aspects of the history of the laboratory are presented, with an integrative view with emphasis on the “a posteriori” evaluation of the studies and the interpretation of their justifications and contributions. The studies are contextualized and briefly described, with emphasis on the justification of the principles applied to the experimental design, the methodology used, the analysis of the results and their contribution to translate the knowledge generated in behavioral research with humans to the study in primates, and vice versa. Examples of behavioral engineering are presented aiming to explore the discrimination of stimuli and the pre-symbolic potential of the capuchin monkey in choice situations.