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Monkey Meltdowns: Do Tantrums Influence Maternal Investment in Bearded Capuchin Monkeys?
Mábia B Cera1, Guilbert Araujo1, Helena F Lima2
1Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Developmental Psychobiology
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Infant primate tantrums may not secure more maternal care. Instead, these frustration displays likely signal challenges during the transition to independence, with mothers facilitating this shift by not reinforcing the behavior.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Developmental Psychology
- Primatology
Background:
- Tantrums are common in human development and hypothesized as a strategy for increased maternal investment in behavioral ecology.
- Infant primates sometimes display tantrums when seeking maternal care, but their function remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if infant tantrums influence maternal investment in wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus).
- To analyze the relationship between infant solicitation, maternal rejection, tantrums, and subsequent maternal care.
Main Methods:
- Focal animal sampling was used to analyze 213 hours of footage of 12 infant capuchin monkeys over 18 months.
- Infant solicitation events for nursing and transportation, and maternal rejections were recorded and analyzed.
- The occurrence of infant tantrums following maternal rejection was assessed in relation to infant age and maternal investment.
Main Results:
- Infant solicitation for maternal care decreased significantly with age.
- While infants often displayed tantrums after maternal rejection, these tantrums did not significantly affect the likelihood of receiving care.
- Maternal rejection rates increased significantly with infant age.
Conclusions:
- Infant tantrums in capuchin monkeys do not appear to be an effective strategy for securing additional maternal care.
- Tantrums may represent a developmental challenge during the weaning transition to independence.
- Maternal non-reinforcement of tantrums could facilitate the infant's adjustment to greater independence.
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