Previous acoustic analyses suggested emotion-correlated changes in the acoustic structure of squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) vocalizations. Specifically, calls given in aversive contexts were characterized by an upward shift in frequencies, often accompanied by an increase in amplitude. In order to test whether changes in frequencies or amplitude are indeed relevant for conspecific listeners, playback experiments were conducted in which either frequencies or amplitude of mobbing calls were modified. Latency and first orienting response were measured in playback experiments with six adult squirrel monkeys. After broadcasting yaps with increased frequencies or amplitude, squirrel monkeys showed a longer orienting response towards the speaker than after the corresponding control stimuli. Furthermore, after broadcasting yaps with decreased frequencies or amplitude, squirrel monkeys showed a shorter orienting response towards the speaker than after the corresponding manipulated calls with higher frequencies or amplitude. These results suggest that changes in frequencies or amplitude were perceived by squirrel monkeys, indicating that the relationship between call structure and the underlying affective state of the caller agreed with the listener’s assessment of the calls. However, a simultaneous increase in frequencies and amplitude did not lead to an enhanced response, compared to each single parameter. Thus, from the receiver’s perspective, both call parameters may mutually replace each other.
REFERENCES
1.
Bachorowski
, J-A.
(1999
). “Vocal expression and perception of emotion”
, Current Directions in Psychological Science
8
, 53
–57
.2.
Banse
R.
and Scherer
K. R.
(1996
). “Acoustic profiles in vocal emotion expression”
, J. Pers. Soc. Psychol.
70
, 614
–636
3.
Beeman, K. (1996). SIGNAL Operation Manual (Engineering Design, Belmont).
4.
Blumstein
, D. T.
, and Armitage
, K. B.
(1997
). “Alarm calling in yellow-bellied marmots: I: The meaning of situationally variable alarm calls
,” Anim. Behav.
53
, 143
–171
.5.
Darwin, C. (1872). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (Muray, London).
6.
Fichtel, C., and Hammerschmidt, K. (2002). “Responses of redfronted lemurs (Eulemur fulvus rufus) to experimentally modified alarm calls: evidence for urgency-based changes in call structure,” Ethology 108, 763–777.
7.
Fichtel
, C.
, Hammerschmidt
, K.
, and Jürgens
, J.
(2001
). “On the vocal expression of emotion. A multi-parametric analysis of different states of aversion in the Squirrel monkey
,” Behaviour
138
, 97
–116
.8.
Fichtel
, C.
, and Kappeler
, P. M.
(2002
). “Anti-predator behavior of group-living Malagasy primates: mixed evidence for a referential alarm call system
,” Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.
51
, 262
–275
.9.
Fischer
, J.
, Hammerschmidt
, K.
, and Todt
, D.
(1995
). “Factors affecting acoustic variation in Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) disturbance calls
,” Ethology
101
, 51
–66
.10.
Fischer
, J.
, Hammerschmidt
K.
, Cheney
D. L.
, and Seyfarth
R. M.
(2001a
). “Acoustic structure of female chacma baboons
,” Ethology
107
, 33
–54
.11.
Fischer
J.
, Metz
M.
, Cheney
D. L.
, and Seyfarth
R. M.
(2001b
). “Categorical responses of Chacma baboons to graded bark variants?”
, Anim. Behav.
61
, 925
–931
.12.
Hammerschmidt, K. (1990). “Individuelle Lautmuster bei Berberaffen (Macaca sylvanus): Ein Ansatz zum Verständnis ihrer vokalen Kommunikation,” PhD Thesis, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin.
13.
Hammerschmidt
, K.
, and Jürgens
, U.
(2000
). “Amplitude correlated changes in the vocalization of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus),
” Folia Primatol
71
, 195
–196
.14.
Hammerschmidt, K., and Mundry, R. (2000). “Amplitude correlated changes in the vocalization of squirrel monkeys and humans,” 17 ETHOLOGENTREFFEN, Utrecht.
15.
Herzog
, M.
, and Hopf
, S.
(1983
). “Effects of species-specific vocalisation in the behaviour of surrogate-reared squirrel monkeys
,” Behaviour
86
, 197
–214
.16.
Jürgens
, U.
(1979
). “Vocalization as an emotional indicator. A neuroethological study in the Squirrel monkey
,” Behaviour
69
, 88
–117
.17.
Kroodsma
, D.
(1989
). “Suggested experimental designs for song playbacks
,” Anim. Behav.
37
, 600
–609
.18.
Macedonia
, J. M.
(1990
). “What is communicated in the antipredator calls of lemurs: evidence from playback experiments with ringtailed and ruffed lemurs
,” Ethology
86
, 177
–190
.19.
Manser
, M. B.
(2001
). “The acoustic structure of alarm calls in suricates varies with predator type and level of response urgency
,” Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B
268
, 2315
–2324
.20.
Marler, P. (1977). “Primate vocalizations: affective or symbolic?” in Progress in Ape Research, edited by G. H. Bourne (Academic, New York), pp. 85–96.
21.
Marler, P. (1992). “Functions of arousal and emotion in primate communication: a semiotic approach,” in Topics in Primatology: Volume 1: Human Origins, edited by T. Nishida, W. S. McGrew, P. Marler, M. Pichford, and J. M. Macedonia (Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo), pp. 225–233.
22.
Morton
, E. S.
(1977
). “On the occurrence and significance of motivation-structural rules in some bird and mammal sounds
,” Am. Nat.
111
, 855
–869
.23.
Owings, D. H., and Morton, E. S. (1998). Animal Vocal Communication: A New Approach (Cambridge U. P., Cambridge).
24.
Owren
, M. J.
, and Rendall
, D.
(2001
). “Sound on the rebound: Bringing form and function back to the forefront in understanding nonhuman primate vocal signaling
,” Evol. Anthr.
10
, 58
–71
.25.
Scheiner
E.
, Hammerschmidt
K.
, Jürgens
U.
, and Zwirner
P.
(2002
). “Acoustic analysis of developmental changes and emotional expression in the preverbal vocalizations of infants”
, J. Voice
16
, 509
–529
.26.
Schrader
, L.
, and Todt
, D.
(1993
). “Contact call parameters covary with social context in common marmosets, Callithrix j. jacchus
,” Anim. Behav.
46
, 1026
–1028
.27.
Schrader
, L.
, and Todt
, D.
(1998
). “Vocal quality is correlated with levels of stress hormones in domestic pigs
,” Ethology
104
, 859
–876
.28.
Seyfarth
, R.
, Cheney
, D. L.
, and Marler
, P.
(1980
). “Vervet monkey alarm calls: semantic communication in a free-ranging primate
,” Anim. Behav.
28
, 1070
–1094
.29.
Smith, W. J. (1977). The Behavior of Communicating: An Ethological Approach (Havard U. P., Cambridge, MA).
30.
Taylor
, A. A.
, and Weary
, D. M.
(2000
). “Vocal responses of piglets to castration: identifying procedural sources of pain
,” Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
70
, 17
–26
.31.
Weary
, D. M.
, and Fraser
, D.
(1995
). “Calling by domestic piglets: reliable signals of need?
” Anim. Behav.
50
, 1047
–1055
.32.
Weary
, D. M.
, and Kramer
, D. L.
(1995
). “Response of eastern chipmunks to conspecific alarm calls
,” Anim. Behav.
49
, 81
–93
.33.
Weary
, D. M.
, Braithwaite
, L. A.
, and Fraser
, D.
(1998
). “Vocal response to pain in piglets
,” Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
56
, 161
–172
.34.
Weary
, D. M.
, Ross
, S.
, and Fraser
, D.
(1997
). “Vocalizations by isolated piglets: a reliable indicator of piglet need directed towards the sow
,” Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
53
, 249
–257
.35.
Watts
, J. M.
, and Stookey
, J. M.
(1999
). “Effects of restraint and branding on rates and acoustic parameters of vocalization in beef cattle
,” Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
62
, 125
–135
.36.
Wiley
, R. H.
, and Richards
, D. G.
(1978
). “Physical constraints on acoustic communication in the atmosphere: implications for the evolution of animal vocalization
,” Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.
3
, 69
–94
.37.
Winter
, P.
, Ploog
, D.
, and Latta
, J.
(1966
). “Vocal repertoire of the squirrel monkey, its analysis and significance
,” Exp. Brain Res.
1
, 359
–384
.38.
Zuberbühler
, K.
(1999
). “Conceptual semantics in a nonhuman primate
,” J. Comp. Psychol.
113
, 33
–42
.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2003 Acoustical Society of America.
2003
Acoustical Society of America
You do not currently have access to this content.