Dopamine & Serotonin in Animal Social Behaviour

Question 1

What are the 8 behavioural processes modulated by SEROTONIN?

Answer 1

Mood
Perception
reward
anger
aggression
appetite
memory
attention

Question 2

What does serotonin bind to ?

Answer 2

serotonergic receptors

Question 3

What socially affiliative behaviours is serotonin associated with in primate models?

Answer 3

Grooming
approaching others

Question 4

What does serotonin control in decision making?

Answer 4

regulating emotions during social decision making

Question 5

what is low levels of serotonin associated with in humans?

Answer 5

Impulsive aggression

Question 6

What does dopamine bind to

Answer 6

dopaminergic receptors

Question 7

What neuropsychological processes is dopamine involved in (3)

Answer 7

locomotion
learning
working memory
cognition
emotion
motivation
pleasure control

Question 8

How does dopamine affect some adaptive behaviours?

Answer 8

It reinforces beneficial behaviours (i.e: social monogamy in Prairie voles)

Question 9

What is dopamine?

Answer 9

an evolutionarily ancient biogenic amine that is found in most eukaryotes and involved in evaluation of stimulus salience
- controls reward system of brain
- critical role in social behaviour

Question 10

In bees, how does DA affect behaviour?

Answer 10

queen bee releases pheromones that lowers DA levels in workers (modulates their behaviour towards colony chores)

Question 11

What does DA do in prairie voles?

Answer 11

reinforces pair bond formation and monogamy

Question 12

Name 2 areas of the brain where dopaminergic receptors are located

Answer 12

the SBN
Substantia nigra

Question 13

Name 3 social behaviours that dopamine intrinsicly reinforces

Answer 13

• pair bonding
• parent-offspring attachment
• affiliative relationships
• play
• social recognition & memory
• vocal communication
• prosocial networks
• social hierarchy

Question 13

Name 3 social behaviours that dopamine intrinsicly reinforces

Answer 13

• pair bonding
• parent-offspring attachment
• affiliative relationships
• play
• social recognition & memory
• vocal communication
• prosocial networks
• social hierarchy

Question 14

How does dopaminergic reward signally lead to adaptive behaviours?

Answer 14

• Reinforcement of adaptive behaviours ultimately leads to repetition of behaviours
• Behaviours are inherited genetically or via learning
• Dopamine reinforcement ensures the adaptive behaviours persist in future generations.