Effects of trait anxiety on performance of socially housed monkeys in a learning test

Studies of individual cognitive capacities of socially housed monkeys may profit from a better understanding of the factors that influence individual performance in test procedures. Trait anxiety of subjects may be an essential factor affecting their performance in cognitive tests. Yet, in contrast to humans and rodents where this relation has been found, there is little knowledge of this in non-human primates. This study relates trait anxiety of 14 socially housed monkeys with their performance in an individual learning test. Results suggest that high trait anxiety reduces the preparedness to co-operate in test procedures and cognitive performance.