DO MONKEYS FIDGET? USING MOVEMENT ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND
THE ROLE OF GAZE DIRECTION ON NON-INSTRUMENTAL OBJECT
MANIPULATION: STONE HANDLING IN BALINESE LONG-TAILED
MACAQUES
SYDNEY E. CHERTOFF
Bachelor of Science, Canisius College, 2017
A thesis submitted
in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
PSYCHOLOGY
Department of Psychology
University of Lethbridge
LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA CANADA
© Sydney E. Chertoff, 2021
DO MONKEYS FIDGET? USING MOVEMENT ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND
THE ROLE OF GAZE DIRECTION ON NON-INSTRUMENTAL OBJECT
MANIPULATION: STONE HANDLING IN BALINESE LONG-TAILED
MACAQUES
SYDNEY E. CHERTOFF
Date of Defense: August 10, 2021
Dr. A. Foroud Adjunct Assistant Professor Ph.D.
Dr. J-B. Leca Associate Professor Ph.D.
Thesis Co-Supervisors
Dr. S. Pellis Professor Ph.D.
Thesis Examination Committee Member
Dr. D. Logue Associate Professor Ph.D.
Thesis Examination Committee Member
Dr. J. MacCormack Associate Professor Ph.D.
Chair, Thesis Examination Committee
ABSTRACT
Stone handling (SH) is a form of playful and repetitive object-directed manipulation
performed by some non-human primates. SH includes approximately 40 behavioural
patterns using the hands, feet, and mouth. Within a SH pattern, there are subtle variations
in the manner they are performed (e.g., less rigid appearance). Currently, the
psychological mechanisms underlying the performance of SH are poorly understood.
This thesis aimed to examine the performance variations and subsequent structural
variations in two SH patterns performed by Balinese long-tailed macaques: rubbing a
stone on the ground and pounding a stone on the ground. Movement analyses revealed,
for each SH pattern, two distinct variations correlated with gaze direction. The
implications of these results were explored using information about fidgeting to
hypothesize about potential relationships between SH, object play, and fidgeting.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many people I need to thank. First, I would like to express my extreme
gratitude and thanks to Dr. Susan Margulis. Thank you for taking a chance on me as your
student and providing endless patience, compassion, and guidance throughout the past
eight years. I will always be extremely grateful to Dr. Jonathan Rodgers, thank you for
supporting me throughout my time as an undergraduate and for always knowing when to
push me further. I would like to thank my supervisory committee, Dr. Sergio Pellis, Dr.
David Logue, and Dr. Noëlle Gunst for all your guidance, insights, questions, and support
that have allowed me to grow as a student and scientist. I would also like to thank my
colleague and friend, Camilla Cenni. Thank you for supporting me both academically and
emotionally during our time in the field, the lab, weekly dinners, and office lunches.
Thank you to Kelsey Harkness for all of your help on this project during my first year.
Your endless encouragement and pleasant talks always made the day positive and
interesting. During my time in the field, I had the opportunity to not only work alongside
an amazing team at the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest, but to become close friends with
many members of that team. A special thank you for Norman, who treated me as a family
member while living in Bali. Miko, thank you for being my best friend in Bali. Every day
in the field was a positive experience thanks to the incredible staff. Thank you to Liam
Mitchell. Your patience in teaching me R led to us becoming friends in a way I would
have never imagined. I am so grateful for all your words of wisdom and tough love when
necessary. Thank you to Logan Page for all the last-minute peer-reviews and endless
interesting conversations. Thank you to Francisco Gómez Jiménez for not only being my
iv
friend since day one, but for all your statistic lessons. Not once did you get frustrated
when you re-explained yourself for the 50th time.
I would like to thank my family. Thank you for supporting my interest in non-
human primates from a very early age. Whether it was taking me to hear Jane Goodall
speak or driving me to and from the zoo every week to collect data on the gorillas, I was
able to pursue my passion because of your support. Thank you for listening to me on the
days when I didn’t think I would be able to complete the program and reminding that the
world will continue to spin. Thank you, Kris Schaly, for supporting me on my best and
worst days. Thank you for reminding me to take movement breaks, bringing me snacks,
and most importantly, for being my biggest cheerleader throughout this entire process.
Your unconditional support has allowed me to remain passionate about research through
all of the ups and downs. Petunia and Steve French, you are, and were, the best writing
buddies I could have ever asked for. You may indeed know more about fidgeting than I
ever will at this point. Finally, I need to thank my supervisors, Dr. Afra Foroud and Dr.
Jean-Baptiste Leca. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for your support and
guidance throughout this entire process. You both allowed me to explore my “gut”
instincts of a behaviour, regardless of the difficult path that ensued. I am so appreciative
of your support, and patience, especially at the times when I did not think it was possible
to continue forward.
I would like to thank my funding sources. The School of Graduate Studies at the
University of Lethbridge supported my work by awarding me with the Ages-International
Masters Award, the School of Graduate Studies’ Dean’s Scholarship, and the School of
Graduate Studies’ Tuition Scholarship. I would like to thank Coca-Cola for awarding me
v
the Coca-Cola Entrance Award. I also received financial support from the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Board of Governors Research Chair
through Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leca.
The past year, 2020-2021, has been very difficult for everyone mentioned here
and for communities everywhere. A special thank you to everyone who remained
constant and supportive during these highly uncertain times.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………...…iii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………..…..….iv
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………..…..vi
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………...x
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….....xi
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction……………………………............................................................................1
Stone Handling………………………………………………………………….....7
Objectives of this Thesis ……………………………………………………….....9
CHAPTER TWO
A Laban Movement Analysis of Stone Rubbing and Pounding in Balinese Long-
Tailed Macaques: Comparing Structural Variations within a Pattern………..…....11
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..11
Introduction………………………………………………………………………13
Methods…………………………………………………………………………..20
Study Site and Population………………………………………………..20
Data Collection and Study Subjects……………………………………...20
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………….21
Ethical Statement………………………………………………………...21
Rubbing and Pounding……………………………………….…………..22
Acts………………………………………………………………………22
vii
Study Part 1 Methods…………………………………………………..…..…….22
Subject………………………………………………………..….……….22
Laban Movement Analysis…………………………………..…………..23
Motifs………………………………………………………….…………27
Study Part 1 Results……………………………………………….……………..32
Rubbing Rating Scale……………………………………………………32
Pounding Rating Scale…………………………………………………...39
Study Part 2 Methods- Rating Scales…………………………………………….45
Subjects…………………………………………………………………..45
Scoring…………………………………………………………………...45
Statistical Analyses………………………………………………………46
Study Part Results…………………………………….………………… ………48
Rubbing…………………………………………………………………..48
Pounding…………………………………………………………………50
Discussion………………………………………………………………………..52
Tables and Figures……………………………………………………………….57
CHAPTER THREE
The Role of Gaze Direction on the Structural Composition of two Stone Handling
Patterns: A Structural Analysis of Stone Rubbing and Pounding in Balinese Long-
Tailed Macaques………………………………………………………………………..68
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..68
Introduction……………………………………………………………………....70
viii
Methods ………………………………………………………………………….76
Study Site and Population…………………………………………….….76
Data collection and study subjects ………………………………………77
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………….78
Ethical Statement………………………………...………………………78
Study Part 1- Is head direction a suitable proxy for gaze direction?…………….79
Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation………………………………....79
Body……………………………………………...........................79
System of Reference……………………………………………..80
Types of Movement……………………………...........................81
Scoring…………………………………………………...............82
Statistical Analyses………………………………………………83
Study Part 1 -Results…………………………………………………………....83
Study Part 2- Comparing the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of two SH
patterns, rubbing and pounding, based on gaze-direction………….……84
Scoring………………………………….………………………………..85
Statistical Analyses………………………………………………………86
Study Part 2 Results……………………………………………...………………88
Rubbing…………………………………………………………..88
Pounding…………………………………………………………89
Discussion………………………………………………………………………..91
Tables and Figures……………………………………………………………….99
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CHAPTER FOUR
General Discussion…………………………………………………………………….109
Object Play and Fidgeting………………………………………………………112
Limitations of Present Study and Future Directions……………………………115
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...119
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………...121
APPENDICES
Appendix A………………………………………………………………….….131
Commonly used symbols in Laban Movement Analysis………………131
Appendix B……………………………………………………………….…….143
Rubbing Rating Scale consisting of the six phases, individual measures,
and objective definitions of each measure……………………….……..143
Pounding Rating Scale consisting of the six phases, individual measures,
and objective definitions of each measure……………………….……..148
Appendix C……………………………………………………….…………….152
Table showing each study subjects’ identity in this thesis, their age group,
sex, the SH pattern(s) they performed, or the specific analysis they were
included in. The age class is based on the classification used in the specific
study…………………………………………………………………….145
x
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER TWO
Table 2.1. Study subjects’ identity, sex and SH pattern notated for the Motifs
Table 2.2. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the rubbing SH
pattern for RP1, GP, and RP2
Table 2.3. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
pounding SH pattern for RP1, GP, and RP2
Table 2.4. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
rubbing SH pattern for RP1 and GP
Table 2.5. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
pounding SH pattern for RP and GP
CHAPTER THREE
Table 3.1. Identity, sex, and age classes of each subject included in Part 1
Table 3.2. Distribution of samples scored, number of successes, and number of failures
per subject included in Part 1. The maximum number of samples per subject is 9
(3 times of day ´ 3 contexts = 9 potential samples).
Table 3.3. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the rubbing SH
pattern for the Looking and Not Looking categories.
Table 3.4. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the pounding SH
pattern for the Looking and Not Looking categories.
xi
LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER TWO
Figure 2.1. A portion of one Motif of two rubbing acts is provided as an example of
Motif. For reference, each rubbing act is indicated by the numbered brackets.
However, the brackets do not encompass the entire sequence of acts. The “Second
Adjustment” and “Ending Orientation” phases of a rub are not in the bracketed
section, these phases follow immediately after rubbing act 1 and 2 respectively.
A Motif is read from the bottom up. The bottom portion encapsulated in the
double bars represents the start of the action. The symbols in between the two sets
of double bar lines represent the starting position of each limb notated in the
Motif. From left to right: the fingers which are flexed, the palm of the hand which
is touching the stone which is covered by a leaf (i.e., the circle with an A in it and
a leaf on top), the hand, which is forward and down, the wrist, which is extended,
and the elbow which is approaching flexion. The single bar line at the top of the
Motif indicates that the notation is continued on subsequent page. Duration is
represented by the length of each symbol. The Rubbing Rating Scale was
developed based on a series of Motifs derived from multiple rubbing acts
performed by from multiple subjects (see Appendix B for the full list of measures
and objective definitions).
Figure 2.2. A portion of one Motif of four pounding acts is provided as an example of
Motif. For reference, each pounding act is indicated by the numbered brackets. A
Motif is read from the bottom up. The bottom portion encapsulated in the double
bars represents the start of the notation. The symbols in between the two sets of
double bar lines represent the starting position of each limb notated in the Motif.
From left to right: the circle with an A in it connected to the squiggle represents
the stone and the substrate, the fingers which are extended, the palm of the hand,
which is touching the stone, the hand, which is forward and down, and the wrist
which is flexed. The single bar line at the top of the Motif indicates that the
notation is continued on a subsequent page. Duration is represented by the length
of each symbol. The symbols encapsulated in brackets in the notation represent
one act (i.e., a single pound). The Pounding Rating Scale was developed based on
a series of Motifs derived from multiple pounding acts performed by multiple
subjects (see Appendix B for the full list of measures and objective definitions).
Figure 2.3. A visualization of a stone handling sequence is shown. Each circle represents
one act. An act is one rub or one pound, consisting of the six phases of movement.
A phase consists of one group of movements, referred to as measures, that are
listed in sequential order, unless otherwise specified. The provided example of
phases and measures in the highlighted act, pertains to the rubbing SH pattern.
The acts in red represent the portion of the SH sequence selected for each
variation. The red arrows labeled “20 seconds” represents the temporal criterion
for selecting the portion of the SH sequence to represent each variation.
xii
Figure 2.4. A visualization of a rubbing act consisting of each of the six phases and their
corresponding measures is provided.
Figure 2.5. A visualization of a pounding act consisting of each of the six phases and
their corresponding measures in each phase is provided.
Figure 2.6. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred for
each phase within the rubbing SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the width
of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From
left to right: 1 – Starting Orientation, 2 – Outward, 3 – First Adjustment, 4 –
Inward, 5 – Second Adjustment, 6 – Ending Orientation. In the “Orientation”
phase and the “Ending Orientation” phase, the distributions for the RP and the GP
were statistically significantly different. For both phases, the corresponding
measures occurred more often when the subjects were performing the RP.
Figure 2.7. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred for
each phase within the pounding SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the width
of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From
left to right: 1 – Starting Orientation, 2 – Upswing, 3- Adjustment, 4 –
Downswing, 5 – Transition, 6 – Ending Orientation. In the “Orientation” phase
and the “Ending Orientation” phase, the distributions for the RP and the GP were
statistically significantly different. For both phases, the corresponding measures
occurred more often when subjects were performing the RP.
CHAPTER THREE
Figure 3.1. A simplified drawing of the primary horizontal and vertical planes of the
Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN) System of Reference. The red
numbers represent the coordinates of the horizontal plane. The green numbers
represent the coordinates of the vertical plane.
Figure 3.2. A simplified drawing of the three types of movement notated in EWMN.
The blue line represents planar movements. The red lines represent rotational
movements (rotatory movements do not trace lines in space; they make a dot in
space; this drawing is an example, not to be confused with conical movements).
The green lines represent conical movements.
Figure 3.3. Aligned coordinates. The coordinates for the position of the forehead and the
coordinates of the gaze direction are aligned meaning that the direction of the
forehead and the eyes are the same and the coordinates reflect that.
Figure 3.4. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred for
each phase within the rubbing SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) indicates the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the
xiii
width of each point indicates the frequency of the observed proportion of
occurrence. From left to right: 2 – Outward, 3 – First Adjustment, 4 – Inward, 5 –
Second Adjustment. The distributions for the Looking and Not Looking
categories were not statistically different for any of the phases.
Figure 3.5. A violin plot featuring the different distribution of measures that occurred for
each phase within the rubbing SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence, while the width
of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. The
distributions for the Looking and Not Looking categories are statistically
significantly different for the measure "Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities
exceeds Indulging Effort Qualities.” The subjects were more likely to use
Condensing Effort Qualities during the “Outward” phase when they were looking
at the stone. Additionally, the distributions for the Looking and Not Looking
categories are statistically significantly different for the measure “Wrist flexes as
hand moves away from torso.” The subjects were more likely to flex the hand
away from the torso during the “Outward” phase when they were looking at the
stone.
Figure 3.6. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred for
each phase within the pounding SH pattern are shown. The height of each point
(i.e., violin shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence,
while the width of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of
occurrence. From left to right: 2 – Upswing, 3 – Adjustment, 4 – Downswing, 5 –
Transition. In the “Upswing” phase and “Downswing” phase, the distributions for
the Looking and Not Looking categories are statistically significantly different.
For both phases, the corresponding measures occurred more often when subjects
were looking at the stone.
Figure 3.7. A violin plot featuring the different distribution of measures that occurred for
each measure in the “Upswing” phase of the pounding SH pattern is shown. The
height of each point (i.e., violin shape) shows the range of the observed
proportion of the occurrence, while the width of each point shows the frequency
of the observed proportion of occurrence. In the “Torso and limb movement are
synchronized measure”, the distributions for the Looking and Not Looking
categories are statistically significantly different. The subjects were more likely to
perform this measure, in the “Upswing” phase, when they were looking at the
stone.
Figure 3.8. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred
the “Downswing” phase of the pounding SH pattern are shown. The height of
each point (i.e., violin shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of the
occurrence, while the width of each point shows the frequency of the observed
proportion of occurrence. In the “Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities
exceeds Indulging Effort Qualities” measure, the distributions for the LO and
xiv
NLO categories are statistically significantly different. The subjects were more
likely to perform this measure, in the “Downswing” phase, when they were
looking at the stone.
xv
Chapter One
Introduction
“Ludic behaviour forms such a motley assortment that it is highly unlikely that all of it
has just one function…so far it is mainly our ignorance that binds them all together.” –
Berlyne (1960, p. 5)
Stone handling (hereafter SH) is form of socially learned, culturally maintained,
and playfully motivated object manipulation performed by several species of non-human
primates (Cangiano & Palagi, 2020; Huffman, 1984; Huffman et al., 2008; Leca et al.,
2007a, 2007b). SH is defined as the non-instrumental and playful manipulation of stones;
there are approximately 40 distinct behaviour patterns, such as gathering stones into a
pile, clacking two stones together, pounding a stone onto another stone, rubbing a stone
on the ground, inserting/dropping small stones into cavities (Pelletier et al., 2017). The
way an individual manipulates the stone(s) may vary based on their age, individual
preference, environmental context (e.g., food provisioning), and object constraints (e.g.,
stone affordances) (Cenni et al., in review; Leca et al., 2008a, 2008b, 2010a, 2010b;
Nahallage & Huffman, 2008a). For example, a given individual may choose to primarily
use both hands when rolling a stone, whereas another individual may choose to primarily
use one hand.
After viewing the Balinese long-tailed macaques engage in SH at the Sacred
Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali Indonesia, I noticed that the behaviour appears similar to
the repetitive, often object-directed, behavioural category performed by humans –
fidgeting (Perrykkad & Hohwy, 2020). I observed instances in which an individual
seemed to be very concentrated and engaged in performing a SH pattern (i.e., focused on
the SH actions while ignoring environmental distractions), but if there was an agonistic
1
interaction in the distance, the same individual appeared to be distracted and engage in a
less vigorous version of the same SH Pattern (Chertoff, personal observation; for a
review on concentration, see Moran, 2012). Previous research on SH has not identified
the role of attention in the performance of this behaviour. The problem is that beyond
anecdotal accounts of individuals being “seemingly distracted” while engaging in SH, we
do not know whether the individuals are physically fatigued, momentarily distracted, or
even possibly experiencing a state of mind-wandering while engaging in SH. Thus, there
might be attention-related variations in the performance of SH (i.e., putative differences
in levels of concentration associated with subtle variation in the expression of SH
behaviour). To further understand the proximate and ultimate cause(s) of SH, this thesis
aims to provide a description of the kinematic and non-kinematic components of two SH
patterns that may then be used in comparative and hypothesis-driven studies.
Tinbergen (1963) argued that the first step of studying a behaviour is to describe
the structural components and distinguishing traits of the behaviour. This approach is
useful when attempting to identify behaviours, their cause(s) (i.e., proximate
mechanisms), and their function(s) (i.e., ultimate utilities). According to the structure-to-
function framework and the “design-feature argument,” the structural analysis of a
behaviour pattern provides information about its hypothesized function (Cenni et al.,
2020; Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran, 1985). The heuristic power of the behavioural
structure-function interface is reflected in the following statement by Pellis and Pellis
(1998), “Therefore, behavioral description informs functional inference, which in turn,
influences further description” (p. 115). Subtle differences in the structural organization
of evolutionary related behaviours are indicative of their respective motivational
2
underpinnings and functional features. This approach has proved particularly useful to
compare playful and instrumental forms of object manipulation (Hughes, 1978, 1979;
Pelletier et al., 2017; Pellis et al., 2019). It uses structural variables, either based on
kinematic, non-kinematic, or temporal components, to infer underlying psychological
mechanisms and explain the actions being performed in terms of proximate or ultimate
utility. The kinematic components of a behaviour involve how the organism is moving,
including when and how they move their limbs relative to their own body, objects, other
organisms, and the space around them (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003;
Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). The non-kinematic qualities of a behaviour often involve the
exertion of energy throughout the movement and usually either support or hinder the
performance of the kinematic components of the action(s) (Foroud & Whishaw, 2006).
In response to Smith’s (1982) article outlining the potential functions of play,
Moran (1985) expressed concern regarding “…the ease with which we, as humans, are
able to agree upon what is playful on an impressionistic basis” (p.187). He criticized a
“top-down” approach that consists of first pre-defining a behaviour as playful on the
basis of its hypothesized function and then trying to match the requirements of this
purported function against the observed structure of the behaviour. Instead, he argued that
a “bottom-up approach” that relies on the description of the structure of a behaviour
without reference to any functional categorization allows researchers to identify patterns
across age and sex classes, groups, populations, and species. According to Martin and
Caro (1985), “…the implication is that beneficial effects of major importance, and for
which play has the appropriate structural characteristics or “design features,” are likely to
3
constitute its functions” (p. 60). Simply put, if a behaviour, such as play, has a specific
function, its structure should reflect this function.
Researchers use the behavioural structure-function interface to explore the
cognitive underpinnings (e.g., attentional states, motivational processes) of otherwise
elusive behavioural categories, such as object play (Hughes, 1978; Hughes 1979; Hutt
1966; Hutt, 1997; Pelletier et al., 2017; Pellis et al., 2019). Hughes (1978, 1979)
conducted a sequential structural analysis of object manipulation, in which she quantified
the similarities and differences of the temporal structure of object exploration and object
play. Building on Hutt’s (1966, 1967) studies in which she identified the different
behavioural responses to a novel toy, Hughes (1978, 1979) confirmed that exploratory
behaviour is more functionally constrained and less structurally variable than play
behaviour. Even though the individual movements looked very similar, during
exploration, children typically engaged in behaviours within one behavioural cluster (e.g.,
touch is one cluster as would be visual inspection) whereas during play children switched
between clusters (e.g., walk, touch, gesture). Hughes reinforced Hutt’s (1966, 1947)
prediction and findings that exploration is more constrained (due to functional
implications) than play. As stated by Hutt (1966), exploration is the process in which an
individual learns “what does this object do?” (p.76) while play is the process in which an
individual learns “what can I do with this object?” (p. 76). Both Hughes’ and Hutt’s work
have demonstrated the strength of structural analysis when studying two seemingly
similar behaviours that otherwise are difficult to distinguish.
The structure-to-function framework has proven invaluable in previous studies of
rituals, stereotypy, and compulsive behaviour (Eilam et al., 2006; Eilam et al., 2012;
4
Eilam, 2015). Using a sequential analysis, Eilam et al. (2012) analysed how individuals
with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and control individuals performed a task,
such as “preparing a meal.” The authors found that the control individuals primarily
performed the functional movements (e.g., putting the plate on the table) of the task
whereas individuals with OCD performed functional and non-functional movements
(e.g., repeatedly moving the chair in the room). Non-functional movements were unique
acts deemed unnecessary or irrelevant to the on-going task (Zor et al., 2009). Eilam et al.
(2012) found that, compared to control participants, patients with OCD performed the
task with higher frequencies of repetition as well as higher frequencies of idiosyncratic
movements. As stated by Eilam et al. (2012), the use of a structural, video-based analysis
eliminates some of the subjectivity associated with self-reports when diagnosing patients.
The structure-to-function framework is not limited to human-based studies; it has
also been applied to behavioural research in insects, birds, and mammals (Fagan et al.,
1997; Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Pellis et al., 2013; for review, see Pellis and Pellis, 1998).
For example, Foroud and Pellis (2003) used a movement analysis system, Laban
Movement Analysis (LMA) to study the body movements of juvenile and adult rats
engaged in social rough and tumble play (RTP) behaviour. LMA is a unique movement
analysis system in that it includes both the kinematic and non-kinematic properties of a
behavioural sequence to provide a holistic view of the behaviour (Bartenieff & Lewis,
1980; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). Using LMA, the authors determined that during RTP,
juvenile rats use more “gentle” Effort Qualities (i.e., a non-kinematic property of
movement) than adult rats (p.40) and position themselves in ways that make them more
vulnerable to their play partners than the way adult rats position themselves. Specifically,
5
the data presented by Foroud and Pellis (2003) demonstrated that the risky positions
juveniles put themselves into leads to a loss of balance and in doing so, changes the
dynamic of the playful interactions thus creating more opportunity for role-reversals
(reciprocity) during RTP. These results lend themselves to the hypothesis that early
motor experiences aid in the development of decision-making processes during adult
social encounters. The use of LMA in this study has provided objective results that have
broadened the standard hypotheses of social play, thereby opening the door to potentially
new hypotheses surrounding play behaviour in juvenile and adult non-human animals.
Within the realm of SH, the use of another movement analysis system has proven
valuable. Pelletier (2017) used Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN) to study
the motivational processes underlying the performance of SH in Balinese long-tailed
macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Since juveniles engage in play more frequently than
adults, researchers have questioned whether the exaggerated and not fully functional
movements (compared to their functional counterparts) of play behaviour are due to an
underdeveloped sensorimotor coordination (Burghardt, 2005; for a review of play
behaviour see Pellis & Pellis, 2021). Pelletier (2017) measured a series of parameters of
the actions associated with the pounding of edible objects (i.e., nuts) by adult males, and
the pounding of non-edible objects (i.e., stones) by juvenile and adult males. Nut
pounding provided a template for a functional percussive action, motivated by foraging,
whereas stone pounding provided a template for a seemingly functionless, and distinctly
motivated playful action. Using EWMN, the author found that stone pounding in both
juveniles and adults was similar in the duration, strike speed, stone height, and gaze
direction of the pound. These data primarily support the hypothesis that juvenile and
6
adult macaques manipulate the stones in a similar, playful manner. Additionally, the
author found that the movements composing nut pounding were more constrained than
stone pounding, likely due to the functional motivation of nut pounding. These results
provide valuable insight into the motivational properties of SH (see also, Pellis et al.,
2019). They also demonstrate the explanatory power of using a fine-grained structural
analysis when studying repetitive and phenotypically similar behaviours. The following
section will describe the current state of knowledge surrounding SH.
STONE HANDLING
SH is a category of non-instrumental, playful, stone-directed manipulative
behaviour performed by geladas (Theropithecus gelada), Japanese macaques (Macaca
fuscata), rhesus macaques (M. mulatta), Taiwanese macaques (M. cyclopis), and long-
tailed macaques (Cangiano & Palagi, 2020; Nahallage et al., 2016; Pelletier et al., 2017).
Within populations of macaques whose individuals engage in SH, there are
approximately 40 distinct SH (behaviour) patterns (Cenni et al., in press; Huffman, 1984;
Leca et al., 2007a; Nahallage & Huffman, 2012; Pelletier et al., 2017). The high amounts
of inter- and intra- individual variability associated with SH may stem from the cultural
diffusion of SH (Huffman et al., 2008; Leca et al., 2007a, 2007b).
Within the free-ranging group of Japanese macaques living at Arashiyama, Kyoto,
three phases of the cultural diffusion of SH have been documented (Huffman, 1984;
Huffman & Quiatt, 1986). During the transmission phase, SH first spread from the
innovator (i.e., a young female individual) to her peers and siblings. Second, once (some
of) these (female) individuals matured and reproduced, their infants observed them
performing SH and began to engage in SH themselves: this is the tradition phase. Third,
7
during the transformation phase, a variety of new SH patterns emerged through the
acquisition and possible modification of SH patterns over time and across generations of
monkeys. Although the cultural diffusion of SH has only been explicitly documented in
one group of Japanese macaques, it is presumed that the presence of SH in additional
populations and species of macaques is due to cultural diffusion (Huffman et al., 2008;
Nahallage & Huffman, 2008b).
Furthermore, most SH sequences have a repetitive component. A SH bout is
typically defined as a period of time in which an individual performs a SH sequence
consisting of the repetition of one or multiple SH patterns with breaks no longer than 120
seconds (Huffman, 1996). Each individual repetition of a SH pattern, for example one
pound or one rub within a SH sequence, may also vary in their presentation with some
repetitions being kinematically similar or dissimilar (Pelletier, 2017). Additionally, the
SH patterns are arbitrary in that there does not appear to be any specific criteria for the
choice of SH patterns performed within a given SH sequence (Cenni et al., in review;
Pelletier et al., 2017). Studies that have examined SH within the context of object play
have contributed to our knowledge of motor development and tool use (Leca et al.,
2008c, Nahallage et al., 2016; Pelletier, 2017; Pelletier et al., 2017).
SH has been hypothesized to be a precursor to tool use (Huffman & Quiatt, 1986;
Leca et al., 2008c; Leca et al., 2012; Pelletier et al., 2017). Because SH occurs in food-
provisioned populations, the members of those populations have more “free time” than
their wild counterparts during which they can explore the properties of the stones
(Huffman & Quiatt, 1986; cf. Beck, 1980). The exploration of stone affordances via the
manipulation of these objects in a playful context may contribute to the acquisition of
8
stone tool use in macaques (Tan, 2017). However, most macaque populations in which
SH is an established behavioural tradition do not routinely engage in stone tool use, at
least in a foraging context (but see Cenni et al., 2020; Leca et al., 2008c for stone tool use
in non-foraging contexts); and in the macaque populations that routinely engage in stone
tool-assisted foraging, SH has not been reported. Therefore, at this stage, the
developmental and evolutionary connections between SH and stone tool use are only
grounded in the “Affordance Learning” theory, and they remain largely hypothetical.
Additionally, the exploration and manipulation of stones may promote motor skill
development in young macaques and aid in the maintenance of neural functioning in
aging macaques (Nahallage et al., 2016). Japanese macaque infants begin to perform SH
at approximately six weeks of age and continue to perform this behaviour throughout
their life (Nahallage & Huffman, 2007). As they develop, individuals continue to engage
in SH in a more complex manner. Both the promotion of motor skill development and
maintenance of neural functioning are presumed benefits of SH (Nahallage et al., 2016).
OBJECTIVES OF THIS THESIS
This thesis aims to further understand SH through descriptive structural analyses
of seemingly rough/rigid performances and gentle/fluid performances of two SH patterns,
rubbing a stone on the ground (hereafter “(stone) rubbing”) and pounding a stone on the
ground (hereafter “(stone) pounding”). Chapter Two of my thesis will focus on providing
an in-depth explanation of LMA as well as presenting the methodology and resulting
rating scales developed using LMA. Additionally, in Chapter Two, the rating scales are
used to compare the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of rougher/rigid and
gentler/fluid performances of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns. Findings from the
9
movement analysis show orientating, the way the animal positions itself relative to the
stone, to be a main difference between the rougher/rigid and gentler/fluid performance
and led to the examination of SH in two different states of gaze direction: looking at the
stone and not looking at the stone, described in Chapter Three. Chapter Four is a
summary and discussion of the overall significance of this thesis as well as the limitations
of, and future directions for this research project. Using EWMN and LMA, this thesis
capitalizes on the objective measurements (i.e., EWMN and LMA do not depend on the
researcher’s pre-conceived notions of a behaviour) and fine-grained analysis afforded by
movement analysis systems to explore the differences in the structure of stone rubbing
and stone pounding when performed in a rougher/rigid manner and gentler/fluid manner,
and in two different states of gaze direction: looking at the stone and not looking at the
stone.
10
CHAPTER TWO
A Laban Movement Analysis of Stone Rubbing and Stone Pounding in Balinese
Long-Tailed Macaques: Comparing Structural Variations within a Stone Handling
Behaviour Pattern
Abstract
Stone handling (SH) is a form of non-instrumental object-directed manipulation,
performed by geladas and multiple species of macaques. There are approximately 40
distinct SH behaviour patterns, such as rubbing and pounding. While handling stones, an
individual may perform any number of distinct SH behaviour patterns (hereafter SH
patterns) or repeatedly perform the same pattern using their hands, feet, and mouth.
Within a single SH pattern (e.g., rubbing), the tension and overall intensity of
performance may vary depending on the individual and environmental factors. This study
used a fine-grained analysis, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), to study the movement
composition of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding. Using LMA, two presentations
of the same SH pattern, that appear to differ in movement quality, one seemingly rougher
than the other, were notated for each SH pattern: rubbing and pounding. The movement
analysis described the structural organization and qualitative aspects of the temporal
sequence of movements of rubbing and pounding when performed in a rougher/rigid
manner and a gentler/fluid manner. Two rating scales, one for rubbing and one for
pounding, were compiled based on the descriptions from the movement analysis. Both
rating scales were used in a small sample of subjects. Results from the rating scales
suggest the way subjects orient their posture in relation to the stone differs between the
two performance styles (rough versus gentler) in each of the SH patterns. The two rating
11
scales of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns may be used in future studies, such as to
evaluate the role of orientation in SH.
12
Introduction
Stone handling (SH) is the culturally transmitted, playful, non-instrumental
manipulation of stones performed by geladas (Theropithecus gelada), Japanese macaques
(Macaca fuscata), rhesus macaques (M. mulatta), Taiwanese macaques (M. cyclopis),
and long-tailed macaques (M. fascicularis) (Cangiano & Palagi, 2020; Nahallage et al.,
2016; Pelletier et al., 2017). SH consists of multiple behavioural patterns, referred to as
SH patterns. A SH pattern is defined as a “single, non-instrumental, stone-directed,
specifically defined manipulative action” (Pelletier, 2017, p. 26). The choice of SH
pattern performed appears to be arbitrary in that there is no apparent specific reason as to
why an individual would choose one SH pattern over another (e.g., an individual may
choose to rub a stone rather than roll the stone) (Cenni et al., in review; Pelletier et al.,
2017). SH patterns may be performed by the hands, feet, and mouth; again, the individual
may choose to use one hand and a foot, whereas another individual may choose to use
both hands (Leca et al., 2010a). Within a SH bout (i.e., a period of time in which an
individual engages in SH with breaks no longer than 120 seconds), an individual may
choose to perform a single pattern repeatedly, a combination of patterns, and use different
limbs throughout the bout (cf. Huffman, 1996). To summarize, there are high amounts of
intra- and inter-individual variability in the frequency of SH, SH pattern selection, and
body parts used to execute the SH pattern. (Leca et al., 2010a; Pelletier, 2017; Pelletier et
al., 2017).
When we have a detailed description of a behavioural expression, we are better
able to recognize the behavioural expression across contexts (e.g., agonistic interactions
vs. foraging). As previously stated, there are high amounts of structural variability in SH
13
as a behavioural category. For example, there are 38 distinct SH patterns performed by
Balinese long-tailed macaques, including cuddle, dislodge, rub together, pick and drop,
and roll (Cenni et al., in press; Pelletier et al., 2017). SH patterns are performed across all
age and sex classes leading to multiple presentations of the same pattern (Pelletier, 2017).
Furthermore, SH patterns may have functional counterparts, such as the pounding SH
pattern and the foraging-motivated and ultimately functional pounding of a nut on the
ground to crack it open and eat the kernel (Pelletier, 2017; Pellis et al., 2019).
Traditionally both performances would be categorized as pounding, but it is likely that
the variations in performance are due to differing underlying cognitive mechanisms such
as two different motivational states (e.g., a play motivational state versus foraging). The
use of methods such as movement analysis, have improved our understanding of the
structural components that make up a behavioural expression, and the causes (proximate
or ultimate) of the behavioural expression (Foroud & Pellis, 2021; Golani, 1992).
Generally, variation in the occurrence of a behaviour may be the result of
different underlying mechanisms (cf. Palvani et al., 1991). For example, Duboscq and
colleagues (2016) used an information-theory framework to investigate the potential
causes of scratching in female Japanese macaques. These researchers found that the
occurrences of scratching were primarily due to parasites and social factors (e.g.,
agonistic interactions). This study exemplifies that one behaviour can occur because of
multiple underlying cognitive mechanisms and ecological factors. While the researchers
did not include a structural analysis of the scratching behaviour, their study highlights the
importance of recognizing different causes of the same behaviour. Other researchers,
such as Rutherford et al. (2012), have used qualitative methods to describe the body
14
language of pigs in two environmental conditions (open field and elevated plus maze)
either under the influence of a sedative or not. The observers identified the differing
affective states associated with the pigs’ behaviour in the two environmental conditions.
The combination of evaluating the various contexts in which a behaviour may occur and
describing the behaviour (i.e., the structure of the behaviour) can lead to a deeper
understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes of the behaviour (Foroud & Pellis,
2021; Golani, 1992; Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran, 1985; Pellis & Pellis, 1998;
Tinbergen, 1963).
As with most behavioural research, there is often a disconnect between what the
observer has known to be the typical presentation of a behavioural expression and
observing an atypical presentation of the behavioural expression. For example, maybe it
is how (i.e., the structure) a subject reached across their face to scratch that just did not
look the same as the ten other occurrences of scratching. This disconnect is difficult to
identify and even more perplexing to objectively measure (cf. Fentress, 1992). A
behavioural expression, such as scratching, can be broken down into multiple parts, such
as the individual fine motor movements (e.g., the fingers bending), or gross motor
movements (e.g., the entire arm moves up and down). Depending on how the researcher
decides to parse the behavioural expression, it can appear as a typical or atypical
presentation (Fentress, 1992, 2009). For example, if the observer is focused on gross
motor movements and the subject uses their whole arm to scratch their face, the
behaviour may look the same across contexts. However, if the observer is focused on fine
motor movements during the scratch, they may notice that the subject is alternating
moving their two fingers up and down on their face. The differences between the fine and
15
gross motor movements may lead the observer to label the behavioural expressions as
two different presentations, or even variations, of the behavioural expression. Describing
a behaviour is the first step; however, without placing the behaviour in the context, we
limit our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the behaviour (Fentress, 1992).
The problem, within the behavioural category of SH, is that the potential
variations seen in the execution of different SH patterns (i.e., variations of the structure of
the behaviour) may be due to individual differences or style (e.g., handedness), different
internal states (e.g., hunger), or object constraints (e.g., stone affordances) (Cenni et al.,
in-press; Leca et al., 2008a, 2008b, 2010a, 2010b; Nahallage & Huffman, 2008a).
Previous research has used a behaviour systems approach to understand the motivations
of different SH patterns (Pelletier et al., 2017; Pellis et al., 2019). In doing so, researchers
hypothesized that most SH patterns performed by Balinese long-tailed macaques stem
from a behaviour system grounded in foraging motivation.
Little is known about the quality of performance of SH patterns. For example,
sometimes the macaques look like they are performing a SH pattern in a rough or rigid
way and other times they look like they are performing the same SH pattern in a gentle or
fluid way (Chertoff, personal observation). The difference in these performances,
rough/rigid versus gentle/fluid, may reflect the inner state of the performer (Bartenieff &
Lewis, 1980). It remains unknown whether this potential difference in the performance of
a SH pattern is meaningful to the performer. Is the more rigid and rough performance due
to stress? Is the gentle performance due to physical fatigue or loss of interest in the stones
or the SH activity? If the difference is meaningful to the performer, then lumping the two
types of performances of a SH pattern is problematic when attempting to identify the
16
underlying mechanisms of SH as a behavioural category. If all instances of a SH pattern,
such as rubbing, are grouped together even when one performance of rubbing may appear
different (e.g., rigid/rough) than another (e.g., fluid/gentle), then lumping the rough and
gentle performances of SH as one behavioural category may lead to the loss of
information about the motivational underpinnings and functional features of the
behaviour. Fentress (2008), a behavioural neuroscientist, clearly stated such a potential
problem of disconnect in the following quote:
“Clarity in observation is the first challenge. What do we look for, and what do
we ignore […] What is a piece of a behaviour? We label actions in terms of
nouns, but even that linguistic necessity can place a freeze frame on patterns of
expression that in reality are much more fluid.” (p. 6).
This chapter will continue to add to our knowledge of SH in Balinese long-tailed
macaques by parsing the behavioural category even further into the kinematic (i.e.,
spatial-temporal, body and environmental relationship(s)) and non-kinematic (i.e.,
intensity, force, flow and rhythm) structure (Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Foroud & Whishaw,
2006) of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding, performed in a neutral context, void of
displacement behaviours and agonistic interactions (cf. Maestripieri et al., 1992; Troisi,
2002). ). Previous studies have addressed a similar problem to the one presented in this
chapter. For example, Foroud & Pellis (2003) used Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) to
describe pinning, a play fighting behaviour, in adult and juvenile rats. The authors found
that there were differences in the movement patterns between juvenile and adult rats,
within the pinning behaviour, that previously were unidentified. From these findings, the
authors were able to hypothesize about why the movement patterns differed. The use of
17
LMA in this study broadened the standard hypotheses of social play in juvenile and adult
non-human animals.
Furthermore, Foroud and Whishaw (2006) used movement analysis to effectively
identify, quantify, and analyse, structural differences in a reach-for-food task in human
participants who had been affected by a stroke. The study demonstrated structural
differences involving non-functional movements in the way participants recovering from
stroke performed the task when compared with performance of the same task in healthy,
age and sex matched control, participants. Non-functional movements tend to hinder the
subjects’ ability to reach-for-food. For example, the high amounts of tension in the limb
(i.e., a non-functional component of a movement) can interfere with the limbs’ smooth
trajectory. These findings were developed into a rating scale which could then be applied
by other researchers to aid in identifying subtle, descriptive differences in the structure of
the behaviour that have implications for rehabilitation, chronic injury from compensatory
movements, and fatigue expressed by patients which may otherwise have been glossed
over. Identifying these subtle differences aids in both the diagnostic and treatment
process for those who have suffered from a stroke(s).
Other researchers, such as Zor et al. (2009) have used video recordings of rituals
(rituals were defined by the participants and thus were specific to each subject), such as
filling up a water bowl for their pet, performed by subjects with and without obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD), to identify structural differences in the performance of the
rituals. Rituals were composed of multiple “acts” which were identified and then scored
by reviewing the videos (e.g., in the water bowl ritual, “shake bowl” was considered an
act) (p. 290). The researchers scored multiple videos of the subjects with and without
18
OCD performing the same rituals and found that rituals performed by subjects with OCD
contained multiple non-functional acts (e.g., wave hands). This is an aspect of OCD
rituals that previously had not been highlighted in the diagnostic criteria.
The present study uses LMA to describe both rigid/rough and fluid/gentle
performances of two SH patterns performed by Balinese long-tailed macaques: rubbing
and pounding. LMA is a language system for describing what the body does and how it is
doing it (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006).
Specifically, LMA describes how the multiple movement components interact within a
movement sequence over time: what (e.g., body parts, the whole body, multiple
individuals and their relative interactions), where (e.g., spatial dynamics and contexts),
and how (e.g., non-kinematic movement dynamics such as rhythm). LMA allows for an
objective description of a behaviour rather than relying solely on the subjective
perception of the observer to identify differences in the performance of a behaviour.
Rubbing and pounding SH patterns were selected for this study because they are
easily recognizable amongst the 36 other SH patterns. The rubbing and pounding SH
patterns seem to occur frequently, although analyses to determine their frequency in the
data base were not conducted. Additionally, rubbing and pounding are performed in two
different spatial planes (horizontal and vertical respectively) providing two different
movement spatial organization patterns to further describe. Finally, previous research
using movement analysis has highlighted the pounding SH pattern, identifying phases of
movement within a single pound (i.e., the upswing, adjustment and downswing) as well
as the structural differences between nut pounding and stone pounding (Pelletier, 2017).
19
The purpose of the present study is to provide a detailed description of the
movement components of two distinct SH patterns, rubbing and pounding, to help
identify what makes some performances of the SH patterns appear rougher than others or
gentler than others. Additionally, this study aims to identify whether the rougher
performances and gentler performances are distinct variations of a SH pattern with
differing movement qualities that contribute to the rougher/rigid or gentler/fluid
appearance of the performance. These movement descriptions can then be used in future
analyses to draw structural comparisons across motivational, attentional, and emotional
contexts. More specifically, this chapter highlights the study of the spatial-temporal limb
relationships, limb to body relationships, and environmental relationships, as well as the
intensity, force, flow, and rhythm of rubbing and pounding performed by Balinese long-
tailed macaques (for a review of kinematic vs. non-kinematic components, see Foroud &
Pellis 2003; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006).
Methods
Study site and population
Data for this study were collected at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali,
Indonesia. The Sacred Monkey Forest, or Ubud Monkey Forest, is a central location for a
population of free-ranging and urban dwelling Balinese long-tailed macaques (Macaca
fascicularis fascicularis). Due to high volume of tourists and staff, the long-tailed
macaques are habituated to human presence. The population studied consisted of
approximately 900 individuals in six different groups with overlapping home ranges
(Cambier, 2019). The monkeys were provisioned with fruits and vegetables at least three
times a day by the staff of the Ubud Monkey Forest.
20
Data collection and study subjects
Video-recorded observations were collected between May and August in 2016,
2018, and 2019 by members of the Leca Lab. Data were collected using focal sampling
and ad libitum sampling methods (Altmann, 1974). In this study, I sampled 21
individually identified adult male subjects. These study subjects were members of three
different groups, two of which had overlapping home ranges. During a focal follow, a
subject was filmed for 15 minutes regardless of their activity. If the subject engaged in
SH during the last two minutes of the observation, the observation was continued for an
additional five minutes or until SH ceased and then continued for an additional two
minutes after the subject was no longer engaged in SH (cf. Huffman, 1996). Ad libitum
sampling began when a subject was engaged in SH, and continued for two minutes after
the subject was no longer engaged in SH. When possible, focal subjects were filmed from
the front or side so their face, torso, and limbs were visible, approximately 3-5 meters
away from the observer. Data were collected using a Sony Handycam Camcorder.
Data analysis
Data analysis was done using Motifs, a short-hand form of notation used in LMA.
Motifs were made from video recordings of acts (i.e., a singular rub or pound) composing
SH sequences. From the Motifs, two rating scales, one for rubbing and one for pounding,
were derived to score the presence or absence of movements components (i.e., measures)
in additional SH sequences.
Ethical Statement
All data were collected using observational and non-invasive methodologies. This
study was conducted in accordance with the Indonesian Ministry of Research and
21
Technology (research permit #130/SIP/FRP/E5/Dit.KI/IV/2018), the Provincial
Government of Bali, and the local district authorities. It was approved by the Institutional
Animal Welfare Committee of the University of Lethbridge (Protocol #1906).
Rubbing and Pounding
The rubbing SH pattern is defined as, “To slide or move a stone back and forth on
a substrate utilizing a power or precision grip” (p.471) (Pelletier et al., 2017). The
rubbing SH pattern can be performed on the ground or other substrates including the
individual’s own body. The pounding SH pattern is defined as, “To strike a stone on the
ground or an object, using a power grip” (p. 470) (Pelletier et al., 2017). Stones are often
pounded on hard surfaces. Previous research has identified three movement phases of a
pound including the upswing, adjustment, and downswing (Pelletier, 2017).
Terminology
An act is the elementary building block of a behavioural sequence and may
consist of multiple movements (Eilam, 2015). In the present study, an act is defined as
either a single rub or a single pound. For rubbing, one act is when a subject moves the
stone away from their body and then moves it back towards their body while the stone
remains on the substrate. For pounding, one act is when a subject moves the stone up and
off the ground and then moves it back down towards the ground. Within an act, there are
phases. Phases are groupings of movements, such as the upswing of a pound. The
movements that compose a phase are called measures. The phases and measures are
dictated by the Motifs. The subsequent sections will detail the process of notating the
Motifs and identifying the phases and measures for the rubbing and pounding SH
patterns.
22
Study Part 1 – Methods
Subjects
Five adult male subjects were selected for this study (Table 2.1). Three subjects who
engaged in rubbing and two subjects who engaged in pounding.
Laban Movement Analysis
LMA, developed by Rudolf Laban, is a language system for describing the
holistic, multi-nested and dynamically integrative aspects of movement by notating what
the body is doing, how the body is doing it, when the body is doing it, and the way the
body moves relative to itself, external objects, and other individuals (Bartenieff & Lewis,
1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). LMA goes beyond providing
an objective language for recording body movements, it describes how the body moves.
For example, instead of limiting description to that of a limb moving from point A to
point B over a specific duration of time, changes in the spatial-temporal organization of
the limb, and its interactions with other limbs, as well as the relationship(s) between the
body and environment are defined. Furthermore, changes in the quality of movement
such as intensity, force, flow, and rhythm of the limb and body are objectively described.
This multi-layered approach to describing movement reveals patterns of how the body
interacts with the environment, including objects and other individuals.
LMA is composed of four distinct yet dynamically integrated categories: Body,
Effort, Shape, and Space (may be abbreviated to BESS) (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980;
Foroud & Pellis, 2003). A movement may express elements from BESS in various
combinations and interactions of these categories. For this initial analysis, Body, Effort,
and Space were examined. LMA uses a series of symbols to notate movement – similar to
23
the way a musical composition is written so that it can be read and replicated. For a list
and explanation of commonly used symbols, see Appendix A. For clarity, all terms
relating to LMA are capitalized. The following section will briefly describe each of the
three categories of LMA used in this thesis:
1. Body focuses on the anatomical features of the body, such as the skeletal
muscular system and joint systems. Body also describes the relationship
between the limbs (including torso and head), the body as a whole, and other
bodies or objects (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Foroud &
Whishaw, 2006).
2. Space encompasses the dynamic relationship between the body and the
surrounding environment such as the direction and pathways the body moves
in space and how the body changes in response to the surrounding space and
environment (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003; Foroud &
Whishaw, 2006).
3. Effort classifies changes in exertion of energy throughout a movement. It
captures the intensity and is often perceived as qualitative elements of
movement. Effort Qualities range from Indulging, in which there is a release
of intensity or exertion within the movement, to Condensing, in which there is
increasing intensity or exertion within the movement. Effort Qualities are not
a reflection of the active or passive engagement of the subject. Rather, they
encompass changes in exertion of energy within the movement. Effort
Qualities include Weight Effort (force), Flow Effort (tension), Time Effort
(acceleration), and Space Effort (quality of directionality). Each Effort Quality
24
is a gradient, again ranging from Indulging to Condensing. The following
subsection will provide a further explanation of each Effort Quality. The
definitions and examples provided are from Bartenieff and Lewis (1980) as
well as Foroud and Whishaw (2006). Effort Qualities are operationally
defined through supervised repeated observation, practice, and evaluation
until the observer can consistently identify and perform each Effort Quality
(Laban & Ullmann, 1971). Fagan et al. (1997) described the process of having
students identify Effort Qualities present across multiple behavioural
categories (e.g., locomotion, object manipulation) performed by multiple
species of non-human animals (e.g., gorillas, brown bears). The study
demonstrated the validity of observing Effort Qualities.
[1] Weight Effort: Weight Effort is the change of force exerted
throughout a movement. Light Weight Effort, an Indulging Effort
Quality, describes diminishing exertion of force. For example, when
handling a delicate item such as a teacup, it is effective to use Light
Weight Effort. Strong Weight Effort, a Condensing Effort Quality,
describes an increase in the exertion of force, or impact in a
movement. For example, crushing an item, such as a teacup, in your
hand would likely utilize Strong Weight Effort.
[2] Flow Effort: Flow Effort describes the increasing or decreasing
level of resistance in the continuity of a movement. Free Flow, an
Indulging Effort Quality, appears effortless and easy going. For
example, a child might move with Free Flow as they spin in circles
25
and fall down into the grass. Bound Flow, a Condensing Effort
Quality, is controlled and restrained. For example, a child might move
with Bound Flow as they pump their legs to build momentum on a
swing. Flow Effort is not the same as the state of flow coined by
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990). The state of flow will be further
elaborated on in Chapter Four.
[3] Time Effort: Time Effort reflects an exertion in the change of
velocity by either acceleration or deceleration. Time Effort does not
reflect the duration or speed of a movement, but rather the change in
speed of the movement. Sustained Time, an Indulging Effort Quality,
occurs when the mover progressively decelerates the movement. For
example, waving goodbye to a friend that is leaving for a long time
often occurs with Sustained Time. Quick Time, a Condensing Effort
Quality, occurs when the mover progressively accelerates the
movement. For example, trying to catch a fly in your hand often
occurs with Quick Time.
[4] Space Effort: Space Effort describes the body’s attention to space
through a movement. Indirect Space, an Indulging Effort Quality, is
when the body is multi-focused. For example, waving a bunch of gnats
away from your face occurs with Indirect Space. Direct Space, a
Condensing Effort Quality, is when the body is zero-ed in on
something specific. For example, plucking an eyebrow hair occurs
with Direct Space.
26
The kinematic structure of a behaviour consists of how the limbs move, how the
limbs move relative to one another and the environment (including other animals), and
the temporal relationships of these movements (e.g., pronation of the foot as an individual
places their foot on the ground) (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Pellis, 2003;
Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). Non-kinematic qualities of movement also shapes how the
body moves, for example, the change in exertion of energy throughout a movement, and
are difficult to measure objectively, or even describe consistently and reliably. LMA
provides a language system, with operational definitions for movement qualities
embedded in the language, as a means to objectively describe and potentially measure the
dynamics of kinematic and non-kinematic qualities expressed in movement. Regarding
the BESS categories of LMA, Body and Space are often categorized as kinematic
movements whereas Effort and Shape are often categorized as non-kinematic qualities of
movements (Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). Kinematic and non-kinematic elements of a
behaviour are not mutually exclusive and often occur simultaneously with non-kinematic
qualities potentially supporting or hindering the movements. It should be noted that while
Effort Qualities mostly consist of non-kinematic qualities, Time Effort consists of a
kinematic element of movement – acceleration/deceleration.
Motifs
The aim of this study was to gain a further understanding of the movement
composition of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding. To do this, I used LMA to
identify movement patterns and qualities of SH in five different subjects, three subjects
who engaged in rubbing and two subjects who engaged in pounding (Figure 2.1 and
Figure 2.2). LMA describes Body, Effort Qualities, Shape, and Space, and their inter-
27
relations (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). Motifs, a shorthand
notation used in LMA, allow the observer to gain a view of the way the kinematic
components and non-kinematic components of movement interact throughout a
movement or a movement sequence over time.
LMA was used to analyse movement sequences of three SH sequences from each
subject resulting in a total of 15 Motifs. Each Motif described multiple acts within a SH
sequence. Subjects and SH bouts were selected based on the following criteria: [1]
subjects were classified as adults, [2] subjects had no new or obvious injuries that may
impede movements involved with rubbing or pounding (e.g., had recently broken a
finger), [3] the stones must all be small enough that the subject was able to pick up the
stone with one hand but not so small that the stone could not be seen in the subject’s hand
(e.g., a stone approximately between three and a half and ten centimeters in length), [4]
the substrates (e.g., the forest floor or the pathway built for tourists) on which the subject
was engaged in SH needed to be similar, meaning that there were no obvious factors that
would impede typical movements (e.g., large cracks in the ground), and [5] all SH
sequences were performed in a neutral state. A neutral state was defined as a state in
which the subject was not exhibiting any displacement behaviours, aggressive, or
submissive signals within one minute prior to engaging in SH (for review of typical
displacement behaviours exhibited by non-human primates, see Troisi, 2002).
In order to describe the movement composition of a SH pattern performed in the
rougher/rigid manner (hereafter RP for Rougher Performance) and the gentler/fluid
manner (hereafter GP for Gentler Performance), SH sequences (truncated from the
previously selected SH bouts) were selected using the following process (Figure 2.3): [1]
28
a portion of a SH sequence in which the subject appeared to be performing either rubbing
or pounding in the gentler/fluid manner was identified, [2] within the same SH sequence,
a portion of the SH sequence in which the subject was engaging in the same SH pattern in
what appeared to be the rougher/rigid manner (RP1) 20 seconds before the beginning of
the gentler/fluid performance (GP) was selected, [3] within the same SH sequence, a
portion of the SH sequence in which the subject was engaging in the same SH pattern in
what appeared to be the rougher/rigid manner 20 seconds after the beginning of the
gentler/fluid performance was selected (RP2). Two samples of the rougher/rigid
performance were selected from each SH sequence to address whether the sequence of
the rubs or pounds were contributing to the rougher/rigid performance.
Once the Motifs were notated, I wrote out what each Motif described. There are
three main reasons for this step. First, writing out what was notated in the Motif allows
for other researchers to understand the Motif without having to know LMA. Second,
watching a behaviour and writing out what we see can be subjective. By using LMA, I
was able to have a more objective viewing of the video before writing it out in a language
I was more familiar with. Third, as I am still learning LMA, I needed to write out the
Motifs to practice reading the language of LMA as well as improve my understanding of
the Motif. After this step, the combination of the completed Motifs, with their
corresponding written descriptions, was used to list the essential elements described in
the Motifs, in sequential order. These elements became the measures (i.e., movements)
for rubbing and pounding respectively. Measures are defined as the individual
movements described in the Motifs. The measures were listed sequentially because they
were derived from the Motifs which provided not only a list of movements that create the
29
rubbing and pounding SH patterns, but also the temporal relationships between the
movements. The measures listed (e.g., Face orientated towards the stone) describe the
movements that make up the acts. The measures in the list and the way the list is used to
score the behaviour, define both how the movements were performed and the temporal
order in which the movement was performed. For example, “Face orientated towards the
stone” is listed as it appeared in the notated Motifs (which were developed by watching
the video recordings of multiple SH sequences) (see Appendix B). While it was possible
to have added the converse of each measure in the rating scale (e.g., Face orientated
towards the stone vs. Face orientated away from the stone), that would not have been
accurate to the Motifs which are a notation of the video sequences. I made the decision to
have the rating scale reflect how the rougher performances tend to be performed because
the rougher/rigid performances are the more recognizable performance of SH. The
Motifs, and subsequent rating scales, capture the kinematic and non-kinematic
components that compose the behaviour rather than capturing the movements that did not
occur. If I were to have added the converse of each movement, I would be speculating on
possible alternative movements that were not presented in the video sequence. For
example, the converse movement to “Wrist flexes as hand moves away from torso” is not
necessarily “Wrist extends as hand moves away from torso” and therefore, without
having seen the converse movement in the video recording, it would not be accurate to
include it in the rating scales.
These rating scales are referred to as the Rubbing Rating Scale (RRS) and
Pounding Rating Scale (PRS) respectively. These steps (i.e., writing out the Motifs,
combining the movement components of the Motifs, and itemizing the Motifs into rating
30
scales) were essential to ensuring an objective analysis of the RP and GP of the rubbing
and pounding SH patterns. By combining the completed Motifs, I was able to develop
two rating scales that encompassed movements present in the RP and GP of the two SH
patterns. This allows for future analyses of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns. The
measures were placed into six phases specific to rubbing and pounding (Figure 2.4 and
Figure 2.5); this allowed me to analyse each SH pattern as its “parts” (i.e., the phases and
measures) and as a “whole” (the combined picture painted by the sequential phases and
their subsequent measures). The phases were based on previous work by Pelletier (2017)
which identified the three main phases of a pound as the upswing, adjustment, and
downswing. Additionally, the Motifs described the phases for both the rubbing and
pounding SH patterns. Fentress (1992) stated the importance of a “pluralistic” approach
when studying behaviours to optimize our capacity for recognizing the “rules” of
organization within a behaviour (p. 1531). For example, by placing measures into their
specific phases, we can understand how the measures relate to one another as well as how
each phase of movement relates to the next and so on. The phases were based on previous
research on the pounding SH pattern (Pelletier, 2017).
Each notated act was then scored using the respective rating scales. If the measure
occurred in the phase, it received a score of 1. If the measure did not occur, then it
received a score of 0. In doing so, we were able to refine the list of measures by
combining redundant and extra measures. For example, “movement in vertical plane” and
“movement in sagittal plane” were two measures that were removed because a rub occurs
when a subject moves the stone on the substrate in the horizontal plane; therefore, the
measures were not necessary. Additionally, two or more measures which originally
31
described the range of one measure were combined. For example, “proximally initiated”
and “not distally initiated” were different ways of describing the same thing; thus, one
was removed as both measures were not necessary in the rating scale to represent this
structural component of the “Outward” phase. Reducing the list of measures allows for
the concise quantification of the structural elements composing rubbing and pounding.
These extra, redundant, measures were in the sequential lists of measures because, as I
am still learning LMA, I needed to consider other possible variations of movements that I
had not observed in the Motifs.1
These rating scales, developed from the Motifs, provide a method for quantifying
the occurrence, sequence, and qualities of movements composing the two different SH
patterns. Each rating scale consisted of six phases and their corresponding measures. The
six phases and corresponding measures compose either the rubbing or pounding act. The
rating scales are valuable as they provide a method for testing future hypotheses about the
rubbing and pounding SH patterns. Each phase and the subsequent measures for both
rubbing and pounding are defined below in the sequential order of a rub or pound.
Study Part 1- Results
Rubbing Rating Scale
This rating scale consisted of six phases of movements visible in a single rub (i.e.,
act): starting orientation, outward, first adjustment, inward, second adjustment, and
ending orientation. Within each phase, there are movements (i.e., measures) that compose
1 As a beginner student of LMA, I was not confident that the Motifs I had done fully captured all of the
movements in the SH acts. Therefore, I had originally added what I thought could be potential variations of
movements into the rating scales until I gained more experience in watching the video recordings and
scoring the SH sequences.
32
that phase of a rub. Each movement will be further described in the following text and
again in Appendix B.
[1] Starting Orientation – This phase encompasses the starting position of the
subject at the beginning of a rubbing act (this phase, and corresponding
measures, can occur at the start of a SH bout or within a SH sequence,
meaning the subject may already have been engaged in SH).
[1.1] Face oriented towards stone: The subject’s forehead and face are
pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[1.2] Body orientated towards stone: The midline of the subject’s torso
is pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[2] Outward (Away from the body) – This phase encompasses the main movements
that compose the outward motion of the forelimb(s), in which the subject
manipulates the stone away from their body, creating more distance between
their torso and the stone.
[2.1] Torso & limb movement are synchronized: The subject’s torso
and the limb manipulating the stone move together at the same
time; the torso supports the limb, moving in coordination with the
limb, as the stone is moved outward away from the subject’s body.
[2.2] Distally initiated (wrist & hand): The outward limb movement
begins with a movement from either the subject’s wrist or their
hand. The wrist or hand moves first rather than the elbow,
shoulder, or torso.
[2.3] Wrist flexes as hand moves away from torso: As the subject
33
moves their hand away from their body, the wrist bends so that the
distance between the palm of the hand and the underside of the
forearm shortens.
[2.4] Fingers extend as hand moves away from torso: As the subject
moves their hand away from their body, the fingers lengthen out,
decreasing the bend at the knuckles.
[2.5] Hand moves in a straight pathway: As the subject moves their
hand away from their body, the hand moves straight, with no
curves or meandering.
[2.6] Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging
Effort Qualities: Throughout the entire outward phase of
movement, there are more Condensing Effort Qualities (Strong
Weight, Bound Flow, Quick Time, and Direct Space) than
Indulging Effort Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not focus on the
specific Effort Qualities and instead focused on the gradient they
stem from, Condensing to Indulging. Effort Qualities cannot be
perceived by viewing a video frame-by-frame. To quantify the
Effort Qualities, the video must be viewed at its normal speed.
[3] First Adjustment – Following the outward phase, this phase encompasses
the main movements that occur when the stone was no longer moving farther
away from the body but was not yet moving back towards the body. During
34
this phase, movements appeared to be small positioning changes on the stone,
while the stone remained in one location.
[3.1] Wrist and/or fingers extend: Either the subject’s wrist or fingers
extend; for the wrist this looks like the distance between the back
of the hand and the backside of the forearm shortens; for the
fingers, this looks like the fingers are lengthening out, decreasing
the bend at the knuckles.
[3.2] Supination: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces upwards or forwards.
[3.3] Release of contact with stone as hand lifts: The subject may make
small movements in the adjustment phase, one of them being
releasing the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If their hand
is no longer touching the stone after loosening their grasp, they
have then released contact with the stone.
[3.4] Pronation: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces downwards or backwards.
[3.5] Re-contact with stone as hand lowers: If the subject did not engage
in measure 3.3, then they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If they
did engage in measure 3.3, and they return their hand to the stone,
they have regained contact with the stone.
[3.6] Wrist and/or fingers flex: Either the subject’s wrist or fingers flex;
35
for the wrist this looks like the distance between the palm of the
hand and the underside of the forearm shortens; for the fingers, this
looks like the fingers bend, increasing the bend at the knuckles.
[3.7] Lateral deviation at the wrist: The subject’s wrist bends either to
the left or the right; the hand does not move in the vertical plane
meaning the palm of the hand neither gets closer to the underside
of the forearm nor farther from it.
[4] Inward (Towards the body) – This phase encompasses the main
movements that compose the inward motion, in which the subject
manipulates the stone towards their body, creating less distance
between their torso and the stone.
[4.1] Torso & limb movement are synchronized: The subject’s torso
and limb manipulating the stone move together at the same time;
the torso supports the limb, moving in coordination with the limb,
as the stone is moved inward, towards the subject’s body.
[4.2] Distally initiated: The inward movement begins with a movement
from either the subject’s wrist or their hand. The wrist or hand
moves first rather than the elbow, shoulder or torso.
[4.3] Wrist extends as hand moves towards torso: As the
subject moves their hand towards their body, the wrist bends so
that the distance between the back of the hand and the backside of
the forearm shortens.
[4.4] Fingers flex as hand moves towards torso: As the
36
subject moves their hand towards their body, the fingers bend,
increasing the bend at the knuckles.
[4.5] Hand moves along a straight pathway: As the subject moves their
hand towards their body, the hand moves straight, with no curves
or meandering.
[4.6] Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging
Effort Qualities: Throughout the entire inward phase of
movement, there are more Condensing Effort Qualities (Strong
Weight, Bound Flow, Quick Time, and Direct Space) than
Indulging Effort Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not focus on the
specific Effort Qualities and instead focused on the gradient they
stem from, Condensing to Indulging. Effort Qualities cannot be
perceived by viewing a video frame-by-frame. To quantify the
Effort Qualities, the video must be viewed at its normal speed.
[5] Second Adjustment – Following the inward phase, this phase
encompasses the main movements that occur once the stone has been
brought inwards, towards the subject’s body but before the subject
either ceases to handle the stone or initiates another rub. During this
phase, movements appeared to be small positioning changes on the
stone, while the stone remained in one location. In this phase, for the
measures to receive a score of 1, they must happen in the listed order.
For example, if measure 5.2 occurred after measure 5.4, it would still
37
receive a score of 0. The exception is measure 5.6, which could receive
a 1 independent of the order of occurrence.
[5.1] Wrist and/or fingers extend: Either the subject’s wrist or fingers
extend; for the wrist this looks like the distance between the back
of the hand and the backside of the forearm shortens; for the
fingers, this looks like the fingers are lengthening out, decreasing
the bend at the knuckles.
[5.2] Supination: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces upwards or forwards.
[5.3] Release of contact with stone as hand lifts: The subject may make
small movements in the adjustment phase, one of them being
releasing the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If their hand
is no longer touching the stone after loosening their grasp, they
have then released contact with the stone.
[5.4] Pronation: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces downwards or backwards.
[5.5] Re-contact with stone as hand lowers: If the subject did not engage
in measure 5.3, then they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If they
did engage in measure 5.3 and they return their hand to the stone,
they have regained contact with the stone.
[5.6] Lateral deviation at the wrist: The subject’s wrist bends either to
38
the left or the right; the hand does not move in the vertical plane
meaning the palm of the hand neither gets closer to the underside
of the forearm nor farther from it.
[6] Ending orientation – This phase encompasses the ending position of the
subject at the end of a rubbing act regardless of whether the subject
continued to engage in SH, or if they ceased to perform SH.
[6.1] Face oriented towards stone: The subject’s forehead and face are
pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[6.2] Body oriented towards stone: The midline of the subject’s torso is
pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
Pounding Rating Scale
This rating scale consisted of six phases of movements visible in a single pound
(i.e., act): starting orientation, upswing, adjustment, downswing, transition, and ending
orientation. Within each phase, there are movements (i.e., measures) that compose that
phase of a pound. Each measure will be further described in the following text and again
in Appendix B.
[1] Starting Orientation – This phase encompasses the starting position of the
subject at the beginning of a pounding act.
[1.1] Face oriented towards stone: The subject’s forehead and face are
pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[1.2] Body orientated towards stone: The midline of the subject’s torso
is pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[2] Upswing – This phase encompasses the main movements that compose the
39
upward motion, in which the subject manipulates the stone off and
away from the ground.
[2.1] Torso & limb movement are synchronized: The subject’s torso
and limb manipulating the stone move together at the same time;
the torso supports the limb, moving in coordination with the limb,
as the stone is lifted off of the ground.
[2.2] Distally initiated (wrist and hand): The upward movement begins
with a movement from either the subject’s wrist or their hand. The
wrist or hand moves first rather than the elbow, shoulder, or torso.
[2.3] Wrist flexes as hand moves away from the ground: As the subject
lifts the stone off of the ground, the wrist bends so that the distance
between the palm of the hand and the underside of the forearm
shortens.
[2.4] Fingers flex as hand moves away from the ground: As the subject
lifts the stone off of the ground, the fingers bend, increasing the
bend at the knuckles.
[2.5] Supination: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces upwards or forwards.
[2.6] Movement in either vertical or sagittal plane: As the subject
raises their arm with the stone away the ground, the movement
remains in either the vertical or sagittal plane.
[2.7] Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging
Qualities: Throughout the entire upward phase of movement, there
40
are more Condensing Effort Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound
Flow, Quick Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained Time, and Indirect
Space). This measure did not focus on the specific Effort Qualities
and instead focused on the gradient they stem from, Condensing to
Indulging. To quantify the Effort Qualities, the video must be
viewed at its normal speed.
[3] Adjustment – Following the upswing phase, this phase encompasses the
main movements that occur at the highest point of the upswing phase
when the stone was no longer moving in the vertical or sagittal plane.
During this phase, movements appeared to be small positioning
changes on the stone, prior to the downswing phase.
[3.1] Forelimb rotation: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces upwards or forwards (i.e.,
supination) or so that the palm faces downwards or backwards
(i.e., pronation).
[3.2] Wrist extends and/or flexes: The subject’s wrist bends so that the
distance between the back of the hand and the backside of the
forearm shortens (i.e., extension) or so that the distance between
the palm of the hand and the underside of the forearm shortens
(i.e., flexion).
[3.3] Fingers extend and/or flex: The subject’s fingers bend so that the
41
fingers are lengthening out, decreasing the bend at the knuckles
(i.e., extension) or so that the fingers bend, increasing the bend at
the knuckles (i.e., flexion).
[3.4] Lateral deviation at the wrist: The subject’s wrist bends either to
the left or the right, the hand does not move in the vertical plane
meaning the palm of the hand neither gets closer to the underside
of the forearm nor farther from it.
[4] Downswing – This phase encompasses the main movements that compose
the downward motion, in which the subject manipulates the stone
closer to the ground, eventually completely returning the stone to the
ground.
[4.1] Torso & limb movement are synchronized: The subject’s torso
and limb manipulating the stone move together at the same time;
the torso supports the limb, moving in coordination with the limb,
as the stone is returned to the ground.
[4.2] Distally initiated (wrist and hand): The downward movement
begins with a movement from either the subject’s wrist or their
hand. The wrist or hand moves first rather than the elbow, shoulder
or torso.
[4.3] Wrist extends as the hand moves towards the ground: As the
subject moves the stone towards the ground, the wrist bends so that
the distance between the back of the hand and the backside of the
forearm shortens.
42
[4.4] Fingers extend as the hand moves towards the ground: As the
subject moves the stone towards the ground, the fingers lengthen
out, decreasing the bend at the knuckles.
[4.5] Pronation: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces downwards or backwards.
[4.6] Movement in either vertical or sagittal plane: As the subject
lowers their arm with the stone towards the ground, the movement
remains in the vertical or sagittal plane.
[4.7] Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging
Qualities: Throughout the entire downward phase of movement,
there are more Condensing Effort Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound
Flow, Quick Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained Time, and Indirect
Space). This measure did not focus on the specific Effort Qualities
and instead focused on the gradient they stem from, Condensing to
Indulging. To quantify the Effort Qualities, the video has to be
viewed at its normal speed.
[5] Transition – Following the downswing phase, this phase encompasses the
main movements that occur once the stone is touching the ground, but
before the subject either ceases to perform SH or initiates another
pound. During this phase, movements appeared to be small
positioning changes on the stone, while the stone remained in one
location. During this phase, for the measures to receive a score of 1,
43
they must happen in the listed order. For example, if measure 5.2
occurred after 5.4, it would still receive a score of a 0. The exception is
measure 5.7 which could receive a 1 independent of the order of
occurrence.
[5.1] Wrist and/or fingers extend: Either the subject’s wrist or fingers
extend; for the wrist, this looks like the distance between back of
the hand and the backside off the forearm shortens; for the fingers,
this looks like the fingers are lengthening out, decreasing the bend
at the knuckles.
[5.2] Supination: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces upwards or forwards.
[5.3] Release of contact with stone as hand lifts: The subject may make
small movements in the adjustment phase, one of them being
releasing the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If their hand
is no longer touching the stone after loosening their grasp, they
have then released contact with the stone.
[5.4] Pronation: The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e., lower arm)
rotate so that the palm faces downwards or backwards.
[5.5] Re-contact with stone as hand lowers: If the subject did not engage
in measure 5.3, then they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If they
did engage in measure 5.3 and they return their hand to the stone,
they have regained contact with the stone.
[5.6] Wrist and/or fingers flex: Either the subject’s wrist or fingers flex;
44
for the wrist, this looks like the distance between the palm of the
hand and the underside of the forearm shortens; for the fingers, this
looks like the fingers bend, increasing the bend at the knuckles.
[5.7] Lateral deviation at the wrist: The subject’s wrist bends either to
the left or the right; the hand does not move in the vertical plane
meaning the palm of the hand neither gets closer to the underside
of the forearm nor farther from it.
[6] Ending Orientation – This phase encompasses the ending position of the
subject at the ending of a pounding act regardless of whether the
subject continued to engage in SH, or if they ceased to perform SH.
[6.1] Face orientated towards stone: The subject’s forehead and face are
pointed at the stone they are manipulating.
[6.2] Body orientated towards stone: The midline of the subject’s torso
is pointed at the stone they are manipulating
Study Part 2 Methods- Rating Scales
Subjects
For the rubbing SH pattern, three adult male subjects were selected. A total of 73
acts were scored (Table 2.2). For the pounding SH pattern, three adult male subjects were
selected. A total of 101 acts were scored (Table 2.3).
Scoring
To further examine the structural variations seen within rubbing and within
pounding, numerous samples of the RP1, RP2, and GP were scored using the Rubbing
Rating Scale and Pounding Rating Scale. The same selection protocol used for the Motif
45
selection was used to select the SH sequences; however, the number of acts in a SH
sequence was not a selection criterion (e.g., some SH sequences contained 3 acts and
some contained 5 acts).
Following analyses comparing RP1, RP2, and GP, additional SH sequences were
scored. SH sequences were separated into two categories. The first category included SH
sequences that appeared to be the rougher/rigid presentation (RP) of the pattern. The
second category included the SH sequences that appeared to be the gentler/fluid
presentation (GP) of the pattern. For the rubbing SH pattern, seven adult male subjects
were selected. A total of 90 acts were scored (Table 2.4). For the pounding SH pattern, 11
adult male subjects were selected. A total of 110 acts were scored (Table 2.5). SH
sequences containing the individual acts were selected based on the same protocol used
for the Motif selection; however, the order of occurrence of the RP vs. the GP was
irrelevant, as well as the number of acts within the SH sequences.
All scoring was done by reviewing each act frame-by-frame and regular speed
repeatedly. As each act was reviewed, it was scored using the corresponding rating scale.
If the measure occurred in the way it was defined, then a 1 was scored. If the measure did
not occur, then a 0 was scored. For specific definitions of each measure, see Appendix B.
For both rubbing and pounding, an intra-scorer reliability test was conducted.
Statistical Analyses
All statistical analyses were performed for the rubbing SH pattern and pounding
SH pattern separately. A series of odds ratios and two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests
(K-S tests) were conducted to compare the RP and GP of the rubbing and pounding SH
patterns. An odds ratio is typically used to compare the odds of occurrence of a behaviour
46
based on the variable of interest. An odds ratio of 1 indicates that there was no effect due
to the variable analysed. An odds ratio less than and greater than 1 indicates that there
was an effect due the variable analysed. In this study, the number of times the subject
scored a 1 was divided by the total number of times the subject scored a 0 as indicated by
the respective rating scales. The odds ratio was then calculated by dividing the previously
described values for two different variations such as (ex.
!"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 1 ÷ 2"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 3 +2 *4% 56
!"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 1 2"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 3 +2 *4% 76 ). For this study, ÷
an odds ratio exceeding a value of 1 indicates that the subject was more likely to perform
the measures in the rating scale (i.e., Rubbing Rating Scale or Pounding Rating Scale)
when performing the performance type of interest (e.g., RP). An odds ratio of 1 indicated
that there was no effect due to the version being analysed (e.g., RP). An odds ratio less
than 1 indicated that the subject was likely to perform fewer of the measures in the rating
scale when performing the version of interest (e.g., RP). The 95% confidence interval
eln(OR) ± 1.96:
1
a +
1 1 1
was calculated as b
+ c + d where e is the mathematical constant for the
natural log, ln is the natural log, and where a is the number of times subjects scored a 1 in
the RP, b is the number of times subjects scored a 0 in the RP, c is the number of times
subjects scored a 1 in the GP, and d is the number of times a subject scored a 0 in the GP.
1 1 1 1
The z-score required to obtain a p-value was calculated as ln(OR)/ " + + + .
a b c d
The two-sample K-S test is a non-parametric analysis used to compare two
distributions. To develop the distributions, data were filtered within subject, then by
variation, and then by each phase of movement. Within each phase, the total number of
times an individual scored a 1 for each measure was divided by the total number of times
47
an individual could have scored a 1 for this measure. This resulted in a proportion
representing the rate of occurrence of each measure, within each phase, for each subject.
These proportions, from each subject, created the distributions that were used in the
series of K-S tests. All subjects were weighted equally. Only one value per subject was
included in the distribution.
A Cohen’s kappa coefficient was calculated to determine intra-scorer reliability.
The closer the coefficient is to 1, the stronger the level of agreement is (Cohen, 1960).
Significance levels were set at a = 0.05. Analyses were done using R 3.6.2 (R Core
Team, 2020; Wickham, 2016; Wickham et al., 2019), MedCalc Software2, and manual
calculations.
Study Part 2 – Results
The RRS and PRS were developed using Motifs. These scales list both the
kinematic and non-kinematic motor components of the rubbing SH pattern and pounding
SH pattern. The results from the odds ratio may be a statistical artifact, specifically a
Type I error due to how the data were aggregated across subjects rather than within
subject. Due to the aggregation of data across subjects, the subjects are not weighted
equally and there is pseudo-replication in the data set. To remove bias, the data should
not be aggregated across subjects. In contrast, the K-S tests were conducted using
distributions derived from proportions that accounted for differences in the number of
acts scored per subject by using averages. Therefore, I primarily relied on the K-S tests
2 MedCalc Software Ltd. Odds ratio calculator. https://www.medcalc.org/calc/odds_ratio.php
48
when interpreting the results. However, as the two-sample K-S test only identifies if there
is a significant difference between two distributions, odds ratios were reported because
they identify the directionality of the difference between the two distributions.
Rubbing
Three odds ratios were calculated to compare each type of performance (RP vs.
GP) to each other. When performing RP1, subjects were more likely to perform the
;<= ÷ <>;
measures in the RRS than when performing the GP; the odds ratio was ? ÷ ;@> = 1.99
(95% CI: 1.59 – 2.50, p < 0.05). When performing the RP1 of the rubbing SH pattern and
the RP2 of the rubbing SH pattern, subjects were equally likely to perform the measures
;<= ÷ <>;
in the RRS; the odds ratio was A;; ><= = 1.08 (95% CI: 0.87 – 1.33, p > 0.05). When ÷
performing the GP, subjects were less likely to perform the measures in the RRS than
?÷ ;@>
when performing the RP2 of the rubbing SH pattern; the odds ratio was A;; ><= = 0.54 ÷
(95% CI: 0.44 – 0.66, p < 0.05). Following these results, the RP1 and RP2 performances
were no longer separated based on their temporal location in the SH sequences.
When analysing the similarities and differences between the RP and the GP, an
odds ratio was calculated comparing the variations as a whole and then each movement
phase was analysed separately (Figure 2.6). When performing the RP, subjects were more
likely to perform the measures in the RRS than when performing the GP; the odds ratio
?B= ÷ ??;
was >?= BB; = 1.96 (95% CI: 1.68 – 2.29, p < 0.05). ÷
There was a statistically significant difference in the distributions of the RP and
the GP for the “Orientation” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 7) = 1.00, p < 0.05). The odds ratio
B< ÷ B
was >1 >@ = 12.25 (95% CI: 5.31-28.27, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant ÷
49
difference in the distribution of the RP and the distribution of the GP for the “Outward”
1B> ÷ B?
phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 7) = 0.71, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was 1<3 1A3 = 2.67 (95% CI: ÷
1.88-3.80, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the distributions
of the RP and the GP for the “First Adjustment” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 7) = 0.43, p >
== ÷ <;B
0.05). The odds ratio was ?1 = 1.35 (95% CI: 0.92 – 1.97, p > 0.05). There was no ÷
statistically significant difference in the distributions of the RP and the GP for the
1BA ÷ BA
“Inward” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 7) = 0.57 , p > 0.05). The odds ratio was 1>> = 1.90 ÷ 1
(95% CI: 1.34 – 2.70, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the
distributions of the RP and the GP for the “Second Adjustment” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 7)
=A ÷ <>3
= 0.43, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was A@ 0.05). ÷
There was a statistically significant difference in the distributions of the RP and the GP
for the “Ending Orientation” phase (K-S test, D(m,n =7) = 0.86, p < 0.05). The odds ratio
B> ÷ ?
was >< >B = 16.00 (95% CI: 6.33 – 40.39, p < 0.05). The intra-scorer reliability for the ÷
rubbing SH pattern was Kappa = 0.75.
Pounding
Three odds ratios were calculated to compare each variation to each other. When
performing the RP1 of the pounding SH pattern, subjects were more likely to perform the
A ÷ AA>
measures in the PRS than when performing the GP; odds ratio was ;<; >B= = 1.43 (95% ÷
CI: 1.19 - 1.72, p < 0.05). When performing the RP1 of the pounding SH pattern, subjects
were equally likely to perform the measures in the PRS than when performing the RP2 of
A ÷ AA>
the pounding SH pattern; the odds ratio was >1B ><< = 0.96 (95% CI: 0.80 – 1.15, p > ÷
0.05). When performing the GP, subjects were less likely to perform the measures in the
50
;<; ÷ >B=
PRS than when performing the RP2; the odds ratio was >1B ><< = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.55 – ÷
0.81, p < 0.05). Following these results, the first and second rougher/rigid performances
were no longer separated based on their temporal location in the SH sequences.
When analysing the similarities and differences between the RP and the GP, an
odds ratio was calculated comparing the variations as a whole and then each movement
phase was analysed separately (Figure 2.7). When performing the RP, subjects were more
likely to perform the measures in the PRS than when performing the GP; the odds ratio
BB< ÷ =?B
was =<3 @;3 = 1.48 (95% CI: 1.29 – 1.70, p < 0.05). ÷
There was a statistically significant difference in the distributions of the RP and
the GP for the “Orientation” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 11) = 1.00, p < 0.05). The odds ratio
@= ÷ 1;
was A? A> = 7.20 (95% CI: 3.61 – 14.33, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant ÷
difference in the distributions of the RP and the GP for the “Upswing” phase (K-S test,
<>1 ÷ 1>>
D(m,n = 11) = 0.36, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was 1BB ÷ 1@= = 1.75 (95% CI: 1.32 – 2.34, p <
0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the distributions of the RP and
the GP for the “Adjustment” phase (K-S test, D(m = 11, n = 10) = 0.30, p > 0.05). The odds
>A ÷ 1=A
ratio was A< ÷ 1?B = 0.83 (95% CI: 0.53 – 1.31, p > 0.05). There was no statistically
significant difference in the distributions of the RP and the GP for the “Downswing”
;1? ÷ 1<>
phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 11) = 0.55, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was <=? 1?> = 1.51 (95% CI: ÷
1.14 – 2.01, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the distributions
of the RP and the GP for the “Transition” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 11) = 0.27, p > 0.05). The
B@ ÷ <@?
odds ratio was @1 <@> = 0.97 (95% CI: 0.70 – 1.36, p > 0.05). There was a statistically ÷
significant difference in the distributions of the RP and the GP for the “Ending
51
@> ÷ 1?
Orientation” phase (K-S test, D(m,n = 11) = 0.73, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was A= ÷ A; =
5.46 (95% CI: 2.86 – 10.45, p < 0.05). The intra-scorer reliability for the pounding SH
pattern was Kappa = 0.55.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to study the movement composition of two
potential variations of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding. This study used a
universal language system, LMA, to study the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of
the two SH patterns. By implementing LMA, I was able to develop an objective list of
fine and gross motor limb movements as well as quantify the differences between the
performances of two different SH patterns. Both rating scales, the RRS and PRS, and
results from this study indicate that LMA is capable of providing in-depth descriptions of
the subtle structural variations within the movements that create a behavioural expression
such as rubbing a stone. The rating scales developed in this study can be used in future
studies described at the end of the discussion section.
When compared through a series of odds ratios, the RP1 and RP2 were not
statistically significantly different in terms of movement components in both the rubbing
SH pattern and the pounding SH pattern. In other words, subjects were equally likely to
perform the measures in the RRS and PRS when performing the RP1 and the RP2 of
rubbing and pounding, respectively. This result indicates that the RP1 and the RP2 are
performed in a similar manner despite their different temporal location in the SH
sequence. The odds ratios comparing the RP1 and RP2 to the GP revealed that there were
small differences in the odds of a subject performing more of the measures in the RRS
52
and PRS, with the odds being higher when performing the RP1 or the RP2 (Chen et al.,
2010; Cohen, 1988).
Once the RP1 and the RP2 were grouped as RP, regardless if they occurred before
or after the GP, the subsequent series of K-S tests, comparing the distributions
representing the occurrence of the measures within the RP and the GP, revealed that the
“Starting Orientation” phase and the “Ending Orientation” phase were the only phases
that were performed statistically significantly differently in each of the SH patterns. The
odds ratios comparing the RP to the GP revealed that there were large differences in the
odds of a subject performing more of the measures in the RRS and PRS, with the odds
being higher when performing the RP than the GP (Chen et al., 2010; Cohen, 1988).
However, these findings suggest that there are no distinct differences between the
rougher/rigid and gentler/fluid performances of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns.
There are three potential explanations for these findings. First, the way the subject orients
themselves to the stones may influence the observers perception of the performance to be
either rough (when the subject is orientating towards the stone) or gentle (when the
subject orientates away form the stone). Second, it is possible that the measures in the
“Starting Orientation” and “Ending Orientation” phases are sensitive enough to capture
some of the subtle nuances in the performance of the rougher/rigid versus gentler/fluid
performances by the subjects, but the subsequent measures are not sensitive enough.
Third, the way the subject orients themselves to the stone may influence the quality of
subsequent movements in ways that the other measures in the rating scales are not
sensitive enough to capture.
53
The “Orientation” and the “Ending Orientation” phases of both SH patterns
consist of two main measures, “Face orientated towards stone” and “Body orientated
towards stone.” Both the ‘Orientation” and “Ending Orientation” phases reflect the
subjects’ posture in relationship to the stone and the subsequent manipulation of the
stone. The way the subjects orient themselves may be indicative of their intentions as
well as the underlying cognitive mechanisms associated with each instance of SH
(Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000; Perrett & Emery, 1994). Amongst other taxa, non-
human primates often use the gaze direction and body orientation of conspecifics to
interpret what they are attending to (for a review see Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000;
Perrett & Emery, 1994). This study has shown that the main difference observed between
the RP and the GP is the orientation of the subject, and potentially where the subject is
attending to, while engaging in SH. Future analyses (Chapter Three) will investigate the
role of visual attention on the performance of the rubbing SH pattern and the pounding
SH pattern.
Whether or not the proximate or ultimate cause of engaging in SH is the same for
both types of performances still needs to be investigated. For example, perhaps the
subject is engaging in SH due to a playful motivation (Pellis et al., 2019), then briefly
becomes distracted by an environmental stimulus, and thus performs the SH pattern in the
gentler manner. Or perhaps the subject is engaging in SH due to a fidgeting related
motivation and their attention is turned inwards in a state of spontaneous mind-wandering
and this state of attention results in a gentler performance of the SH pattern (cf. Carriere
et al., 2013; Seli et al., 2014).
54
The structure of a movement has the potential of unveiling the cause of the
movement (Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran, 1985; Pellis & Pellis, 1998; Tinbergen, 1963).
Typically in functional tasks, such as reaching to eat, healthy uninjured subjects (human
or non-human), perform a series of movements (including inhibitory or stabilizing
movements), in service of achieving their goal, or to fulfill the function of the behaviour,
using the least energy possible (Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). Therefore, both obvious and
subtle variations of a behaviour, such as the orientation of a subject, may indicate a
variation in the execution of the underlying cognitive mechanisms (e.g., focus on the
behavioural expression vs. an inward focus), or a different proximate or ultimate cause
associated with that variation of the behaviour compared to the “typical” variation of the
behaviour. This relationship between the structure of a behaviour and its function is a key
component of the “design-feature argument” otherwise known as the structure-to-
function framework (Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran, 1985).
Pelletier (2017) used Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation, another movement
analysis, to demonstrate that there are structural variations present in the execution of the
pounding SH pattern compared to nut pounding. The results presented by Pelletier (2017)
indicate how variations of phenotypically similar behaviours may have different
underlying motivational mechanisms. Building on the findings of Pelletier (2017), this
study adds to the knowledge base of SH by identifying two different variations of how
subjects posture themselves in relation to the stones. Future analyses will investigate why
the subjects posture themselves in that specific way, beginning the exploration into the
“function” aspect of the “structure-to-function” framework.
55
Given the preliminary results presented in this study, another pertinent question
that needs to be asked is how we know when it is appropriate to categorize a
performance, or even a behaviour, as a separate variation or as a different behavioural
category (e.g., fidgeting, object play) (cf. Fentress, 1992; 2008). Rather than assume that
each performance is completely unrelated to another, this study aims to propose an
alternative view as building blocks for future analyses that may be able to address the
categorization of the variations. Future studies will continue to use the RRS and PRS to
assess the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of the rubbing and pounding SH
patterns in various emotional (e.g., stress), motivational (e.g., using an edible item to
perform the same SH patterns), and attentional (e.g., gaze direction) states. In this study,
the RP and the GP were grouped in a binary manner for analytical purposes; however, it
is entirely plausible that there is a gradient along which each individual SH pattern is
executed. The gradient may reflect the subtle changing of an underlying mechanism (e.g.,
a shift of attention inwards, away from an external stimulus such as the stone).
56
57
Figure 2.1. A portion of one Motif of two rubbing acts is provided as an example of
Motif. For reference, each rubbing act is indicated by the numbered brackets.
However, the brackets do not encompass the entire sequence of acts. The “Second
Adjustment” and “Ending Orientation” phases of a rub are not in the bracketed
section, these phases follow immediately after rubbing act 1 and 2 respectively. A
Motif is read from the bottom up. The bottom portion encapsulated in the double bars
represents the start of the action. The symbols in between the two sets of double bar
lines represent the starting position of each limb notated in the Motif. From left to
right: the fingers which are flexed, the palm of the hand which is touching the stone
which is covered by a leaf (i.e., the circle with an A in it and a leaf on top), the hand,
which is forward and down, the wrist which is extended, and the elbow which is
approaching flexion. The single bar line at the top of the Motif indicates that the
notation is continued on subsequent page. Duration is represented by the length of
each symbol. The Rubbing Rating Scale was developed based on a series of Motifs
derived from multiple rubbing acts performed by from multiple subjects (see
Appendix B for the full list of measures and objective definitions).
58
59
Figure 2.2. A portion of one Motif of four pounding acts is provided as an example of
Motif. For reference, each pounding act is indicated by the numbered brackets. A
Motif is read from the bottom up. The bottom portion encapsulated in the double bars
represents the start of the notation. The symbols in between the two sets of double bar
lines represent the starting position of each limb notated in the Motif. From left to
right: the circle with an A in it connected to the squiggle represents the stone and the
substrate, the fingers which are extended, the palm of the hand, which is touching the
stone, the hand, which is forward and down, and the wrist which is flexed. The single
bar line at the top of the Motif indicates that the notation is continued on a subsequent
page. Duration is represented by the length of each symbol. The symbols encapsulated
in brackets in the notation represent one act (i.e., a single pound). The Pounding
Rating Scale was developed based on a series of Motifs derived from multiple
pounding acts performed by multiple subjects (see Appendix B for the full list of
measures and objective definitions).
60
RP1 GP RP2
Figure 2.3. A visualization of a stone handling sequence is shown. Each circle
represents one act. An act is one rub or one pound, consisting of the six phases of
movement. A phase consists of one group of movements, referred to as measures, that
are listed in sequential order, unless otherwise specified. The provided example of
phases and measures in the highlighted act, pertains to the rubbing SH pattern. The
acts in red represent the portion of the SH sequence selected for each variation. The
red arrows labeled “20 seconds” represents the temporal criterion for selecting the
portion of the SH sequence to represent each variation.
61
Figure 2.4. A visualization of a rubbing act consisting of each of the six phases and
their corresponding measures is provided.
62
Figure 2.5. A visualization of a pounding act consisting of each of the six phases and
their corresponding measures in each phase is provided.
63
Table 2.1. Study subjects’ identity, sex and SH pattern notated for the Motifs
ID Sex SH Pattern
White Eyebrows Male Pounding
Zsolt Male Pounding
Splash Male Rubbing
Awkward Cami Male Rubbing
Pinocchio Male Rubbing
Table 2.2. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
rubbing SH pattern for the RP1, GP, and RP2
SH pattern for each variation.
ID RP1 GP RP2
Pinocchio 9 5 12
Awkward Cami 2 3 4
Splash 8 14 16
Table 2.3. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
pounding SH pattern for the RP1, GP, and RP2
ID RP1 GP RP2
White Eyebrows 15 16 14
Zsolt 14 18 11
Zeus 7 3 3
Table 2.4. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
rubbing SH pattern for the RP and the GP
ID RP GP
Zsolt 5 5
Obelix 7 7
Little Finger 7 7
Locke 5 5
Pinocchio 5 5
Splash 8 8
Lancelot 8 8
64
Table 2.5. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored for the
pounding SH pattern for the RP and GP
ID RP GP
Anvil 3 3
Danger 2 2
Little Finger 9 9
Ned 3 3
Temple Baggy 2 2
Temple 5 5
Zsolt 8 8
Logan 2 2
Mufy 2 2
White 16 16
Zeus 3 3
65
RP
GP
Figure 2.6. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred
for each phase within the rubbing SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the width of
each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From left to
right: 1 – Starting Orientation, 2 – Outward, 3 – First Adjustment, 4 – Inward, 5 –
Second Adjustment, 6 – Ending Orientation. In the “Orientation” phase and the
“Ending Orientation” phase, the distributions for the RP and the GP were statistically
significantly different. For both phases, the corresponding measures occurred more
often when the subjects were performing the RP.
66
RP
GP
Figure 2.7. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred
for each phase within the pounding SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the width of
each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From left to
right: 1 – Starting Orientation, 2 – Upswing, 3- Adjustment, 4 – Downswing, 5 –
Transition, 6 – Ending Orientation. In the “Orientation” phase and the “Ending
Orientation” phase, the distributions for the RP and the GP were statistically
significantly different. For both phases, the corresponding measures occurred more
often when subjects were performing the RP.
67
CHAPTER THREE
The Role of Gaze Direction on the Structural Composition of Two Stone Handling
Behaviour Patterns: A Structural Analysis of Rubbing and Pounding in Balinese
Long-Tailed Macaques
Abstract
Stone handling (SH) is a repetitive, playful, object-directed behaviour performed by
geladas and multiple species of macaques. Across species, there are approximately 40 SH
behavioural patterns otherwise known as SH patterns. Overall, SH is a highly variable
behavioural category. When handling the stones, an individual may perform the same SH
pattern repeatedly or switch between SH patterns. The underlying attentional, emotional,
and motivational states of SH remain unknown. The arbitrary, repetitive, and variable
features observed in SH have also been observed when humans engage in fidgeting.
Currently fidgeting is associated with wandering attention from the focal task and with
stress. To further our understanding of the attentional processes associated with SH, this
study draws on the current understanding of fidgeting to examine the role of gaze
direction on the structural composition of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding, in
Balinese long-tailed macaques. I employed a movement analysis system, Eshkol-
Wachmann Movement Notation, to assess if forehead direction is a suitable proxy for
gaze direction. I then used two rating scales (namely, the Rubbing Rating Scale and
Pounding Rating Scale) developed in previous work (Chapter Two) to quantify the
structural composition of rubbing and pounding when the subject was looking at the
stone and when they were looking away from the stone. The rating scales were developed
using Laban Movement Analysis. The results from this study highlight the variability
within an individual SH pattern that is dependent on the gaze direction. This variability
primarily stems from the synchronization, or lack thereof, of the active limbs (i.e., the
68
fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, and upper arm manipulating the stone), and the torso.
Additionally, movements possessed more rigidity and constraint during states in which
the gaze direction was on the stone. The use of the two rating scales derived from a
universal, and objective ‘language’ system, provides a strong foundation for future
investigations on the role of attention in causally opaque and seemingly functionless
object manipulation such as fidgeting.
69
Introduction
Since fidgets (i.e., small non-edible objects that can be squeezed, squished,
pressed, pulled, spun, or chewed using the hands and mouth) have entered the market, the
phenomenon of fidgeting has become more apparent in the media and the daily
conversations of the public (da Câmara et al., 2018; Hulick, 2017). Researchers spanning
the fields of education, occupational therapy, human-computer interactions, psychiatry,
and clinical psychology have been investigating both how and why fidgeting occurs
(Andrade, 2010; Belak et al., 2017; Carriere et al., 2013; da Câmara, et al., 2018;
Graziano et al., 2018; Hansen et al., 2017; Karlesky & Isbister, 2016; Mathis, 2019). The
behavioural category of fidgeting encompasses a diverse range of behaviours including
self-directed (e.g., hair twirling), fine motor movements (e.g., tapping a finger on your
desk) and object-directed manipulations (e.g., the repetitive and arbitrary clicking of a
pen or the unfolding and re-shaping of a paper clip) (Mathis, 2019; Perrykkad & Hohwy,
2020; Reinecke et al., 2020). The range of documented fidgeting behaviours, such as
those previously described, have resulted in a limited understanding of fidgeting as a
behavioural category (Reinecke et al., 2020). However, despite the lack of information on
fidgeting, this activity has been used as a measure of attention in studies investigating
attentiveness and retention (Carriere et al., 2013; Farley et al., 2013; Lion-François et al.,
2017). Fidgeting is also used as a diagnostic criterion for neurodevelopmental disorders
including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
The diversity of behavioural expressions that are categorized as fidgeting have
also been categorized as: displacement behaviours, stereotypic behaviours, akathisia, and
70
psychomotor agitation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Barash, 1974; Sachdev
& Kruk, 1996; Troisi, 2002). The lack of consensus on an objective definition of
fidgeting is problematic as it prevents further understanding of the behavioural category
and may cause problems when diagnosing children and adults with attentional disorders
(Reinecke et al., 2020; Sayal et al., 2006). For example, Sayal et al. (2006) found that
parents often described children as having behavioural and learning problems rather than
hyperactivity (i.e., excessive motor activity or excessive fidgeting), thus preventing the
proper diagnosis of their child (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Similarly, da
Câmara et al. (2018) found that parents had trouble identifying fidgeting behaviours in
their children and often confused what the authors had dictated was fidgeting with play
behaviours.
We now need to ask ourselves, does the behavioural category of fidgeting
encompass multiple variations of one behaviour – fidgeting (e.g., leg swinging or pen
clicking), or are multiple behaviours mis-categorized as fidgeting? When faced with
behavioural categories, such as fidgeting and stereotypy, that share similarities in their
observable, identifying characteristic(s) (e.g., repetition), and the cognitive processes(s)
underlying the behaviour (e.g., attentional processes), the distinguishing line between
behavioural categories becomes blurry (cf. Fentress, 2008). This study aims to utilize the
current understanding of fidgeting (i.e., a repetitive yet variable and ubiquitous
behaviour) to investigate another repetitive, variable, and ubiquitous behavioural
category of non-instrumental object manipulation performed by non-human primates –
stone handling (SH) (Cangiano & Palagi, 2020; Nahallage et al., 2016; Pelletier et al.,
2017). While this study does not directly address the movement structure of behavioural
71
expressions of fidgeting in humans, it aims to touch on the power of a systematic cross-
species comparative approach by highlighting two ambiguous non-instrumental
manipulative behavioural categories: fidgeting and SH (cf. Leca & Vasey, 2016). Cross-
species comparative approaches can highlight the co-evolution and transformations (i.e.,
the changes a behaviour goes through over time due to phenotypic and genetic
conditions) of behaviours over a period of time and between species along with their
associated underlying processes (Martins, 1996).
SH is a category of repetitive, but not stereotypic, non-instrumental and playful
manipulation of stones observed in groups of geladas (Theropithecus gelada), Japanese
macaques (Macaca fuscata), rhesus macaques (M. mulatta), Taiwanese macaques (M.
cyclopsis), and long-tailed macaques (M. fascicularis) (Cangiano & Palagi, 2020;
Nahallage et al., 2016; Pelletier et al., 2017). The behavioural category of SH is
composed of multiple distinct SH behavioural patterns, referred to as SH patterns, each
being described as “a single, non-instrumental, stone-directed, specifically defined
manipulative action” such as rubbing, pounding, rolling, or gathering (Pelletier, 2017, p.
26). SH patterns are performed during a SH bout, typically defined as a period of time in
which an individual engages in SH with interruptions no longer than 120 seconds
(Huffman, 1996). Within a given SH sequence, truncated from a SH bout, an individual
may perform one SH pattern multiple times, or alternate between multiple SH patterns
repeatedly; however, SH is not a stereotypic behavioural category due to variation in the
execution of a SH pattern (Cenni et al., in press; cf. Mason, 1991). Variation(s) may be
due to individual preference (e.g., one individual may choose to use both hands while
another may choose to use one hand to manipulate the stone in similar ways),
72
environmental context (e.g., individuals may manipulate the stone as a form of agonistic
display, such as throwing the stone), and environmental constraints (e.g., stone
availability, shape/texture of the supporting substrate) (Leca et al., 2008a, 2008b, 2010a,
2010b, Leca et al., 2008c; Nahallage & Huffman, 2008a). Additionally, it appears that the
choice of SH pattern performed is up to the individual. It is unknown why an individual
would choose to rub a stone rather than pound the same stone, making the selection of
SH patterns an arbitrary decision (Cenni, in review; Pelletier et al., 2017). Finally, there
are anecdotal observations of variations in an individual’s concentration levels while they
are engaged in SH (Chertoff, personal observation). At times it appears as if the same
individual alternates between concentrating on the SH pattern(s) they are performing, and
performing a less vigorous version of the same SH pattern(s), as if they became distracted
by an environmental stimulus but continued to engage in SH (for a review on
concentration, see Moran, 2012).
Beyond the previously described anecdotal observations in which the subject
appeared to be “concentrating” on engaging in SH, there is no information on the role of
attention in the performance of SH behaviour. Previous analyses demonstrated that within
a single SH pattern (the rubbing and pounding SH patterns, respectively), there was little
variation in the kinematic structure (i.e., spatial-temporal, body and environmental
relationships) as the SH pattern was executed with the exception of the orientation of the
individual to the stone (Chertoff, 2019; for descriptions of kinematic and non-kinematic
structure see Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). The differences occurred in the “Orientation”
phases of each pattern, indicating that the manner in which the subjects orient themselves
towards the stone may be indicative of their intentions (i.e., an underlying cognitive
73
mechanism) associated with those particular SH sequences as well as account for some
performances appearing to be rougher or gentler (Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000).
The repetitive, arbitrary, and ambiguous characteristics of SH share a close
resemblance with the previously described characteristics associated with fidgeting. Both
behavioural categories contain the arbitrary selection of behavioural patterns (e.g.,
pounding or rubbing for the SH category, and tapping your foot or clicking your pen for
the fidgeting category). Both behavioural categories also feature non-stereotypic
repetitions and, finally, both categories may interact with attentional processes (Andrade,
2010; Chertoff, 2019; Farley et al., 2013; Graziano et al., 2018; Grodner, 2015; Seli et al.,
2014). The likeness of fidgeting to SH renders SH an ideal model behavioural category to
investigate the role of gaze direction on an arbitrary, repetitive, non-instrumental form of
object manipulation. Gaze direction serves as a proxy to understand what a subject is
visually attending to in their environment (for a review of the role of visual attention in
non-human primates see Emery, 2000). Since fidgeting, and potentially SH, may interact
with attentional processes, studying the role of gaze direction will provide a basis for
future attention-based hypotheses (Andrade, 2010; Emery, 2000; Farley et al., 2013;
Graziano et al., 2018; Grodner, 2015; Lion-François et al., 2017; Seli et al., 2014; cf.
Faber et al., 2020).
While the function of SH remains unknown, this study employed the structure-to-
function framework to explore the movement organization of two SH patterns: rubbing
and pounding. The structure-to-function framework describes the kinematic and non-
kinematic components of a behavioural expression to gain a better understanding of
proximate effect(s) and ultimate function(s) of a behaviour (Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran,
74
1985). By notating the structure of two unique SH patterns, it is possible to identify
motoric themes consistent across different variables, such as gaze direction (Pellis &
Pellis, 1998). Identifying a motoric theme across different SH patterns may shed light on
the underlying cognitive mechanisms (e.g., attention) and potential functions of SH (e.g.,
emotional regulation). Fentress (1977) described some potential relationships between
underlying processes and their associated behavioural expressions as “tonic” in that the
processes may extend beyond a singular behavioural expression and instead be reflected
in a series of multiple behavioural expressions. In the context of this study, perhaps
fidgeting and stereotypic movements share the same underlying process but are different
behavioural expressions of that process(es).
This study uses the current literature on fidgeting to guide the interpretations of
how gaze direction interacts with SH in Balinese long-tailed macaques (Macaca
fascicularis). The main objective of this study is to further understand the structural
variations within a SH pattern by examining the interaction between gaze direction and
movement organization of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns. This study used a
movement analysis system, Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN), and the
rating scales developed using Laban Movement Analysis (LMA). Both movement
analyses are universal language systems that quantify the kinematic as well as non-
kinematic features of a behavioural sequence. Both systems have been successfully used
when studying non-human animals (Fagan et al., 1997; Golani, 1992; Pellis et al., 2019).
In removing preconceived notions of a behaviour such as SH and implementing an
objective movement analysis, it is possible to identify patterns (e.g., temporal patterns,
fine motor movement patterns, gross motor movement patterns) correlated to different
75
variables, such as gaze direction, that may have otherwise been missed. From there, it
becomes possible to hypothesize about the function of the behaviour when the patterns
(e.g., temporal patterns, fine motor movement patterns, gross motor movement patterns)
are compared across variables (Fentress, 1992, 2008; Foroud & Pellis, 2021; Golani,
1992; Martin & Caro, 1985; Moran, 1985).
In the first part of this study, EWMN was used to determine whether forehead
direction was a suitable proxy for gaze direction. Due to the pronounced brow bone of
Balinese long-tailed macaques, it is difficult to consistently see the subject’s gaze
direction. Therefore, EWMN was used to evaluate whether forehead direction may be
used in place of gaze direction when a subject was engaged in SH. In the second part of
this study, following the implementation of EWMN, rating scales derived from LMA
were used to score multiple SH sequences. Statistical analyses were done to compare
sequences in which the subjects were looking at the stone and sequences in which the
subjects were not looking at the stone (looking vs. not looking was determined using the
forehead direction). Rubbing and pounding were the two SH patterns chosen due to their
recognizable characteristics and because their basic kinematic composition differed from
each other (e.g., the performance of rubbing remains in the horizontal plane whereas
pounding is primarily performed in the vertical plane). Additionally, pounding was
selected because previous research has used EWMN to compare the movement
composition of stone pounding and nut pounding (Pelletier, 2017; Pellis et al., 2019).
Methods
Study site and population
76
Data for this study were collected at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali,
Indonesia. The Sacred Monkey Forest, or Ubud Monkey Forest, is a central location for a
population of free-ranging and urban dwelling Balinese long-tailed macaques (Macaca
fascicularis fascicularis). Due to high volume of tourists and staff, the long-tailed
macaques are habituated to human presence. The population studied consisted of
approximately 900 individuals in six different groups with overlapping home ranges
(Cambier, 2019). The monkeys were provisioned with fruits and vegetables at least three
times a day by the staff of the Ubud Monkey Forest.
Data collection and study subjects
Video-recorded observations were collected between May and August in 2016,
2018, and 2019 by members of the Leca Lab. Data were collected using focal sampling
and ad libitum sampling methods (Altmann, 1974). In this study, 25 individually
identified subjects, both males and females were sampled in the following age classes:
juvenile (aged 1-3 years), subadult (aged 3-6 years), young adult (aged 6-9), adult (aged 9
years and older) (Brotcorne et al., 2015). Subjects were members of three different
groups, two of which had overlapping home ranges. Two different focal sampling
protocols were used. In 2016, the focal sampling protocol dictated that during a focal
follow, a subject was filmed for 15 minutes regardless of their activity. If the subject
engaged in SH during the last two minutes of the observation, the observation was
continued for an additional five minutes or until SH ceased and then continued for an
additional two minutes after the subject was no longer handling the stones (cf. Huffman,
1996). In 2018, the focal sampling protocol dictated that during focal sampling, a subject
was filmed for 30 minutes regardless of their activity. If the subject engaged in SH at the
77
end of the 30-minute period, the focal follow was continued until the subject ceased SH.
Focal samples were discarded if the focal subject was out of view (i.e., unable to be seen
by the observer) for more than 10 minutes. Ad libitum sampling began when a subject
was engaged in SH and continued for two minutes after the subject was no longer
engaged in SH. When possible, focal subjects were filmed from the front or side so their
face, torso, and limbs were visible, approximately 3-5 meters away from the observer.
Data were collected using a Sony Full Handycam Camcorder.
Data analysis
This analysis was done in two parts. Part 1 was done using EWMN to assess
whether forehead direction was a suitable proxy for gaze direction when the eyes of the
subjects were not visible. Part 2 was done using two rating scales (namely, the Rubbing
Rating Scale and the Pounding Rating Scale), developed using LMA to evaluate potential
differences in the rubbing SH pattern and the pounding SH pattern, based on gaze
direction.
Ethical statement
All data were collected using observational and non-invasive methodologies. This
study was conducted in accordance with the Indonesian Ministry of Research and
Technology (research permit #130/SIP/FRP/E5/Dit.KI/IV/2018), the Provincial
Government of Bali, and the local district authorities. It was approved by the Institutional
Animal Welfare Committee of the University of Lethbridge (Protocol #1906).
78
Study Part 1 – Is forehead direction a suitable proxy for gaze direction in Balinese
long-tailed macaques?
3.1. Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN)
EWMN was developed by Noa Eshkol and Abraham Wachmann3. At the time of its
development, Eshkol was a proficient dancer and teacher. Prior to developing her own
movement analysis, she studied under Rudolf Laban and Lisa Ullman, the creators of
Laban Movement Analysis. Wachmann was a student of Eshkol as well as a student of
architecture. Together, Eshkol and Wachmann developed EWMN to be a universal
movement analysis. While EWMN was originally used in the realm of dance, the
terminology is not dance-specific (Eshkol & Wachmann, 1958). The following
subsections will provide information on EWMN.
3.1.1. Body
Both descriptions of the body and time are recorded simultaneously. The body is
divided into limb segments, typically between two joints or a joint with a free moving
end (Eshkol & Wachmann, 1958). For example, a limb segment may be the entire arm
(commonly referred to as a limb in everyday conversation), the forearm, or the head.
Often EWMN utilizes five common limbs with their segments: the left leg, right leg, the
core body (i.e., the pelvis, torso, neck and head), the left arm, and the right arm. It is not
necessary to utilize all five limbs as the researcher may decide to focus on one
specifically unless the researcher is using the movement notation to inform themselves
which limb segments to focus on for their studies. Just as Eshkol and Wachmann (1958)
did not base EWMN solely on dance-related movements, EWMN did not depend on the
3 For a complete timeline and biography on Noa Eshkol and Abraham Wachmann, see
http://noaeshkol.org/timline/
79
preconceived notions or functions of the limb. In other words, simply because hands may
be used for writing, this typical usage of the hands has no impact on the movement
notation. As stated by Eshkol and Wachmann (1958), “If the end result of a movement is
of no interest, the fulfilment of its ‘practical’ purpose has no relevance to the notation”
(p. 5). Additionally, there is no hierarchy or specific importance placed on any one limb,
nor does the shape of the limb play a role in the analysis. The removal of pre-conceived
notions from the analysis allows the researcher to gain valuable information about the
interactions of the limbs, their environment, and the underlying process of the
behavioural sequence that may be clouded by the researcher’s previous views.
3.1.2. System of Reference
The System of Reference is the sphere, that surrounds each limb segment,
combination of limb segments, or the entire body, depending on the researcher’s
objective decision based on their question (Figure 3.1) (Eshkol & Wachmann, 1958). For
limb segments, the center of the sphere is fixed on a joint (for example, imagine a sphere
centered on your elbow and surrounding your forearm). Within each sphere, there is a
horizontal plane and vertical plane. Remembering that each limb segment is seen as a
straight line connected to an axis (i.e., the direction of movement from the joint, for
example, a rotational axis), the observer decides which point on the sphere, within the
horizontal plane is the absolute zero. Typically, from the absolute zero, there are eight
positions in the horizontal plane stemming from the axis of the limb segment. These
positions are separated by 45° and are numbered clockwise starting at 0 and ending at 8.
However, 0 and 8 are equivalent positions. At each position on the horizontal plane, there
is a perpendicular plane (i.e., the vertical plane). It is possible to reduce the degrees
80
between each position or increase them depending on the research question. For example,
a finer-grained analysis may benefit from 10 degrees (instead of 45 degrees) between
each position, resulting in 20 positions (instead of 8). With each increase or decrease, the
number of positions will change as will the number of intersecting vertical planes. At the
beginning of every notation, it should be noted what scale the researcher has employed
for their notation.
Using this System of Reference, it is possible to record any position of a limb. To
do so, the vertical position is written above the horizontal position and then placed in
1
brackets as follows: #2& (Eshkol & Wachmann, 1958). Imagine that you are standing
with your feet placed on the ground and hands along your side, if your upper right arm is
1
the limb of focus then in the following position, #2&, your arm needs to rise until a 45° is
formed between your upper arm and torso while your arm remains in line with your torso.
As previously stated, any limb segment position and movements of each limb segment
(i.e., the change from one position to another) may be recorded.
3.1.3. Types of Movement
There are three types of movement recorded in EWMN: planar, conical, and
rotational movements (Figure 3.2) (Eshkol & Wachmann, 1958). Planar movements
encompass movements that form a single plane either horizontally or vertically through
their motion. For example, imagine again that you are standing with your feet placed on
the ground and hands along your side. Keeping your elbow pinned at your side, bend
your elbow until your forearm and hand are parallel to the ground. Now sweep your
forearm and hand open as a door does while keeping your elbow tight against your side.
This sweeping motion is a planar movement. Jumping jacks are another example of
81
planar movement4. Rotational movements encompass movements in which the limb
segment rotates on its own axis, either clockwise or counterclockwise, without changing
its position in space. For example, imagine that you are turning a doorknob. In this
example, your hand and forearm are rotating but are not moving to a different location in
space until you release the doorknob. The third type of movement is conical; conical
movements occur when the limb segment moves and creates a conical shape. For
example, swinging a hula-hoop around your waist is a form of conical movement.
Scoring
Eight subjects, ranging in age from juvenile to adult of both sexes, were selected
for this study (Table 3.1). Previous research has indicated that in many bipedal and
quadrupedal organisms, such as macaques, the orientation of the body and head may be a
reliable proxy for gaze direction as well as suitable indicator of where/what a subject is
attending to when gaze direction is visible (for a review of the ethology, function and
evolution of gaze direction, see Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000). Due to the
pronounced brow bone of Balinese long-tailed macaques, it is difficult to see where the
subject’s eyes are pointed (i.e., gaze direction). To confirm that forehead direction is a
suitable proxy for gaze direction in the study species, I used EWMN to test whether the
direction of the subject’s forehead was consistent with their gaze direction. Samples,
obtained from the focal follow videos, were selected from three different contexts to have
a representative sample of gaze direction. Contexts included: resting, manipulating an
object while not looking at the object, and scratching. Within each context (e.g., resting),
samples were selected from three times of day: morning (8:00 – 11:00 AM), midday
4 http://noaeshkol.org/about-eshkol-wachman-movement-notation/basic-principals-of-ewmn/
82
(11:00 – 2:00 PM), and mid-/late afternoon (2:00 – 5:00 PM). Samples selected were the
first cases seen in a focal follow in which gaze direction was clearly visible. It is
important to note that not all samples were found for each subject leading to an un-even
distribution of samples (Table 3.2). A sample consisted of series of video frames
beginning with the first frame in which gaze direction was visible, and the last frame
before gaze direction was no longer visible. The position of the forehead was notated at
three points in the sample: the beginning (the first frame with visibility), the middle (the
middle was determined by the length of the sample, for example, if the sample was 32
frames, the 16th sample frame was notated at the “middle”), and the end (the last frame
with visibility). The position of gaze direction was notated at the same points as the
forehead.
Statistical Analyses
These data were analysed using the binomial test. The binomial test uses a
distribution consisting of the number of successes and failures to determine the
probability of success. All notations were based on a 45° scale. Each sample notated per
time of day for each context (e.g., “Morning – Resting” sample) was treated as one data
point to maintain the independence of the data points. For the sample to be scored as a
“success” at two points in the sample (e.g., the beginning and the middle), the two points
needed to be aligned (i.e., the position of the forehead and the position of the gaze
direction were aligned) (see Figure 3.3 for an example of aligned positions).
Study Part - Results
83
The proportion of aligned positions were significantly higher than expected by
chance (Binomial test, nsuccess = 47, nfailures = 6, p < 0.05, two-tailed) (Table 3.2). Based
on the binomial test, the direction of the forehead is a suitable proxy for gaze direction
when a subject’s gaze direction was not visible to the researcher. This finding is in line
with previous research on the use of gaze direction, head direction, and body orientation
for assessing where a subject is attending to (Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000; Perrett
& Emery, 1994). It is important to note that certain samples were gathered from the same
focal follow, for the same time of day, leading to limited amounts of dependency between
samples. Additionally, because each coordinate is 45° apart, the precise angle of the gaze
direction and forehead direction may have differed, resulting in random noise in the data.
Study Part 2 - Comparing the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of two SH
patterns, rubbing and pounding, based on gaze direction
To examine the role of gaze direction on the movement composition of the
rubbing and pounding SH patterns, this study used two rating scales developed in Chapter
Two, the Rubbing Rating Scale (RRS) and the Pounding Rating Scale (PRS). The RRS
and PRS were developed using Motifs, a short-hand notation used in LMA. The rating
scales consisted of six sequential phases (e.g., starting orientation, outward, first
adjustment, inward, second adjustment, ending orientation) (for a complete list of
objective definitions of each phase and measure, see Appendix B). Each phase is
comprised of a list of measures that describe discreet movement components that make
up the phase (i.e., movements – ex. “Hand moves in a straight pathway”) for both
rubbing and pounding, respectively. The measures in each rating scale captured the
84
structure of both SH patterns including the kinematic components (i.e., spatial-temporal,
body, and environmental relationship) and the potentially supporting non-kinematic
components (i.e., intensity, force, flow and rhythm) of a single “rub” or “pound”
respective to the rating scale (i.e., an act). The rating scales provided a method for
objectively quantifying the way the stones are manipulated under different conditions
such as when the subject is looking at the stone and when they are not.
Scoring
For this part of the study, 17 adult male subjects were selected. For the rubbing
SH pattern, eight adult males were selected and a total of 128 acts were scored (Table
3.3). For the pounding SH pattern, nine adult males were selected and a total of 135 acts
were scored (Table 3.4). The subjects and acts were selected based on the following
criteria: [1] subjects were adult males; [2] subjects had no new or obvious injuries that
may impede movements involved with rubbing or pounding (e.g., a large open wound on
their hand); [3] the stones must all be small enough that the subject was able to pick up
the stone with one hand but not so small that the stone could not be seen in the subject’s
hand (e.g., a stone approximately between three and a half and ten centimeters in length);
[4] the substrates (e.g., the forest floor or the pathway built for tourists) on which the
subject was engaged in SH needed to be similar, meaning that there were no obvious
factors that would impede typical movements (e.g., large cracks in the ground or large
tree-roots emerging from the ground); and [5] all SH sequences were performed in a
neutral state. A neutral state was defined as a state in which the subject was not
exhibiting any displacement behaviours, aggressive, or submissive signals within one
85
minute prior to performing the act of interest (for a review of typical displacement
behaviours exhibited by non-human primates, see Troisi, 2002).
Once the acts were selected for the rubbing and pounding SH patterns, they were
scored using the RRS and PRS respectively. All scoring was done by reviewing each act
both frame-by-frame and in real time. If the measure occurred in the way it was defined
(see Appendix B), then a 1 was scored. If the measure did not occur in the way it was
defined, then a 0 was scored. Since the first measure of each rating scale was “Face
orientated towards stone”, this measure (validated in Part 1 of this study) was used to
categorize acts in which the subject was looking at the stone and when they were not. The
two resulting categories were “Looking” (LO) and “Not Looking” (NLO).
For both rubbing and pounding, an intra-scorer reliability test was conducted.
Statistical Analysis
All statistical analyses were performed for the rubbing SH pattern and pounding
SH pattern separately. A series of odds ratios and two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests
(K-S tests) were conducted to compare the LO and NLO categories. Since acts were
categorized by LO and NLO during the scoring phase of this part of the analysis, the
“Starting Orientation” and “Ending Orientation” phases were excluded.
An odds ratio is often used to compare the odds of occurrence of a
behaviour based on a variable of interest. An odds ratio of 1 indicates that there was no
effect due to the variable analysed, while an odds ratio less than or greater than 1
indicates that there was an effect due to the variable analysed. In this study, the number
of times the subject scored a 1 was divided by the total number of times the subject
scored a 0 as indicated by the rating scales. The odds ratio was then calculated by
86
dividing the previously described values for the LO and NLO categories (ex.
!"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 1 ÷ 2"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 3 +2 CD
!"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 1 ÷ 2"#$%& () *+#%, ,"$-%.* ,.(&%/ 0 3 +2 !CD). For this study, an
odds ratio exceeding a value of 1 indicated that the subject was more likely to perform
the measures in the rating scale when looking at the stone they were manipulating. An
odds ratio of 1 indicated that there was no effect of gaze direction (i.e., subjects were
equally likely to perform the measures) when the subjects were looking at the stone. An
odds ratio lower than 1 indicated that the subject was less likely to perform the measures
in the rating scale when looking at the stone they were manipulating. The 95%
ln(OR) ± 1.96:1 + 1 + 1 + 1
confidence interval was calculated as e a b c d where e is the mathematical
constant for the natural log, ln is the natural log, and where a is the number of times
subjects scored a 1 in the RP, b is the number of times subjects scored a 0 in the RP, c is
the number of times subjects scored a 1 in the GP, and d is the number of times a subject
scored a 0 in the GP. The z-score required to obtain a p-value was calculated as
1 1 1 1
ln(OR)/ " + + + ..
a b c d
The two-sample K-S test is a non-parametric analysis used to compare two
different distributions. To develop the distributions, data were filtered within subject,
then by variation, and then by each phase of movement. Within each phase, the total
number of times an individual scored a 1 for each measure was divided by the total
number of times an individual could have scored a 1 for this measure. This resulted in a
proportion representing the rate of occurrence of each measure, within each phase, for
each subject. These proportions from each subject, created the distributions that were
87
used in the series of K-S tests. All subjects were weighted equally. Only one value per
subject was included in the distribution.
A Cohen’s kappa coefficient was calculated to determine intra-scorer reliability.
The closer the coefficient is to 1, the stronger the level of agreement is (Cohen, 1960).
Significance levels were set at a = 0.05. Analyses were done using R 3.6.2 (R Core
Team, 2020; Wickham, 2016; Wickham et al., 2019), MedCalc Software5, and manual
calculations.
Study Part 2 - Results
Rubbing
There was no statistically significant difference between the distribution of the
LO category and the distribution of the NLO category (K-S test, D (m, n = 8) = 0.25, p >
B?1 ÷ 13B@
0.05). The odds ratio was >@> BB> = 1.41 (95% CI: 1.68-2.29, p < 0.05 The results from ÷
the odds ratio may be a statistical artifact, specifically a Type I error due to how the data
were aggregated across subjects rather than within subject. Due to the aggregation of data
across subjects the data, the subjects are not weighted equally and there is pseudo-
replication in the data set. In contrast, the K-S tests were conducted using distributions
derived from proportions that accounted for differences in the number of acts scored per
subject by using averages. Therefore, I primarily relied on the K-S tests when interpreting
the results. However, as the two-sample K-S test only identifies if there is a significant
difference between two distributions, odds ratios were reported because they identify the
directionality of the difference between the two distributions.
5 MedCalc Software Ltd. Odds ratio calculator. https://www.medcalc.org/calc/odds_ratio.php
88
Additional K-S tests and odds ratios were calculated to compare the distributions
of each major phase of a rub in the LO category and in the NLO category. There was no
statistically significant difference in the distributions of the “Outward” phase (D(m, n = 8) =
;11 ÷ 1;@
0.63, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was 1=3 1>B = 1.95 (95% CI: 1.45-1.62, p < 0.05). There ÷
was no statistically significant difference in the distributions of the “First Adjustment”
11A÷ >13
phase (D(m, n = 8) = 0.25, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was =; <@B = 1.15 (95% CI: 0.82-1.59, ÷
p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the distributions of the
;1A÷ 1;A
“Inward” phase (D(m, n = 8) = 0.50, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was 1=@ 1;@ = 1.81 (95% CI: ÷
1.34-2.44, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the distributions
of the “Second Adjustment” phase (D(m, n = 8) = 0.25, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was
1<3÷ >3A
=< <@@ = 1.23 (95% CI: 0.89 – 1.71, p > 0.05) (Figure 3.4). ÷
Final K-S tests and odds ratios were calculated to compare the distributions of
each measure for the LO category and the NLO category. Of the 26 measures separately
analysed using the K-S tests, two were statistically significantly different, both of which
were in the “Outward” phase. There was a statistically significant difference in the
distributions of the measure “Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds
?@÷ ?
Indulging qualities” (D(m, n = 8) = 0.75, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was ;1 << = 8.16 (95% ÷
CI: 3.01-22.12, p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the
distributions of the measure “Wrist flexes as hand moves away from torso” (D(m, n = 8) =
>>÷ ;1
0.71, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was <3 ;; = 2.34 (95% CI: 1.14 – 4.82, p < 0.05) (Figure ÷
3.5).
Pounding
89
There was no statistically significant difference between the distribution of the
LO category and the distribution of the NLO category (D(m, n = 9) = 0.28, p > 0.05). The
@A?÷ @>>
odds ratio was ?=1 BB@ = 1.27 (95% CI: 1.11-1.46, p < 0.05). The results from the odds ÷
ratio may be a statistical artifact, specifically a Type I error due to how the data were
aggregated across subjects rather than within subject. Due to the aggregation of data
across subjects the data, the subjects are not weighted equally and there is pseudo-
replication in the data set. In contrast, the K-S tests were conducted using distributions
derived from proportions that accounted for differences in the number of acts scored per
subject by using averages. Therefore, I primarily relied on the K-S tests when interpreting
the results. However, as the two-sample K-S test only identifies if there is a significant
difference between two distributions, odds ratios were reported because they identify the
directionality of the difference between the two distributions.
Additional odds ratios and K-S tests were calculated to compare the distributions
of each major phase of a pound in the LO category and in the NLO category. There was a
statistically significant difference in the distributions of the “Upswing” phase (D(m, n = 9) =
;A?÷ 1?@
0.78, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was <11 <3@ = 2.09 (95% CI: 1.60- 2.72, p < 0.05. There ÷
was no statistically significant difference in the distributions of the “Adjustment” phase
?;÷ <;=
(D(m, n = 9) = 0.22, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was A1 1B@ = 0.94 (95% CI: 0.65- 1.49, p > ÷
0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the distributions of the
>÷ 1=>
“Downswing” phase (D(m, n = 9) = 0.78, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was ;3> 1=? = 1.42 (95% ÷
CI: 1.10 – 1.83, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the
90
distributions of the “Transition” phase (D(m, n = 9) = 0.22, p > 0.05). The odds ratio was
111÷ >1>
13A ÷ ;1A = 0.80 (95% CI: 0.59 – 1.09, p > 0.05) (Figure 3.6).
Final K-S tests and odds ratios were calculated to compare the distributions of
each measure for the LO category and NLO category. Of the 26 measures separately
analysed using the K-S tests, two were statistically significantly different. There was a
statistically significant difference in the distributions for the measure “Torso & limb
movement are synchronized” in the “Upswing” phase (D(m, n = 9) = 0.75, p < 0.05). The
A<÷ <;
odds ratio was <; ;= = 3.64 (95% CI: 1.78 – 7.44, p < 0.05) (Figure 3.7). There was a ÷
statistically significant difference in the distributions for the measure “Proportion of
Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging Effort Qualities” in the “Downswing”
=<÷ ;
phase (D(m, n = 9) = 0.67, p < 0.05). The odds ratio was >@ 11 = 5.39 (95% CI: 1.43 – ÷
20.31, p < 0.05) (Figure 3.8).
Discussion
I used two rating scales, the RRS and PRS, to study the way the kinematic and
non-kinematic structure of two SH patterns differed when the subjects were looking at
the stones they were manipulating, and when they were not looking at the handled stones.
The first part of this study validated the use of the direction of the forehead as a proxy for
gaze direction for Balinese long-tailed macaques (see Emery, 2000; Langton et al., 2000;
Perrett & Emery, 1994). Future studies may rely on this proxy when gaze direction is not
available. The second part of this study revealed the correlation between gaze direction
and the movement structure of both the rubbing and pounding SH patterns. Additionally,
the structural variations closely mirrored one another in both the rubbing and pounding
SH patterns. This suggests that gaze direction may play the same role during the
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performance of SH regardless of the SH pattern (e.g., rubbing or pounding) being
performed.
In the rubbing SH pattern, the kinematic structure and non-kinematic structure
differed depending on gaze direction. As the subject moved their hand away from their
body while grasping the stone in the “Outward” phase, the wrist flexed. This fine motor
movement occurred significantly more when the subject was looking at the stone. The
odds ratio revealed that there were small to medium differences in the odds that a
subject’s wrist would flex as they moved the stone away from their body when they were
looking at the stone compared to when they were not, with the odds of the former being
higher than the latter (cf. Chen et al., 2010; Cohen, 1988). Physically, as the hand moves
away from the body, it would be more difficult for the wrist to remain extended because
the hand and arm are elongating during the outward movement. This result may be due to
the subjects extending their arm farther when they are looking at the stone. This
hypothesis will be tested in future studies.
In the pounding SH pattern, there was also a correlation between gaze direction
and movement structure. When the subjects were looking at the stone they were
manipulating, their torso and limb movements were synchronized with one another
during the “Upswing” phase. The odds ratio revealed that there were medium differences
in the odds that the subject’s torso and limb movements were synchronized when they
were looking at the stone compared to when they were not, with the odds of the former
being higher than the latter (cf. Chen et al., 2010; Cohen, 1988). Physically, the torso
provides support for the movement of the limb as the subject grasps and lifts the stone off
the ground. The support from the torso aids in the accuracy in the lift while supporting
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the exertion of force necessary to lift the stone up. This result may be due to the subjects’
intentions, or preparation, to strike the stone against the ground in a precise manner
appearing more constrained than when the subjects were not looking towards the stone or
ground (cf. Pelletier, 2017).
During the execution of both SH patterns, the subjects performed the patterns
with significantly more Condensing Effort Qualities than Indulging Effort Qualities when
they were looking at the stone compared to when their gaze was not on the stone.
However, in the rubbing SH pattern, this measure occurred more in the “Outward” phase
whereas in the pounding SH pattern, this measure occurred more in the “Downswing”
phase. In both the rubbing and the pounding SH patterns, the odds ratio revealed that
there were large differences in the odds that the SH pattern was performed with a higher
proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities than Indulging Effort Qualities when the
subject was looking at the stone compared to when they were not, with the odds of the
former being higher than the latter, irrespective of the phase in which this measure
occurred (cf. Chen et al., 2010; Cohen, 1988). Effort Qualities are not a reflection of the
active or passive engagement of the subject, but rather encompass changes in exertion of
energy throughout a movement (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980; Foroud & Whishaw, 2006).
Most Effort Qualities are non-kinematic qualities of movement, and all range from
Indulging (a release of intensity) to Condensing (increasing intensity). Condensing Effort
Qualities include Strong Weight Effort (an increase in the exertion of force), Bound Flow
Effort (an increase in control and restraint), Quick Time (the acceleration of a
movement), and Direct Space (the body is focused on something specific). Since the
subjects were using more Condensing Effort Qualities than Indulging Effort Qualities
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when looking at the stone they were manipulating, we can start to identify which
elements of movement composition of the two SH patterns are relevant, or related to, the
potential effect(s) or function(s) of the behaviour based on gaze direction. For example,
Condensing Efforts may involve more constrained movements throughout the whole
execution of the pattern (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980). Therefore, the use of Condensing
Efforts may indicate that the subjects were focused on, or attending to, moving the stone
towards a specific spot in relation to the ground to fulfill the purpose of the movement
(cf. Pelletier, 2017). Based on this result, we can begin to hypothesize about the role of
constraint (e.g., Strong Weight, an increase in the exertion of force, Bound Flow, an
increase in control and restraint, Quick time, the acceleration of a movement, Direct
Space, the body is focused on something specific) (Bartenieff & Lewis, 1980) during the
execution of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns when subjects are looking at the stone
they are manipulating.
When the subjects were not looking at the stone, they used less Condensing Effort
Qualities compared to when they were looking at the stone. This result lends itself to
three potential hypotheses. First, the “Coordination” hypothesis holds that when the
subjects were not looking at the stone, they did not receive the same visual feedback from
their hand manipulating the stone, thereby changing the way they handle the stone.
Primates use eye gaze to guide where and how they will grasp an object as well as plan
their motor movements (Johansson et al., 2001). Visual feedback during object
manipulation alters the kinematics and accuracy of the hand movements in both humans
and non-human primates (Connolly & Goodale, 1999; Prablanc et al., 1979; see
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Crawford et al., 2004). Future studies will examine the role of Condensing Effort
Qualities on the relationship between reach-and-grip accuracy and gaze direction.
Second, the “Distraction” hypothesis holds that when the subjects were not
looking at the stone, they were still manipulating the stone to fulfill the same utility (e.g.,
play); however, they became distracted by an environmental stimulus and had not
stopped moving their hand yet. This hypothesis relates closely to the first hypothesis.
Why the subject is looking away from the stone may influence the manner in which they
manipulate the stone, but the proximate or ultimate cause of the behaviour is consistent
even when the subject is no longer looking at the stone. Third, the “Fidgeting”
hypothesis continues to build on the first two hypotheses but addresses an entirely
different proximate cause for engaging in SH when the subjects are not looking at the
stone. When the subjects were not looking at the stone, they might perform the movement
due to a different attentional state (e.g., mind-wandering), motivational state (e.g., play),
or emotional state (e.g., stress).
Since gaze direction informs conspecifics about where a subject is attending to,
we can also begin to hypothesize that [1] the subjects are no longer visually attending to
the stone, and [2] the subjects may no longer be attending to their own performance (i.e.,
the execution of the movements involved in each SH pattern) or engagement (i.e., the
motivation for performing the SH pattern) in SH (cf. Emery, 2000). If the subjects are no
longer attending to their own engagement in SH, they may be attending to another
environmental stimuli, such as a tourist walking by (i.e., the “Distraction” hypothesis), or
they may be turning their attention inward in a state of mind-wandering (i.e., the
“Fidgeting” hypothesis) (Smallwood & Schooler, 2006). While these observations and
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potential hypotheses do not yet directly inform about the proximate effect(s) or ultimate
function(s) of SH, they allow us to identify the motoric patterns correlated with gaze
direction which is the first step (Pellis & Pellis, 1998).
It is important to note that the interpretation of these variations present in both
the rubbing and pounding SH patterns are context-dependent. The way an individual
moves their limbs in relation to the rest of their body and their environment, both
kinematically and non-kinematically, depends on the context in which they are moving
(Fagen et al., 1997; Fentress, 1992, 2009). For example, while pounding a nut and
pounding a stone may look very similar, the body moves in a way to maximize the effort
necessary to execute the function (i.e., cracking a nut to eat the edible portion inside vs.
object play) (Pelletier, 2017; Pellis et al., 2019; cf. Foroud & Whishaw, 2006). This was
demonstrated in a previous study conducted by Pelletier (2017), who used EWMN to
evaluate the manner in which a nut was pounded and a stone was pounded by adult male
macaques. When pounding a nut, subjects raised the stone higher and swung the stone up
and down faster compared to pounding a stone. Additionally, when pounding a nut, the
subject’s gaze direction was pointed towards the ground significantly more than when
they were pounding a stone. Pelletier (2017) proposed that these differences were due to
the functional constraint of nut pounding (i.e., extracting the edible portion of the nut).
Again, the context in which a behavioural expression occurs is related to the way the
subjects execute the behaviour. Furthermore, the context may directly relate to the
function of the behaviour (e.g., foraging motivation) which in turn, influences the
structural composition of the behavioural expression (Fagen et al., 1997; Fentress, 1992,
2009).
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In the introduction of this chapter, I stated that this study aimed to touch on the
power of a cross-species comparison. A cross-species comparison can help us to
understand the co-evolution of a behaviour and how the behaviour has changed over time
(Martins, 1996). At this point, this study considered a cross-species comparison by using
the behavioural category of fidgeting, performed by humans, as a lens for the
investigation of SH in Balinese long-tailed macaques. Future studies will further the goal
of a cross-species comparison by using LMA to analyse object-manipulation performed
by children in both playful contexts and contexts in which fidgeting is more likely to
occur (e.g., during a group reading session). Once there is a baseline depicting the
movement composition of object play and object-directed fidgeting in humans, I can
compare any potential motoric themes to those that were present in the rubbing and
pounding stone handling patterns presented in this study. Additionally, mind-wandering
has been studied in relation to gaze characteristics such as, fixation (i.e., “a period of time
when the eyes remain relatively still”) frequency, duration, and dispersion, and saccades
(i.e., “the eyes shift from location to location”) (Faber et al., 2020, p. 1202). Future
studies will implement these more specific gaze-related measures for both human and
non-human orientated studies.
This study employed the “structure-to-function” framework to describe the
interactions between the structure (i.e., the kinematic and non-kinematic components) of
a behaviour and its possible proximate effect(s) and ultimate function(s) (Martin & Caro,
1985; Moran, 1985). By implementing the RRS and PRS, I was able to objectively
quantify the differences in the structure of the rubbing SH pattern and the pounding SH
pattern based on gaze direction. While I did not attempt to evaluate the potential effect(s)
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or function(s) of SH, this study used the principles of the “structure-to-function”
framework to interpret the correlation between gaze direction and the motor composition
of two SH patterns. Objectively describing the role of gaze direction in the expression of
SH lays the foundation to study the role of attentional processes in the performance of
SH.
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Left Side Right Side
Figure 3.1. A simplified drawing of the primary horizontal and vertical planes of the
Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EW MN) System of Reference. The red
numbers represent the coordinates of the horizontal plane. The green numbers
represent the coordinates of the vertical plan e.
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Figure 3.2. A simplified drawing of the three types of movement notated in Eshkol-
Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN). The blue line represents planar
movements. The red lines represent rotational movements (rotatory movements do not
trace lines in space; they make a dot in spac e; this drawing is an example, not to be
confused with conical movements). The green lines represent conical movements.
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Figure 3.3. Aligned coordinates. The coordinates for the position of the forehead and
the coordinates of the gaze direction are aligned meaning that the direction of the
forehead and the eyes are the same and the coordinates reflect that.
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Table 3.1. Identity, sex, and age classes of each
subject included in Part 1
ID Sex Age Class
Upie Male Juvenile
Talung Female Juvenile
David Male Juvenile
MJ Male Subadult
Scarface Male Subadult
Mary Female Young Adult
Perry Male Young Adult
Lauren Female Adult
Table 3.2. Distribution of samples scored, number of successes,
and number of failures per subject included in Part 1. The
maximum number of samples per subject is 9 (3 times of day ´ 3
contexts = 9 potential samples).
Subject Number of Success Failures
Samples
Upie 8 5 3
Talung 7 7 0
David 6 5 1
MJ 9 8 1
Scarface 6 6 0
Mary 4 4 0
Perry 7 6 1
Lauren 6 6 0
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Table 3.3. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts scored
for the rubbing SH pattern for the Looking and Not Looking
categories.
ID Looking Not Looking
Obelix 7 4
DawsonT 4 4
Little Finger 8 7
Danger 9 7
Temple Baggy 7 7
Pinocchio 12 3
Lancelot 6 7
Splash 22 14
Table 3.4. Study subjects’ identity and distribution of acts
scored for the pounding SH pattern for the Looking and Not
Looking categories.
ID Looking Not Looking
Anvil 2 4
Little Finger 9 7
Ned 3 6
Temple Baggy 3 2
Temple 6 6
Zsolt 18 9
Mufy 4 3
White Eyebrows 20 18
Zeus 10 5
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Figure 3.4. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred
for each phase within the rubbing SH pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin
shape) indicates the range of the observed proportion of occurrence while the width of
each point indicates the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From left
to right: 2 – Outward, 3 – First Adjustment, 4 – Inward, 5 – Second Adjustment. The
distributions for the Looking and Not Looking categories were not statistically
different for any of the phases.
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Figure 3.5. A violin plot featuring the different distribution of measures that occurred for each phase within the rubbing SH
pattern. The height of each point (i.e., violin shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence, while the width
of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. The distributions for the Looking and Not Looking
categories are statistically significantly different for the measure "Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging
Effort Qualities.” The subjects were more likely to use Condensing Effort Qualities during the “Outward” phase when they
were looking at the stone. Additionally, the distributions for the Looking and Not Looking categories are statistically
significantly different for the measure “Wrist flexes as hand moves away from torso.” The subjects were more likely to flex the
hand away from the torso during the “Outward” phase when they were looking at the stone.
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Figure 3.6. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred for
each phase within the pounding SH pattern are shown. The height of each point (i.e.,
violin shape) shows the range of the observed proportion of occurrence, while the width
of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. From left to
right: 2 – Upswing, 3 – Adjustment, 4 – Downswing, 5 – Transition. In the “Upswing”
phase and “Downswing” phase, the distributions for the Looking and Not Looking
categories are statistically significantly different. For both phases, the corresponding
measures occurred more often when subjects were looking at the stone.
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Figure 3.7. A violin plot featuring the different distribution of measures that occurred for each measure in the
“Upswing” phase of the pounding SH pattern is shown. The height of each point (i.e., violin shape) shows the range of
the observed proportion of the occurrence, while the width of each point shows the frequency of the observed
proportion of occurrence. In the “Torso and limb movement are synchronized measure”, the distributions for the
Looking and Not Looking categories are statistically significantly different. The subjects were more likely to perform
this measure, in the “Upswing” phase, when they were looking at the stone.
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Figure 3.8. A violin plot featuring the different distributions of measures that occurred the “Downswing” phase of the
pounding SH pattern are shown. The height of each point (i.e., violin shape) shows the range of the observed proportion
of the occurrence, while the width of each point shows the frequency of the observed proportion of occurrence. In the
“Proportion of Condensing Effort Qualities exceeds Indulging Effort Qualities” measure, the distributions for the LO
and NLO categories are statistically significantly different. The subjects were more likely to perform this measure, in the
“Downswing” phase, when they were looking at the stone.
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CHAPTER FOUR
General Discussion
The occurrence of causally opaque and seemingly functionless behaviours – such
as stone handling (SH) – is perplexing for researchers. However, solely because a
researcher does not have access to the mechanisms causing the behaviour (i.e., causal
opacity), this does not mean there are no underlying processes causing the behaviour
(Kapitány & Nielsen, 2015; Legare & Souza, 2012). Additionally, although a behaviour
may not have an ultimate function, or may not be an adaptation, it may very well have an
effect (e.g., secondary adaptation, exaptation, malaptation, nonaptation) (for a review, see
Linde-Medina, 2017). The main objective of this thesis was not to ask the question of
why, but rather how. To do so, I asked the following questions: how do the kinematic
(i.e., spatial-temporal, body and environmental relationships) and non-kinematic
components (i.e., intensity, force, flow and rhythm) of two SH patterns, rubbing and
pounding, compare (Chapter Two) (Foroud & Whishaw, 2006)? How does gaze direction
correlate with the structure of either SH pattern during their execution (Chapter Three)?
Finally, how does gaze direction affect the structure of rubbing and pounding
comparatively, meaning, are there potential motoric themes that are consistent for each
pattern (Chapter Three) (Pellis & Pellis, 1998)? This thesis aimed to answer these how
questions, building a strong foundation for future work investigating the why (cf.
Tinbergen, 1963).
Chapter One of this thesis outlined the implications and implementation of the
“structure-to-function” framework used throughout this thesis (Martin & Caro, 1985;
Moran, 1985). While this study was not able to shed light on the function of SH, the
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framework was still used to guide the analytical methods (i.e., movement analysis) and
the questions asked in Chapter Two and Chapter Three.
In Chapter Two, I used Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) to examine the
structure of two SH patterns, rubbing and pounding. More specifically, I described two
different performances, a rougher/rigid performance and a gentler/fluid performance, of
the two SH patterns. Additionally, I developed two rating scales (i.e., sequential lists of
movements that together, illustrate the SH pattern – otherwise known as measures).
These rating scales, the Rubbing Rating Scale (RRS) and Pounding Rating Scale (PRS),
are not limited to this study and can be used in future analyses focused on the rubbing
and pounding SH patterns.
In Chapter Three, I continued to build on the findings from Chapter Two and
analysed the role of gaze direction on the execution of the rubbing and pounding SH
patterns. I used Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation (EWMN) to validate the use of a
subject’s forehead direction as a proxy for gaze direction when their eyes were not
visible. Once I validated using forehead direction as a proxy for gaze direction, I used the
RRS and PRS to score multiple samples of the rubbing and pounding SH patterns when
the subject was looking towards the stone and when looking away from the stone. The
results from this chapter indicate that when the subject was looking at the stone when
performing either the rubbing SH pattern or the pounding SH pattern, its movements
were more constrained with a higher presence of Condensing Effort Qualities (these
qualities typically appear in a movement as power, constraint, and tension) (Foroud &
Whishaw, 2006). Additionally, when the subjects were not looking at the stone, in the
pounding SH pattern, their torso and limb movement were not synchronized indicating a
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possible disconnect between where they were attending to and their engagement in the
SH bout. Taken together, these results begin to reveal a possible attentional mechanism(s)
involved in the execution of SH.
As Tinbergen (1963) stated, to gain a comprehensive understanding of an
observable behaviour, we must start by providing a detailed description of the behaviour
and its structure. The use of structural analytical systems, such as those used in this thesis
(i.e., EWMN and LMA) allows for an in-depth view of a behavioural sequence while also
showing how all the parts of a movement interact with one another as music notes do
when they combine to form a song (Fentress, 2008; Foroud & Pellis, 2021; Golani,
1992). While movement analysis has been less common in the field of psychology, there
has been a resurgence that only speaks to the power of using these methods (see
Rosenbaum, 2005). Rosenbaum (2005) provides multiple reasons for a lack of movement
analysis in the field of psychology, including the philosophical origin of the field and the
divide between the fields of neuroscience and psychology. The recent boom in multi-
disciplinary research projects has led to the increase in motor analysis across fields.
Even if a behavioural expression appears different, compared to what the
researcher has known to be a “typical” presentation of that behaviour, when performed by
different individuals or in different contexts, a structural analysis has the potential to
reveal a consistent motoric theme (Pellis & Pellis, 1998). The correlation of a motoric
theme and an underlying cognitive mechanism, such as the correlation between gaze
direction towards a stone and higher frequencies of Condensing Effort Qualities, may aid
in de-mystifying the cause and potential effect(s) or function(s) of the behaviour. The
main objective of this MSc thesis was to continue the exploration of the structure of SH,
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a repetitive, arbitrary, and seemingly purposeless behaviour, in relation to gaze direction.
In Chapter Three, I referenced the theoretical background of the behavioural category –
fidgeting. I used the hypothesized relationship between attention and fidgeting to propose
that in certain contexts, SH may be a form of fidgeting due to a potential attentional state
that may be associated with SH when the subjects gaze is no longer on the stone – mind
wandering. The following sections will elaborate on this potential relationship.
SH is an ideal model behaviour to investigate the relationship between object
play, fidgeting, attentional states, and stress as was partly done in this thesis in Chapter
Three. Rather than state that SH is either a form of fidgeting or a form of object-play,
based on the results of this study, I propose that these categories are not mutually
exclusive. In other words, SH as a behavioural category may consist of multiple
behavioural expressions reflecting playful motivations as well as varying attentional
states. The limited results presented in this thesis indicate that when the subjects were not
visually attending to the stone, and possibly not attending to their own engagement in the
SH activity, the structure of the movements differed. When the subjects were looking
towards the stone, the movements were more powerful as was indicated by the presence
of Condensing Effort Qualities. It is possible that the subjects are in a playful state, even
a possible state of flow when they were looking at the stone (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
When the subjects appeared to be distracted and were no longer looking at the stones,
there were less Condensing Effort Qualities in the execution of the SH pattern, therefore
suggesting that the subject was less engaged in the behaviour and possibly in a state of
mind wandering. While the results presented in this thesis are preliminary, they serve as
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the foundation for future studies comparing object play and fidgeting in both non-human
and human animals.
Object Play and Fidgeting
In Chapter One, I indicated that SH has primarily been examined within the
category of object play. The criteria for play in non-human animals are as follows: play is
[1] incompletely functional compared to its fully functional counterpart (i.e., the rolling
of a potato up and down one’s feet versus rotating the potato to find the best location to
bite), [2] voluntary and intrinsically rewarding, [3] modified structurally from its
functional counterpart (i.e., exaggerated, incomplete, or more various), [4] repetitive, but
not stereotypic or rigid in its repetitions, and [5] performed in a low stress individual who
is free from environmental demands (i.e., hunger, poor weather, agonistic interactions,
etc.) (Burghardt, 2005). SH is a form of object play (Nahallage et al., 2016; Pellis et al.,
2019). SH is variable in both its structure and the contexts in which it occurs (Pelletier,
2017; Pelletier et al., 2017).
One of the main criteria of play for both humans and non-human animals is that
play occurs when an individual is free of individual and environmental stressors
(Burghardt, 2005; Gray, 2009; Vygotsky, 1967, but see Pellis & Burghardt, 2017 for
evidence that play can be stimulated during states of mild to moderate stress). Pellegrini
(2013) has suggested that we do not know exactly what it means to be in an alert and
non-stressed state; but Gray (2013) has proposed that the aforementioned state (i.e., alert
and non-stressed) is what has been called flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Flow is the
cognitive state of attention in which an individual focuses solely on the task at hand, time
flies, and the individual is no longer distracted by their own stressors or environmental
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variables (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). One cannot reach a state of flow if one is distracted
by stressors or anxieties. Flow is guided by an internal evaluation of the situation
(criterion #1: the assessment of the challenge at hand and self-directed guidance through
the challenge), enjoyment (criterion #2: intrinsic motivation), and expectations of what is
to come (criterion #3: the guiding through an individual’s own set of rules). Therefore, a
state of flow is likely to occur during bouts of play in both human and non-human
animals.
Seemingly opposite to the state of flow, is the state of mind wandering
(daydreaming). Smallwood & Schooler (2006) summarized mind wandering as a shift of
focus away from a task and towards internal thoughts. There are two distinct categories
of mind wandering that are likely due to different cognitive mechanisms, and thus may
result in different behavioural expressions (Seli et al., 2016). On the one hand, deliberate
mind wandering occurs when an individual chooses to shift their thoughts inward (Seli et
al., 2016). On the other hand, spontaneous mind wandering occurs when an individual is
unaware of the shift into a mind wandering state; it is a non-deliberate sequence of
events. It has been hypothesized that spontaneous mind wandering is induced more
frequently by negative emotional states, such as stress (Crosswell et al., 2020; Poerio et
al., 2013). Similarly, Smallwood et al. (2009) found that being in a negative emotional
state did increase bouts of spontaneous mind wandering and the time it took for an
individual to return to, and successfully complete, a task. However, other research has
suggested that a negative mood may be caused by spontaneous mind wandering, rather
than inducing spontaneous mind wandering (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010). Thus, the
directional relationship between a negative mood and mind wandering remains unclear.
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One behavioural proxy that has been used to identify bouts of mind wandering is
fidgeting (Carriere et al., 2013; Seli et al., 2014).
The presumed roles of fidgeting have gone beyond an indicator for mind
wandering while providing support as to why fidgeting and mind wandering are likely to
co-occur (Carriere et al., 2013; Seli et al., 2014). As stated by Reinecke and co-authors
(2020), fidgeting may be a motor phenomenon associated with multiple states and mental
disorders. The ubiquitous quality of fidgeting has also led to the behaviour being defined
differently at the researchers’ discretion making cross-study comparisons difficult.
Fidgeting has been hypothesized as a form of body regulation in the way of weight loss, a
way to improve blood circulation and overall physical fitness, emotional regulation, and
attentional regulation (Andrade, 2010; Belak et al., 2017; Farley et al., 2013; Graziano et
al., 2018; Hagger-Johnson et al., 2016; Mehrabian & Friedman, 1986; Morishima et al.,
2016; Morris & Warne, 2017; Perrykkad & Hohwy, 2020; Reinecke et al. 2020; for a
review on the relationship between sustained attention and stress, see Hancock, 1989).
While much remains unknown regarding fidgeting, it is possible to say that
fidgeting is closely tied to levels of stress and varying states of attention, a potential point
of differentiation from object-play (cf. Burghardt, 2005; Perrykhad & Hohwy, 2020). In
non-human animals, fidgeting closely resembles the behavioural category of
displacement behaviours (e.g., scratching). Displacement behaviours have been described
as behaviour performed by an individual instead of the functional behaviour that would
be expected to be seen in that specific context (Maestripieri et al., 1992; Mohiyeddini &
Semple, 2013; Tinbergen, 1952; Troisi, 2002). Displacement behaviours have been
successfully used as behavioural proxies for stress in both humans and non-human
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primates (Maestripieri et al., 1992; Troisi, 2002). Therefore, if fidgeting, or potentially
displacement behaviours, are a behavioural indicator of stress as well as states of
attention such as mind wandering, then object manipulation during bouts of mind
wandering or stress may not be object play but rather fidgeting. However, forms of play,
especially social play, have been noted to help an individual cope with stress and prepare
them for future stressful or potentially dangerous situations (Fagen & Fagen, 2004;
Norscia & Palagi, 2010; for further review of the role of play on stress, see Pellis &
Pellis, 2021). While these findings seem contradictory to the argument presented here,
they are actually complementary and provide a bridge between what we know of object
play in non-human animals and fidgeting which has not been directly described in non-
human animals, with the exception of one study conducted by Young et al. (2012)
describing a behavioural indicator of stress as “fidgeting” in horses. However, this one
example does not address object-directed fidgeting.
Limitations of Present Study and Future Directions
A primary limitation of this study was the low intra-scorer reliability score for the
pounding SH pattern. The objective definitions of each measure in the rating scale for the
pounding SH pattern did not include the magnitude of a movement for it to have counted
as “occurring.” This discrepancy may have resulted in the low intra-scorer reliability
score. Additionally, as I continued to score the SH sequences, I improved my ability to
score and may have been more confident when scoring the behaviour the second time.
Some of the variation in the results presented in Chapter Two and Chapter Three is
random noise attributable to variation in scoring practices. Therefore, my estimated
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associations are likely to be weaker than they would have been if I had achieved a higher
intra-rater reliability. I will continue to practice using LMA to improve my skills.
Additionally, an inter-scorer reliability test will be conducted with an expert certified in
LMA.
Despite the novelty of the findings presented in Chapter Three, it is important to
emphasize that visual attention and awareness are not synonymous (Lamme, 2003).
While visual attention and awareness are intertwined, it is possible to look at an object
but not be conscious of the object. For example, when driving down the road, it is likely
that you will see cars of many colors, but if you do not apply or incorporate the
information into your thoughts, you may not be truly aware of the color of the car
(O’Regan & Noë, 2001). As stated by O’Regan and Noë (2001):
“For a creature (or a machine for that matter) to possess visual awareness what is
required is that, in addition to exercising the mastery of the relevant sensorimotor
contingencies, it must make use of this exercise for the purposes of thought and
planning” (p. 944).
In other words, for visual attention to become visual awareness, there needs to be some
integration of the visual components (e.g., the stone is flat) into the thoughts of the
viewer (e.g., this stone is a good choice for rubbing because it is flat) (O’Regan & Noë,
2001). Without further tests, it is not possible to know at what “level” the monkeys were
“seeing” the stones.
Furthermore, while all the behavioural sequences in Chapter Three were selected
because they occurred in a seemingly neutral state rather than an obviously known
aroused or agonistic state, it was not feasible to select samples in which the individual
was surrounded by the same noise level, conspecifics, tourists, and staff members. The
population at the Ubud Monkey Sanctuary are exposed to high levels of human
117
interference and interactions, thus may experience potential effects of urbanization (e.g.,
increasing proximity to a socially bonded partner during close encounters with tourists)
(cf. Maréchal et al., 2016). Additionally, the size of the stones used by the subjects were
not uniform. Cenni et al. (in press) recently found that the size of the stone significantly
influenced the duration of the manipulation and the versatility of SH patterns performed.
More specifically, subjects pound the stones for a longer duration when the stones are
considered small (less than three centimeters in length) to medium (between three and
five centimeters in length) in size rather than large (greater than five centimeters in
length). Alternatively, subjects rub the stones longer when the stones are considered
medium to large in size, rather than small. Overall, SH versatility (i.e., number of SH
patterns performed across subjects) is higher for small to medium sized stones, rather
than large stones. Similarly, Pelletier et al. (2017) found that different SH patterns require
different grips on the stone. Since these variables (i.e., the size of the stone and the
duration of engagement in SH) were not controlled for in this study, the results described
may reflect differing stone properties.
I did not examine the movement composition of the rubbing and pounding SH
pattern performed by subjects in states of stress, and so it is not yet possible to make any
substantial claims about the variations of the two SH patterns being correlated to stress or
being expressions of object play or fidgeting beyond the potential view previously
proposed. Additionally, I did not study the frequency of the SH bouts or the SH patterns
based on different conditions (e.g., stress), or the frequency of bi- versus uni-manual
manipulations (Leca et al., 2010a).
118
While multiple studies on fidgeting have been conducted with humans in clinical
or laboratory settings, there are fewer studies that have focused on fidgeting in a more
“naturalistic” environment for humans, such as a classroom or dentist’s office, using
observational techniques (Barash, 1974; da Câmara et al., 2018; Farley et al., 2013;
Graziano et al., 2018; Reinecke et al., 2020). Furthermore, only a few studies have
investigated the movement or structural composition of fidgeting performed by humans
in these naturalistic environments (Farley et al., 2013; Reinecke et al., 2020). Future
studies will aim to evaluate the movement composition of object-directed fidgeting and
object play with the same or similar item performed by children in a classroom
environment, thereby providing a basis for comparison for the SH behaviour
demonstrated by the Balinese long-tailed macaques. Until we are able to apply a fine-
grained analysis of the movement structure (including the combination of these
movements into a longer sequence) of fidgeting in humans, as has been done with object
exploration and object play (Hughes, 1978; Hutt, 1966), we will be unable to directly
compare fidgeting behaviour in humans to the fidgeting-like behaviour performed by
non-human primates. A future cross-species comparative study will further inform us of
the potentially similar underlying cognitive processes (e.g., waning attention) involved
with non-instrumental object manipulation.
Conclusion
In summary, this thesis looked at a form of non-instrumental, playful, and
repetitive object-directed manipulation performed by Balinese long-tailed macaques
(Macaca fascicularis) – SH. To investigate the potential attentional mechanisms
associated with SH, I used the current literature surrounding another non-instrumental,
119
and repetitive manipulation performed by humans – fidgeting – to guide the exploration
of two SH patterns (i.e., rubbing and pounding) using two universal movement analysis
systems (EWMN and LMA). The two main findings of this thesis are [1] the orientation
of the subject while they are engaged in SH differs across acts, leading to at least two
variations within each SH pattern (i.e., rubbing and pounding), and [2] the gaze direction
of the subject influences the kinematic and non-kinematic structure of the two SH
patterns (i.e., rubbing and pounding), with the subject performing the SH pattern in a
more constrained manner while looking at the stone. These results contribute to our
understanding of how attentional processes interact with the performance of SH across
two different SH patterns. This thesis is the first to draw parallels between fidgeting and a
form of non-instrumental object manipulation performed by non-human primates.
120
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Appendix A
Commonly used symbols in Laban Movement Analysis
General Notation Staff
Double bar lines
Indicate the beginning and end of a movement sequence
Single bar lines
Can be used to describe timing
Generic action stroke
Pauses
Pause in the movement
‘Active Stillness’
Subject is still, but the position is not static, qualitative expression is active even in the absence of movement
Relationships
Near
132
Contact
Grasp
Release
133
Main Body Symbols
134
Body Symbols
Generic symbol for the whole body
Waist
a
Pelvis
Torso
Upper torso
Lower torso
Body Actions
Extension
Major extension
Ad lib size of extension
135
Flexion
Major flexion
Ad lib size of flexion
Rotate counterclockwise
Rotate clockwise
Effort
Generic Effort Action Stroke
Various bows and accent marks for describing Effort
Rhythms
136
Effort Graph
137
Effort Symbols
Effort Factors Single Effort Elements
Indulging Efforts Condensing Efforts
Weight Light Weight Strong
Effort Weight
Time Sustained Quick Time
Effort Time
Space Indirect Direct Space
Effort Space
Flow Free Flow Bound Flow
Effort
138
Space Symbols
Space
Moving towards
Moving away
Generic spatial direction
Ad lib spatial direction
High
Middle
Low
Spatial Directions Graph
139
Symbols for Spatial Directions
Spatial Directions
Forward
Simultaneously Forward and High
Simultaneously Forward and Low
Backward
Simultaneously Backward and High
Simultaneously Backward and Low
Sideward Left
Simultaneously Sideward Left & High
Simultaneously Sideward Left & Low
Sideward Right
Simultaneously Sideward Right & High
Simultaneously Sideward Right & Low
Simultaneously Sideward Left & Forward
Simultaneously Sideward Left, Forward, & High
Simultaneously Sideward Left, Forward, & Low
Simultaneously Sideward Right & Forward
Simultaneously Sideward Right, Forward, & High
Simultaneously Sideward Right, Forward, & Low
Simultaneously Sideward Left & Backward
Simultaneously Sideward Left, Backward, & High
Simultaneously Sideward Left, Backward, & Low
Simultaneously Sideward Right & Backward
Simultaneously Sideward Right, Backward, & High
Simultaneously Sideward Right, Backward, & Low
140
Portion of Motif of Rubbing
141
Portion of Motif of Pounding
142
Appendix B
Rubbing Rating Scale consisting of the six phases, individual measures, and objective
definitions of each measure.
Phase Measure Definition
Starting This phase encompasses the starting position of
Orientation the subject at the beginning of a rubbing act
(this phase, and corresponding measures, can
occur at the start of a SH bout or within a SH
sequence, meaning the subject may already have
been engaged in SH).
Starting Face orientated The subject’s forehead and face is pointed at the
Orientation towards stone stone they are manipulating.
Starting Body orientated The midline of the subject’s torso is pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
Outward This phase encompasses the main movements
(Away from that compose the outward motion of the
the body) forelimb(s), in which the subject manipulates
the stone away from their body, creating more
distance between their torso and the stone.
Outward Torso and limb The subject’s torso and the limb manipulating
(Away from movement are the stone move together at the same time; the
the body) synchronized torso supports the limb, moving in coordination
with the limb, as the stone is moved outward
away from the subject’s body.
Outward Distally initiated The outward limb movement begins with a
(Away from (wrist and hand) movement from either the subject’s wrist or
the body) their hand. The wrist or hand moves first rather
than the elbow, shoulder, or torso.
Outward Wrist flexes as As the subject moves their hand away from their
(Away from hand moves away body, the wrist bends so that the distance
the body) from torso between the palm of the hand and the underside
of the forearm shortens.
Outward Fingers extend as As the subject moves their hand away from their
(Away from hand moves away body, the fingers lengthen out, decreasing the
the body) from torso bend at the knuckles.
143
Outward Hand moves in a As the subject moves their hand away from their
(Away from straight pathway midline, the hand moves straight, with no curves
the body) or meandering.
Outward Proportion of Throughout the entire outward phase of
(Away from Condensing movement, there are more Condensing Effort
the body) Effort Qualities Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound Flow, Quick
exceeds Indulging Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Effort Qualities Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not
focus on the specific Effort Qualities and instead
focused on the gradient they stem from,
Condensing to Indulging. Effort Qualities
cannot be perceived by viewing a video frame-
by-frame. To quantify the Effort Qualities, the
video has to be viewed at its normal speed.
First Following the outward phase, this phase
Adjustment encompasses the main movements that occur
when the stone was no longer moving farther
away from the body but was not yet moving
back towards the body. During this phase,
movements appeared to be small positioning
changes on the stone, while the stone remained
in one location.
First Wrist and/or Either the subject’s wrist or fingers
Adjustment fingers extend extend; for the wrist this looks like the distance
between the back of the hand and the backside
of the forearm shortens; for the fingers, this
looks like the fingers are lengthening out,
decreasing the bend at the knuckles.
First Supination The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
Adjustment lower arm) rotates so that the palm faces
upwards or forwards.
First Release of contact The subject may make small movements in the
Adjustment with stone as adjustment phase, one of them being releasing
hand lifts the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If
their hand is no longer touching the stone after
loosening their grasp, they have then released
contact with the stone.
144
First Pronation The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
Adjustment lower arm), rotates so that the palm faces
downwards or backwards.
First Re-contact with If the subject did not engage in measure 3.3,
Adjustment stone as hand then they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If
lowers they did engage in measure 3.3, and they return
their hand to the stone, they have regained
contact with the stone.
First Wrist and/or Either the subject’s wrist or fingers flex; for the
Adjustment fingers flex wrist this looks like the distance between the
palm of the hand and the underside of the
forearm shortens; for the fingers, this looks like
the fingers bend, increasing the bend at the
knuckles.
First Lateral deviation The subject’s wrist bends either to the left or the
Adjustment at the wrist right; the hand does not move in the vertical
plane meaning the palm of the hand neither gets
closer to the underside of the forearm nor farther
from it.
Inwards This phase encompasses the main movements
(Towards the that compose the outward motion, in which the
body) subject manipulates the stone away from their
body, creating more distance between their torso
and the stone.
Inwards Torso & limb The subject’s torso and limb manipulating the
(Towards the movement are stone move together at the same time; the torso
body) synchronized supports the limb, moving in coordination with
the limb, as the stone is moved inward, towards
the subject’s body.
Inwards Distally initiated The inward movement begins with a movement
(Towards the (wrist and hand) from either the subject’s wrist or their hand. The
body) wrist or hand moves first rather than the elbow,
shoulder or torso.
Inwards Wrist extends as As the subject moves their hand towards their
(Towards the hand moves body, the wrist bends so that the distance
body) towards torso between the back of the hand and the backside
of the forearm shortens.
145
Inwards Fingers flex as As the subject moves their hand towards their
(Towards the hand moves body, the fingers bend, increasing the bend at
body) towards torso the knuckles.
Inwards Hand moves As the subject moves their hand towards their
(Towards the along straight body, the hand moves straight, with no curves or
body) pathway meandering.
Inwards Proportion of Throughout the entire inward phase of
(Towards the Condensing movement, there are more Condensing Effort
body) Effort Qualities Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound Flow, Quick
exceeds Indulging Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Effort Qualities Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not
focus on the specific Effort Qualities and instead
focused on the gradient they stem from,
Condensing to Indulging. Effort Qualities
cannot be perceived by viewing a video frame-
by-frame. To quantify the Effort Qualities, the
video has to be viewed at its normal speed.
Second Following the inward phase, this phase
Adjustment encompasses the main movements that occur
once the stone has been brought inwards,
towards the subject’s body but before the
subject either ceases to handle the stone or
initiates another rub. During this phase,
movements appeared to be small positioning
changes on the stone, while the stone remained
in one location. In this phase, for the measures
to receive a score of 1, they must happen in the
listed order. For example, if measure 5.2
occurred after measure 5.4, it would still receive
a score of 0. The exception is measure 5.6,
which could receive a 1 independent of the order
of occurrence.
Second Wrist and/or Either the subject’s wrist or fingers extend; for
Adjustment fingers extend the wrist this looks like the distance between the
back of the hand and the backside of the forearm
shortens; for the fingers, this looks like the
fingers are lengthening out, decreasing the bend
at the knuckles.
146
Second Supination The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
Adjustment lower arm), rotates so that the palm faces
upwards or forwards.
Second Release of contact The subject may make small movements in the
Adjustment with stone as adjustment phase, one of them being releasing
hand lifts the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If
their hand is no longer touching the stone after
loosening their grasp, they have then released
contact with the stone.
Second Pronation The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
Adjustment lower arm), rotates so that the palm faces
downwards or backwards.
Second Re-contact with If the subject did not engage in measure 5.3,
Adjustment stone as hand then they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If
lowers they did engage in measure 5.3 and they return
their hand to the stone, they have regained
contact with the stone.
Second Lateral deviation The subject’s wrist bends either to
Adjustment at the wrist the left or the right, the hand does not move in
the vertical plane meaning the palm of the hand
neither gets closer to the underside of the
forearm nor farther from it.
Ending This phase encompasses the ending position of
Orientation the subject at the end of a rubbing act regardless
if the subject continued to engage in stone
handling, or if they ceased to stone handle.
Ending Face orientated The subject’s forehead and face is pointed at the
Orientation towards stone stone they are manipulating. This measure was
derived based on previous analyses using
EWMN to determine that the forehead is a
suitable proxy for gaze direction when the
subject’s eyes were not visible.
Ending Body orientated The midline of the subject’s torso is pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
147
Pounding Rating Scale consisting of the six phases, individual measures, and objective
definitions of each measure.
Phase Measure Definition
Starting This phase encompasses the starting position of
Orientation the subject at the beginning of a pounding act.
Starting Face orientated The subject’s forehead and face are pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
Starting Body orientated The midline of the subject’s torso is pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
Upswing This phase encompasses the main movements
that compose the upward motion, in which the
subject manipulates the stone off and away from
the ground.
Upswing Torso & limb The subject’s torso and limb manipulating the
movement are stone move together at the same time; the torso
synchronized supports the limb, moving in coordination with
the limb, as the stone is lifted off of the ground.
Upswing Distally initiated The upward movement begins with a movement
(wrist and hand) from either the subject’s wrist or their hand. The
wrist or hand moves first rather than the elbow,
shoulder, or torso.
Upswing Wrist flexes as As the subject lifts the stone off of the ground,
hand moves away the wrist bends so that the distance between the
from the ground palm of the hand and the underside of the
forearm shortens.
Upswing Fingers flex as As the subject lifts the stone off of the ground,
hand moves away the fingers bend, increasing the bend at the
from the ground knuckles.
Upswing Supination The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces upwards
or forwards.
Upswing Movement in As the subject raises their arm with the stone
either vertical or away the ground, the movement remains in the
sagittal plane vertical or sagittal plane.
148
Upswing Proportion of Throughout the entire upward phase of
Condensing movement, there are more Condensing Effort
Effort Qualities Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound Flow, Quick
exceeds Indulging Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Qualities: Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not
focus on the specific Effort Qualities and instead
focused on the gradient they stem from,
Condensing to Indulging. To quantify the Effort
Qualities, the video has to be viewed at its
normal speed.
Adjustment Following the upward phase, this phase
encompasses the main movements that occur at
the highest point of the upward phase when the
stone was no longer moving in the vertical or
sagittal plane. During this phase, movements
appeared to be small positioning changes on the
stone, prior to the downswing phase.
Adjustment Forelimb rotation The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces upwards
or forwards (i.e., supination) or so that the palm
faces downwards or backwards (i.e., pronation).
Adjustment Wrist extends The subject’s wrist bends so that the distance
and/or flexes between the back of the hand and the backside of
the forearm shortens (i.e., extension) or so that
the distance between the palm of the hand and
the underside of the forearm shortens (i.e.,
flexion).
Adjustment Fingers extend The subject’s fingers bend so that the fingers are
and/or flex lengthening out, decreasing the bend at the
knuckles (i.e., extension) or so that the fingers
bend, increasing the bend at the knuckles (i.e.,
flexion).
Adjustment Lateral deviation The subject’s wrist bends either to the left or the
at the wrist right, the hand does not move in the vertical
plane meaning the palm of the hand neither gets
closer to the underside of the forearm nor farther
from it.
Downswing This phase encompasses the main movements
that compose the downward motion, in which
149
the subject manipulates the stone closer to the
ground, eventually completely returning the
stone to the ground.
Downswing Torso & limb The subject’s torso and limb manipulating the
movement are stone move together at the same time; the torso
synchronized supports the limb, moving in coordination with
the limb, as the stone is returned to the ground.
Downswing Distally initiated The downward movement begins with a
(wrist and hand) movement from either the subject’s wrist or their
hand. The wrist or hand moves first rather than
the elbow, shoulder or torso.
Downswing Wrist extends as As the subject moves the stone towards the
the hand moves ground, the wrist bends so that the distance
towards the between the back of the hand and the backside of
ground the forearm shortens.
Downswing Fingers extend as As the subject moves the stone towards the
the hand moves ground, the fingers lengthen out, decreasing the
towards the bend at the knuckles.
ground
Downswing Pronation The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces
downwards or backwards.
Downswing Movement in As the subject lowers their arm with the stone
either vertical or towards the ground, the movement remains in
sagittal plane the vertical or sagittal plane.
Downswing Proportion of Throughout the entire downward phase of
Condensing movement, there are more Condensing Effort
Effort Qualities Qualities (Strong Weight, Bound Flow, Quick
exceeds Indulging Time, and Direct Space) than Indulging Effort
Qualities Qualities (Light Weight, Free Flow, Sustained
Time, and Indirect Space). This measure did not
focus on the specific Effort Qualities and instead
focused on the gradient they stem from,
Condensing to Indulging. To quantify the Effort
Qualities, the video has to be viewed at its
normal speed.
Transition Following the downswing phase, this phase
encompasses the main movements that occur
once the stone is touching the ground, but before
150
the subject either ceases to perform SH or
initiates another pound. During this phase,
movements appeared to be small positioning
changes on the stone, while the stone remained
in one location. During this phase, for the
measures to receive a score of 1, they must
happen in the listed order. For example, if
measure 5.2 occurred after 5.4, it would still
receive a score of a 0. The exception is measure
5.7 which could receive a 1 independent of the
order of occurrence.
Transition Wrist and/or Either the subject’s wrist or fingers extend; for
fingers extend the wrist, this looks like the distance between
back of the hand and the backside off the
forearm shortens; for the fingers, this looks like
the fingers are lengthening out, decreasing the
bend at the knuckles.
Transition Supination The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces upwards
or forwards.
Transition Release of contact The subject may make small movements in the
with stone as adjustment phase, one of them being releasing
hand lifts the stone prior to grabbing the stone again. If
their hand is no longer touching the stone after
loosening their grasp, they have then released
contact with the stone.
Transition Pronation The subject’s forearm, wrist and hand (i.e.,
lower arm) rotate so that the palm faces
downwards or backwards.
Transition Re-contact with If the subject did not engage in measure 5.3, then
stone as hand they cannot score a 1 for this measure. If they
lowers did engage in measure 5.3 and they return their
hand to the stone, they have regained contact
with the stone.
Transition Wrist and/or Either the subject’s wrist or fingers flex; for the
fingers flex wrist, this looks like the distance between the
palm of the hand and the underside of the
forearm shortens; for the fingers, this looks like
the fingers bend, increasing the bend at the
knuckles.
151
Transition Lateral deviation The subject’s wrist bends either to the left or the
at the wrist right; the hand does not move in the vertical
plane meaning the palm of the hand neither gets
closer to the underside of the forearm nor farther
from it.
Ending This phase encompasses the ending position of
Orientation the subject at the ending of a pounding act
regardless of whether the subject continued to
engage in SH, or if they ceased to perform SH.
Ending Face orientated The subject’s forehead and face are pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
Ending Body orientated The midline of the subject’s torso is pointed at
Orientation towards stone the stone they are manipulating.
152
Appendix C
Table showing each study subjects’ identity in this thesis, their age group, sex, the
SH pattern(s) they performed, or the specific analysis they were included in. The
age class is based on the classification used in the specific study.
ID Age Sex Stone Handling Pattern
Performed or Specific Analysis
White Eyebrows Adult Male Pounding
Zsolt Adult Male Pounding / Rubbing
Zeus Adult Male Pounding
Anvil Adult Male Pounding
Danger Adult Male Pounding / Rubbing
Little Finger Adult Male Pounding / Rubbing
Ned Adult Male Pounding
Temple Baggy Adult Male Pounding / Rubbing
Temple Adult Male Pounding
Logan Adult Male Pounding
Mufy Adult Male Pounding
Splash Adult Male Rubbing
Awkward Cami Adult Male Rubbing
Pinocchio Adult Male Rubbing
Obelix Adult Male Rubbing
Locke Adult Male Rubbing
Lancelot Adult Male Rubbing
DawsonT Adult Male Rubbing
Lauren Adult Female Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
Perry Young Adult Male Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
Mary Young Adult Female Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
Scarface Subadult Male Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
MJ Subadult Male Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
David Juvenile Male Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
Talung Juvenile Female Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
153
Upie Juvenile Male Forehead and gaze direction
analysis
154