Doctoral Dissertation Research: Examining the long-term impact of early exposure to violence in a non-human primate species

George Washington University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Studies in humans have shown that early exposure to violence, as a victim or witness, have detrimental health and behavioral effects later in life. The impacts of these experiences in other primate species, however, are not well understood. This doctoral dissertation project uses a holistic and long-term approach to assess the outcomes of early life exposure to violence in a non-human primate species. Results from this study inform: (1) whether the impacts of early life violence exposure are unique to humans or shared with other members of the primate order, and (2) housing and management decisions in captive non-human primate species. This project provides field and data analysis opportunities for students and researchers at different stages of their careers. This study focuses on a non-human primate group for which historic data have shown distinct periods of increased violence. Information from existing long-term data bases will be combined with new data. Data analyzed in this study addresses questions about: (1) development (e.g., age at: weaning, material independence, sexual maturity, and first reproduction); (2) physiology and health (glucorticoids and inflammation levels); (3) behavior; and (4) social standing (e.g., rank and social network analyses). The study provides insights as to whether or not early life social adversity in the form of violence is a uniquely human experience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.