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Biological Psychiatry May 2024Social memory, the ability to recognize and remember individuals within a social group, is crucial for social interactions and relationships. Deficits in social memory... (Review)
Review
Social memory, the ability to recognize and remember individuals within a social group, is crucial for social interactions and relationships. Deficits in social memory have been linked to several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The hippocampus, especially the circuit that links dorsal CA2 and ventral CA1 neurons, is considered a neural substrate for social memory formation. Recent studies have provided compelling evidence of extrahippocampal contributions to social memory. The septal nuclei, including the medial and lateral septum, make up a basal forebrain region that shares bidirectional neuronal connections with the hippocampus and has recently been identified as critical for social memory. The focus of our review is the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie social memory, with a special emphasis on the septum. We also discuss the social memory dysfunction associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
PubMed: 38718881
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.018 -
PloS One 2023Individual variation in complex social behavioral traits, like primate grooming, can be influenced by the characteristics of the individual and those of its social...
Individual variation in complex social behavioral traits, like primate grooming, can be influenced by the characteristics of the individual and those of its social group. To better grasp this complexity, social network analysis can be used to quantify direct and indirect grooming relationships. However, multi-group social network studies remain rare, despite their importance to disentangle individual from group-level trait effects on grooming strategies. We applied social network analysis to grooming data of 22 groups of zoo-housed bonobos and investigated the impact of three individual (sex, age, and rearing-history) and two group-level traits (group size and sex ratio) on five social network measures (out-strength, in-strength, disparity, affinity, and eigenvector centrality). Our results showed age-effects on all investigated measures: for females, all measures except for affinity showed quadratic relationships with age, while in males, the effects of age were more variable depending on the network measure. Bonobos with atypical rearing histories showed lower out-strength and eigenvector centrality, while in-strength was only impacted by rearing history in males. Group size showed a negative association with disparity and eigenvector centrality, while sex ratio did not influence any of the investigated measures. Standardization for group size did not impact the effects of sex and age, indicating the robustness of these findings. Our study provides comprehensive insights into the complexity of grooming behavior in zoo-housed bonobos, and underlines the importance of multi-group analyses for the generalizability of social network analysis results for species as a whole.
Topics: Animals; Female; Male; Social Behavior; Grooming; Pan paniscus; Sex Ratio
PubMed: 37099520
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284361 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... May 2022To guide social interaction, people often rely on expectations about the traits of other people, based on markers of social group membership (i.e., stereotypes)....
To guide social interaction, people often rely on expectations about the traits of other people, based on markers of social group membership (i.e., stereotypes). Although the influence of stereotypes on social behavior is widespread, key questions remain about how traits inferred from social-group membership are instantiated in the brain and incorporated into neural computations that guide social behavior. Here, we show that the human lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) represents the content of stereotypes about members of different social groups in the service of social decision-making. During functional MRI scanning, participants decided how to distribute resources across themselves and members of a variety of social groups in a modified Dictator Game. Behaviorally, we replicated our recent finding that inferences about others' traits, captured by a two-dimensional framework of stereotype content (warmth and competence), had dissociable effects on participants' monetary-allocation choices: recipients' warmth increased participants’ aversion to advantageous inequity (i.e., earning more than recipients), and recipients’ competence increased participants’ aversion to disadvantageous inequity (i.e., earning less than recipients). Neurally, representational similarity analysis revealed that others' traits in the two-dimensional space were represented in the temporoparietal junction and superior temporal sulcus, two regions associated with mentalizing, and in the lateral OFC, known to represent inferred features of a decision context outside the social domain. Critically, only the latter predicted individual choices, suggesting that the effect of stereotypes on behavior is mediated by inference-based decision-making processes in the OFC.
Topics: Brain; Brain Mapping; Decision Making; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Prefrontal Cortex; Social Behavior; Social Cognition; Stereotyping
PubMed: 35605117
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116944119 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Apr 2023The position an individual holds in a social network is dependent on both its direct and indirect social interactions. Because social network position is dependent on...
The position an individual holds in a social network is dependent on both its direct and indirect social interactions. Because social network position is dependent on the actions and interactions of conspecifics, it is likely that the genotypic composition of individuals within a social group impacts individuals' network positions. However, we know very little about whether social network positions have a genetic basis, and even less about how the genotypic makeup of a social group impacts network positions and structure. With ample evidence indicating that network positions influence various fitness metrics, studying how direct and indirect genetic effects shape network positions is crucial for furthering our understanding of how the social environment can respond to selection and evolve. Using replicate genotypes of fruit flies, we created social groups that varied in their genotypic makeup. Social groups were videoed, and networks were generated using motion-tracking software. We found that both an individual's own genotype and the genotypes of conspecifics in its social group affect its position within a social network. These findings provide an early example of how indirect genetic effects and social network theory can be linked, and shed new light on how quantitative genetic variation shapes the structure of social groups. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Social Behavior; Genotype; Drosophila; Social Networking
PubMed: 36802774
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0075 -
Gaceta Medica de Mexico 2023The impact of diabetes mellitus has been shown to be differentially expressed between social groups.
BACKGROUND
The impact of diabetes mellitus has been shown to be differentially expressed between social groups.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate inequality gaps in diabetes mellitus mortality through absolute and relative measures according to geographic distribution and social conditions.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Diabetes mellitus-related deaths recorded in Mexico between 2010 and 2019 were analyzed, and inequality measurements at the state level were calculated by gender.
RESULTS
National age-adjusted diabetes mellitus mortality rate showed an increase during the study period.
CONCLUSION
The inequalities present in diabetes mortality should be considered for the design of health strategies.
Topics: Humans; Socioeconomic Factors; Mexico; Diabetes Mellitus; Social Group; Mortality
PubMed: 37094231
DOI: 10.24875/GMM.M22000755 -
Nursing Open May 2023To assess differences in social group memberships and burnout levels by work tenure among new nurses and identify factors associated with their subjective well-being.
AIM
To assess differences in social group memberships and burnout levels by work tenure among new nurses and identify factors associated with their subjective well-being.
DESIGN
A cross-sectional study.
METHODS
Participants were 356 registered nurses who had fewer than 3 years of work tenure. Data were collected from February-March 2021. Participants' social identity, burnout, and subjective well-being were assessed using validated questionnaires. STROBE checklist was applied.
RESULTS
Multiple group membership was positively associated with life satisfaction and positive affect and negatively with burnout. Burnout influenced new nurses' negative effect in their life transition period. To improve new nurses' subjective well-being, it is essential to focus on their social group membership, encourage participation in group activities, and improve access to sociopsychological resources that can help them take their first steps as professional staff and develop as healthy members of society, which will foster sustainable healthcare systems.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Social Group; Job Satisfaction; Burnout, Professional; Nurses
PubMed: 36575584
DOI: 10.1002/nop2.1581 -
Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal... 2024Living in groups can provide essential experience that improves sexual performance and reproductive success. While the effects of social experience have drawn...
Living in groups can provide essential experience that improves sexual performance and reproductive success. While the effects of social experience have drawn considerable scientific interest, commonly used behavioral assays often do not capture the dynamic nature of interactions within a social group. Here, we conducted 3 experiments using a social network framework to test whether social experience during early adulthood improves the sexual competence of bed bugs () when placed in a complex and competitive group environment. In each experiment, we observed replicate groups of bed bugs comprising previously socialized and previously isolated individuals of the same sex, along with an equal number of standardized individuals of the opposite sex. Regardless of whether we controlled for their insemination history, previously isolated males mounted and inseminated females at significantly higher rates than previously socialized males. However, we found no evidence of social experience influencing our other measures of sexual competence: proportion of mounts directed at females, ability to overcome female resistance, and strength of opposite-sex social associations. We similarly did not detect effects of social experience on our female sexual competence metrics: propensity to avoid mounts, rate of successfully avoiding mounts, opposite-sex social association strength, and rate of receiving inseminations. Our findings indicate that early social experience does not improve sexual competence in male and female bed bugs.
PubMed: 38690087
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae030 -
Behavior Therapy Nov 2022Groups 4 Health (G4H) is a group psychotherapy program that targets social group disconnection. An emerging evidence base supports its efficacy in reducing loneliness,...
Groups 4 Health (G4H) is a group psychotherapy program that targets social group disconnection. An emerging evidence base supports its efficacy in reducing loneliness, depression, and social anxiety. However, to date there has been no formal analysis of its acceptability to clients and therapists, nor an investigation of its feasibility for wider implementation. This input from end users is crucial to ensure the program's wider suitability and to contribute to its improvement. This study drew data from three clinical trials, including 266 G4H clients and 68 G4H therapists. From the Phase III trial only, additional data were available from 90 clients in a dose-controlled cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) comparison group, and focus groups/interviews with 6 therapists and 13 clients. Client satisfaction was high, with all average ratings >7/10, significantly exceeding the CBT comparison group. Therapist satisfaction with each module was >5/7. Retention was >80%. Homework completion was high, with <10% of clients saying that they had not attempted the homework. Therapists and clients both emphasized the benefits arising from G4H, and the contribution of the group context itself as a vehicle to achieve positive outcomes.
Topics: Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Feasibility Studies; Humans; Loneliness; Personal Satisfaction; Psychotherapy, Group; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 36229119
DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.06.011 -
JDS Communications Nov 2020Intensively housed dairy cattle are commonly regrouped (mixed into a new social group) as part of routine farm procedures. This stressful procedure triggers heightened...
Intensively housed dairy cattle are commonly regrouped (mixed into a new social group) as part of routine farm procedures. This stressful procedure triggers heightened levels of agonistic behaviors and disrupts animals' time budgets. However, little is known regarding the effects of regrouping on cattle's affective states. The aim of this study was to explore whether regrouping (involving a change in both the social and physical environment) triggers anhedonia (i.e., the reduced ability to experience pleasure) in 6-mo-old dairy heifers, a phenomenon associated with negative mood. In this study, we assessed anhedonia using changes in the use of a mechanical brush. Holstein heifers (n = 16) were trained to use a mechanical brush and then given the opportunity to individually brush for 10 min every 2 d. Time spent brushing (during a 10-min brush test) was collected before, during, and after regrouping (2-d interval) with the assumption that heifers would reduce their use of the brush during regrouping. Each heifer was individually regrouped into a new social group composed of 12 older and unfamiliar heifers and allowed access to the brush at 8 and 56 h after the onset of regrouping. Immediately after the last test, each heifer was brought back to her original pen and allowed to mingle with familiar pen-mates before being tested again 2 and 4 d later. When tested 8 h after regrouping, heifers reduced time spent brushing by 44 ± 27% (95% confidence interval: -96.18 to -41.8) compared with before regrouping; however, no differences were detected 56 h after regrouping. There was no relationship between the intensity of the decrease in brush use and any behaviors (number of agonistic interactions received, time heifers spent resting, or synchronization at the feed bunk) recorded for the 8 h immediately before testing (i.e., between 0 and 8 h and between 48 and 56 h after regrouping). These results indicate that regrouping induces anhedonia-like responses in dairy heifers on the day of regrouping. This routine procedure may thus induce negative mood in dairy heifers. This response was not related to behaviors typically collected to assess the negative effects of regrouping. Maintaining dairy cattle in stable social groups should be favored.
PubMed: 36341145
DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2020-0023 -
The Journal of Neuroscience : the... Jan 2021Humans are less likely to learn from individuals belonging to a different group (outgroup) than from individuals of their own group (ingroup), yet the source of this...
Humans are less likely to learn from individuals belonging to a different group (outgroup) than from individuals of their own group (ingroup), yet the source of this societally relevant deficit has remained unclear. Here we used neuroimaging and computational modeling to investigate how people learn from observing the actions and outcomes of ingroup and outgroup demonstrators. Politically left-wing male and female participants performed worse when observing computer-simulated actions they believed were from a right-wing outgroup member compared with those from a left-wing ingroup member. A control experiment in which participants observed choices from a nonhuman agent confirmed that this performance difference reflected an outgroup deficit, rather than an ingroup gain. Accounting for the outgroup deficit, a computational model showed that participants relied less on information from outgroup actions compared with ingroup actions, while learning from outgroup outcomes was not impaired. At the neural level, the differences in observational ingroup versus outgroup learning were reflected in lateral prefrontal activity. The stronger the activity in this region, the more strongly participants weighed ingroup compared with outgroup learning signals (action prediction errors), which formally captured deficits in outgroup learning. Together, our work provides a computational and neural account of why people learn less from observing outgroups. Learning from observing others is an efficient way to acquire knowledge. In our globalized world, "the others" often are people from a different social group (outgroup). There is evidence that people learn less from observing outgroup individuals compared with individuals from their own group (ingroup). However, the source of this outgroup deficit in observational learning remained unknown, which limits our chances to improve intergroup learning. Our results showed that participants rely less on observed outgroup actions compared with ingroup actions, while learning from outgroup outcomes is not impaired. On the neural level, this outgroup deficit was reflected in the activation of the inferior frontal gyrus. These findings imply that intergroup learning should rely on observing outcomes, rather than actions.
Topics: Attitude; Computer Simulation; Female; Group Processes; Humans; Learning; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neuroimaging; Observation; Politics; Psychomotor Performance; Social Identification; Social Perception; Young Adult
PubMed: 33203741
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0926-20.2020