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Brief Report: Chimpanzee Social Responsiveness Scale (CSRS) Detects Individual Variation in Social Responsiveness for Captive Chimpanzees

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Abstract

Comparative studies of social responsiveness, a core impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), will enhance our understanding of typical and atypical social behavior. We previously reported a quantitative, cross-species (human–chimpanzee) social responsiveness measure, which included the development of the Chimpanzee Social Responsiveness Scale (CSRS). Here, we augment our prior CSRS sample with 25 zoo chimpanzees at three sites: combined N = 54. The CSRS demonstrated strong interrater reliability, and low-ranked chimpanzees, on average, displayed higher CSRS scores. The CSRS continues to discriminate variation in chimpanzee social responsiveness, and the association of higher scores with lower chimpanzee social standing has implications for the relationship between autistic traits and human social status. Continued comparative investigations of social responsiveness will enhance our understanding of underlying impairments in ASD, improve early diagnosis, and inform future therapies.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Species Survival Plan for Chimpanzees, the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes and the animal care staff at the Lincoln Park Zoo, the North Carolina Zoo, the Knoxville Zoo, the Primate Rescue Center, and the St. Louis Zoo. This research was supported by K12 EY016336 (JRP) and a James S. McDonnell Centennial Fellowship (DJP).

Conflict of interest

JRP receives research support from the McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience, the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH093510) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health (R01 HD055741) and the Drs. John R. (Sr.) and Patricia O. Pruett Fund for research in Theory of Mind and for undergraduate training. He is a member of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry’s Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee; a Board Member (volunteer) for Missouri Families for Effective Autism Treatment (MO‐FEAT); and an Associate Member of the Baby Sibling Research Consortium (BSRC). JNC receives royalties from Western Psychological Services from the commercial distribution of the SRS. All other authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Carley Faughn

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 So. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Natasha Marrus & John R. Pruett Jr.

  3. Clinical Psychology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA

    Jeremy Shuman

  4. Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA

    Stephen R. Ross

  5. Department of Psychiatry (Child Division) and Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    John N. Constantino

  6. Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Daniel J. Povinelli

  7. 143 Le Medecin Rd., Carencro, LA, 70520, USA

    Carley Faughn

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  1. Carley Faughn
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Correspondence to John R. Pruett Jr..

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John R. Pruett Jr. and Daniel J. Povinelli shared senior authorship.

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Faughn, C., Marrus, N., Shuman, J. et al. Brief Report: Chimpanzee Social Responsiveness Scale (CSRS) Detects Individual Variation in Social Responsiveness for Captive Chimpanzees. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 1483–1488 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2273-9

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