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Separation and depression in infant gorillas

M P Hoff1, R D Nadler, K T Hoff

  • 1Dalton College, Georgia 30720.

Developmental Psychobiology
|November 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
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Infant gorillas experiencing separation showed initial protest, then despair behaviors, followed by recovery during separation. Upon reunion, detachment preceded the re-establishment of mother-infant attachment.

Area of Science:

  • Primatology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Ethology

Background:

  • Separation anxiety is a critical developmental concern in infant primates.
  • Understanding primate responses to separation provides insights into attachment and depression models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the behavioral effects of prolonged maternal separation in infant gorillas.
  • To observe the stages of separation response and recovery in a non-human primate model.

Main Methods:

  • Three 27-month-old infant gorillas were separated from their mothers for 24 weeks.
  • Behavioral observations included social interactions, play, self-holding, and attachment behaviors before, during, and after separation.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Infants initially exhibited protest behaviors (threats, locomotion), followed by despair behaviors (self-holding, fetal posture).
  • Play and object examination decreased during separation, with some recovery noted in later weeks.
  • Post-reunion, infants displayed detachment, increased peer contact, before re-establishing mother-infant attachment.

    • Conclusions:

    • Infant gorillas exhibit distinct stages of separation response analogous to human anaclitic depression.
    • Prolonged separation impacts social and nonsocial behaviors, with a period of detachment observed upon reunion.
    • Gorillas demonstrate resilience and recovery of attachment behaviors following separation, albeit with an initial delay.