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Science (New York, N.Y.) Dec 2011Whereas human pro-social behavior is often driven by empathic concern for another, it is unclear whether nonprimate mammals experience a similar motivational state. To...
Whereas human pro-social behavior is often driven by empathic concern for another, it is unclear whether nonprimate mammals experience a similar motivational state. To test for empathically motivated pro-social behavior in rodents, we placed a free rat in an arena with a cagemate trapped in a restrainer. After several sessions, the free rat learned to intentionally and quickly open the restrainer and free the cagemate. Rats did not open empty or object-containing restrainers. They freed cagemates even when social contact was prevented. When liberating a cagemate was pitted against chocolate contained within a second restrainer, rats opened both restrainers and typically shared the chocolate. Thus, rats behave pro-socially in response to a conspecific's distress, providing strong evidence for biological roots of empathically motivated helping behavior.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Cooperative Behavior; Empathy; Female; Helping Behavior; Male; Motivation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Restraint, Physical; Social Behavior; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 22158823
DOI: 10.1126/science.1210789 -
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience Oct 2020Brain-wide circuits that coordinate affective and social behaviours intersect in the amygdala. Consequently, amygdala lesions cause a heterogeneous array of social and... (Review)
Review
Brain-wide circuits that coordinate affective and social behaviours intersect in the amygdala. Consequently, amygdala lesions cause a heterogeneous array of social and non-social deficits. Social behaviours are not localized to subdivisions of the amygdala even though the inputs and outputs that carry social signals are anatomically restricted to distinct subnuclear regions. This observation may be explained by the multidimensional response properties of the component neurons. Indeed, the multitudes of circuits that converge in the amygdala enlist the same subset of neurons into different ensembles that combine social and non-social elements into high-dimensional representations. These representations may enable flexible, context-dependent social decisions. As such, multidimensional processing may operate in parallel with subcircuits of genetically identical neurons that serve specialized and functionally dissociable functions. When combined, the activity of specialized circuits may grant specificity to social behaviours, whereas multidimensional processing facilitates the flexibility and nuance needed for complex social behaviour.
Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Cognition; Humans; Models, Neurological; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Social Behavior
PubMed: 32839565
DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0350-y -
Current Opinion in Psychology Apr 2022Prosociality is a core feature of human functioning and has been a topic of interest across disciplinary boundaries for decades. In this review, we highlight different... (Review)
Review
Prosociality is a core feature of human functioning and has been a topic of interest across disciplinary boundaries for decades. In this review, we highlight different neuroscientific approaches that have enriched traditional psychological methods for studying prosocial behavior among individuals and groups. First, we outline findings from task-based neuroimaging studies that provide correlational evidence for the involvement of different neural mechanisms in prosocial behavior. Next, we present different brain stimulation studies that show several brain areas to be causally related to prosocial behavior. Furthermore, we outline the task-independent neural trait approach that quantifies temporally stable brain-based characteristics in an effort to uncover sources of interindividual differences in prosocial preferences. We discuss how the findings from these approaches have contributed to our understanding of prosocial behavior and suggest directions for future research.
Topics: Altruism; Brain; Humans; Social Behavior
PubMed: 34560373
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.028 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Nov 2020Humans exhibit major age-related shifts in social relationships along with changes in social and emotional psychological processes that underpin these behavioural... (Review)
Review
Humans exhibit major age-related shifts in social relationships along with changes in social and emotional psychological processes that underpin these behavioural shifts. Does social ageing in non-human primates follow similar patterns, and if so, what are the ultimate evolutionary consequences of these social shifts? Here we synthesize empirical evidence for shifts in social behaviour and underlying psychological processes across species. Focusing on three elements of social behaviour and cognition that are important for humans-propensities to with others, the positive versus negative of these interactions, and capabilities to others, we find evidence for wide variation in the trajectories of these characteristics across primates. Based on this, we identify potential modulators of the primate social ageing process, including social organization, sex and dominance status. Finally, we discuss how comparative research can contextualize human social ageing. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Cognition; Primates; Social Behavior
PubMed: 32951557
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0620 -
Current Biology : CB Sep 2018Carlson and colleagues introduce mobbing an anti-predator behaviour found in many animals.
Carlson and colleagues introduce mobbing an anti-predator behaviour found in many animals.
Topics: Animals; Cooperative Behavior; Escape Reaction; Predatory Behavior; Social Behavior; Vocalization, Animal
PubMed: 30253143
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.025 -
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Oct 2020A fundamental question in psychology and neuroscience is the extent to which cognitive and neural processes are specialised for social behaviour, or are shared with... (Review)
Review
A fundamental question in psychology and neuroscience is the extent to which cognitive and neural processes are specialised for social behaviour, or are shared with other 'non-social' cognitive, perceptual, and motor faculties. Here we apply the influential framework of Marr (1982) across research in humans, monkeys, and rodents to propose that information processing can be understood as 'social' or 'non-social' at different levels. We argue that processes can be socially specialised at the implementational and/or the algorithmic level, and that changing the goal of social behaviour can also change social specificity. This framework could provide important new insights into the nature of social behaviour across species, facilitate greater integration, and inspire novel theoretical and empirical approaches.
Topics: Algorithms; Brain; Cognition; Neurosciences; Social Behavior
PubMed: 32736965
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.06.011 -
Current Biology : CB Oct 2022Observing the behaviour of others is a cheap and effective way of acquiring up-to-date information about the environment. Further, an animal that changes its behaviour...
Observing the behaviour of others is a cheap and effective way of acquiring up-to-date information about the environment. Further, an animal that changes its behaviour in response to acquiring social information effectively propagates that information forwards. Although the rules that govern how individual birds detect and respond to social cues are often very simple, they are able to produce a diverse range of collective actions from which individuals can reap benefits that include predator avoidance and more accurate estimations of the environment. Understanding how and why individual-level rules that favour the emergence of collective behaviour have evolved therefore requires knowledge of the ecological and social contexts in which they are expressed. The breadth of research on social behaviours in birds is an unparalleled window into the ecology of collective behaviour and provides many opportunities to test whether different species overcome different ecological challenges using similar social rules and whether the collective behaviours of birds can act as sensors for the environment.
Topics: Animals; Social Behavior; Birds; Mass Gatherings; Social Environment; Knowledge
PubMed: 36283381
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.035 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Jun 2021Prosocial behaviors are essential for group cooperation, which enrich life experience and enhance survival. These complex behaviors are governed by intricate... (Review)
Review
Prosocial behaviors are essential for group cooperation, which enrich life experience and enhance survival. These complex behaviors are governed by intricate interactions between numerous neural circuits functioning in concert. Impairments in prosocial interactions result from disruptions of this coordinated brain activity and are a prominent feature of several pathological conditions including autism spectrum disorder, depression and addiction. Here we highlight recent studies that use advanced techniques to anatomically map, monitor and manipulate neural circuits that influence prosocial behavior. These recent findings provide important clues to unravel the complexities of the neural mechanisms that mediate prosocial interactions and offer insights into new strategies for the treatment of aberrant social behavior.
Topics: Altruism; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Humans; Social Behavior
PubMed: 33278639
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.11.006 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Aug 2022In this paper, we analyse the claim that oxytocin is a 'social neuropeptide'. This claim originated from evidence that oxytocin was instrumental in the initiation of... (Review)
Review
In this paper, we analyse the claim that oxytocin is a 'social neuropeptide'. This claim originated from evidence that oxytocin was instrumental in the initiation of maternal behaviour and it was extended to become the claim that oxytocin has a key role in promoting social interactions between individuals. We begin by considering the structure of the scientific literature on this topic, identifying closely interconnected clusters of papers on particular themes. We then analyse this claim by considering evidence of four types as generated by these clusters: (i) mechanistic studies in animal models, designed to understand the pathways involved in the behavioural effects of centrally administered oxytocin; (ii) evidence from observational studies indicating an association between oxytocin signalling pathways and social behaviour; (iii) evidence from intervention studies, mainly involving intranasal oxytocin administration; and (iv) evidence from translational studies of patients with disorders of social behaviour. We then critically analyse the most highly cited papers in each segment of the evidence; we conclude that, if these represent the best evidence, then the evidence for the claim is weak. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
Topics: Administration, Intranasal; Animals; Cognition; Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 35858110
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0055 -
Aggressive Behavior Nov 2022Social rejection elicits profound feelings of distress. From an evolutionary perspective, the best way to alleviate this distress is to behave prosocially, minimizing... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Social rejection elicits profound feelings of distress. From an evolutionary perspective, the best way to alleviate this distress is to behave prosocially, minimizing the likelihood of further exclusion. Yet, examples ranging from the playground to the pub suggest rejection commonly elicits aggression. Opposing theoretical perspectives and discordant empirical results have left a basic question unanswered: does rejection more commonly elicit prosocial or aggressive behavior? We conducted three meta-analyses (one with studies measuring aggressive behavior; one with studies measuring prosocial behavior; and one with studies measuring both aggressive and prosocial behavior; N = 3864) to quantify: (1) the extent to which social rejection elicits prosocial or aggressive behavior and (2) potential moderating effects on these relations. Random-effects models revealed medium effects such that social rejection potentiated aggressive behavior (k = 19; d = 0.41, p < .0001) and attenuated prosocial behavior (k = 7; d = 0.59, p < .0001), an effect that remained consistent even when participants were given the option to behave prosocially or aggressively (k = 15; d = 0.71, p < .0001). These results cast doubt on the theory that rejection triggers prosocial behavior, and instead suggest it is a robust elicitor of aggression. Statement of Relevance: To our knowledge, these meta-analyses are the first to directly test whether social rejection elicits aggressive or prosocial behavior. By including a comprehensive collection of both published and unpublished research studies, and examining a wide variety of previously untested moderators, we show that social rejection robustly elicits aggressive behavior and inhibits prosocial behavior. Additionally, we demonstrate that aggressive behavior following social rejection is not simply a function of limited choices in response options. In fact, aggressive behavior was evoked even when the option to engage in prosocial behavior was provided. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive narrative review of the neural mechanisms underlying social rejection-elicited aggressive and prosocial behavior to supplement primary analyses. Overall, we believe that our work makes a critical theoretical contribution to the field.
Topics: Aggression; Altruism; Humans; Social Behavior; Social Isolation; Social Status
PubMed: 35349722
DOI: 10.1002/ab.22026