Social behaviors are a necessary component of group living and interactions between organisms. To correctly assess social interactions, researchers must be able to observe behaviors and interpret their function based on the behavior or the behavioral context. In primate species, grooming is often used to assess affiliations between group members and the consensus has been to always interpret grooming as an affiliative behavior. However, a number of avian, rodent and feline species have been shown to groom conspecifics aggressively. These instances of aggressive grooming appear most often when individuals are required to maintain close proximity to one another, such as in captivity. Rodents and felines share characteristics with Garnett’s bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii). They are nocturnal, have a strong olfactory sense, and are semi-social. Additionally, Edens (2013), found a significant correlation between displacements and grooming when female O. garnettii were socially housed. If aggressive grooming were found in a primate species, researchers might need to re-assess their current model of behavioral interpretation for social interaction.
","abstract_html":"<p>Social behaviors are a necessary component of group living and interactions between organisms. To correctly assess social interactions, researchers must be able to observe behaviors and interpret their function based on the behavior or the behavioral context. In primate species, grooming is often used to assess affiliations between group members and the consensus has been to always interpret grooming as an affiliative behavior. However, a number of avian, rodent and feline species have been shown to groom conspecifics aggressively. These instances of aggressive grooming appear most often when individuals are required to maintain close proximity to one another, such as in captivity. Rodents and felines share characteristics with Garnett’s bushbaby (<em>Otolemur garnettii</em>). They are nocturnal, have a strong olfactory sense, and are semi-social. Additionally, Edens (2013), found a significant correlation between displacements and grooming when female <em>O. garnettii</em> were socially housed. If aggressive grooming were found in a primate species, researchers might need to re-assess their current model of behavioral interpretation for social interaction.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Christopher, Jennie L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Heidi Lyn","Alen Hajnal","Richard Mohn"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z","subjects":["bushbabies","grooming","primates","agonism","social behavior","Animal Studies","Comparative Psychology","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/289","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Heidi Lyn","Alen Hajnal","Richard Mohn"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Christopher, Jennie L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-11-12T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["bushbabies","grooming","primates","agonism","social behavior","Animal Studies","Comparative Psychology","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/289"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Social behaviors are a necessary component of group living and interactions between organisms. To correctly assess social interactions, researchers must be able to observe behaviors and interpret their function based on the behavior or the behavioral context. In primate species, grooming is often used to assess affiliations between group members and the consensus has been to always interpret grooming as an affiliative behavior. However, a number of avian, rodent and feline species have been shown to groom conspecifics aggressively. These instances of aggressive grooming appear most often when individuals are required to maintain close proximity to one another, such as in captivity. Rodents and felines share characteristics with Garnett’s bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii). They are nocturnal, have a strong olfactory sense, and are semi-social. Additionally, Edens (2013), found a significant correlation between displacements and grooming when female O. garnettii were socially housed. If aggressive grooming were found in a primate species, researchers might need to re-assess their current model of behavioral interpretation for social interaction.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Grooming as an Agonistic Behavior in Garnett’s Small-Eared Bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Heidi Lyn","Alen Hajnal","Richard Mohn"],"dc:creator":["Christopher, Jennie L."],"dc:date.available":["2017-11-12T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Social behaviors are a necessary component of group living and interactions between organisms. To correctly assess social interactions, researchers must be able to observe behaviors and interpret their function based on the behavior or the behavioral context. In primate species, grooming is often used to assess affiliations between group members and the consensus has been to always interpret grooming as an affiliative behavior. However, a number of avian, rodent and feline species have been shown to groom conspecifics aggressively. These instances of aggressive grooming appear most often when individuals are required to maintain close proximity to one another, such as in captivity. Rodents and felines share characteristics with Garnett’s bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii). They are nocturnal, have a strong olfactory sense, and are semi-social. Additionally, Edens (2013), found a significant correlation between displacements and grooming when female O. garnettii were socially housed. If aggressive grooming were found in a primate species, researchers might need to re-assess their current model of behavioral interpretation for social interaction.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/289"],"dc:subject":["bushbabies","grooming","primates","agonism","social behavior","Animal Studies","Comparative Psychology","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Social Psychology"],"dc:title":["Grooming as an Agonistic Behavior in Garnett’s Small-Eared Bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii)"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z"}