Nursery Paradigm Enhances Motor Engagement of a Novel Environment by Infants of Mothers Who Had a Demanding Task

Abstract

Two groups of bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) mother-infant dyads were exposed to 12 wk. of a variable foraging demand paradigm for the mothers beginning when the infants were approximately 18 weeks of age. For the nursery group, infants were required to remain in a nursery within the mothers' living area during the entire treatment period. Testing of the dyads of both groups in a novel room subsequent to the differential rearing experience showed that only the infants required to remain within the nursery exhibited an increase in motor engagement of the novel environment over the first hour of exposure, possibly reflecting greater security of attachment in these nursery infants.