learning & social development Flashcards
Define “Play” after Bekoff & Byers (1981)
Play is all motor activiy performed postnatally that appears to be purposeless, in which motor patterns from other contexts may often be used in modified forms and altered temporal sequencing. If the activity is directed toward another living being it is called social play.
Why is “play” hard to define?
- A number of common characterisitics , but no single one defines it
- juvenile behaviour - Structural:
- Mixture of motor patterns from different contexts
- exageration
- repetition
- recorded sequences - Function - more difficult
- we don’t always know the function
- play is varied
(purely structuraly is problematic: discriminating motor patterns that are/not play)
How does Burghardt (2005) define “play”?
(5 criteria)
- Not fully functoinal in that context
- Is self-rewarding/autotelic
- Differs in structure/timing from adult form of behaviour
- Repeated, but not stereotypically
- Performed when animals are “relaxed” -no immediate fitness threats
Why is it relevant to study play?
- animals invest time in it
- characterisitc of early time in it - It has costs, and so should also bring fitness benefits
- otherwise individuals who played would be disadvantaged - We can use it as a welfare indicator
Briefly describe the three main types of play
- Locomotor-rotational
- jumps, twists, kicks, shakes, spins, bucks, running, etc (Lamp pronking around).
- alone or with campanions - Object (interacton with inanimate objects)
- e.g. leaves, sticks, toys, etc (cow playing with ball)
- should be differentiated from object investigation (play may follow) - Social play - playing with other animals
- e.g. chasing, play fighting, sexual (rats wrestiling)
Give an example for species type play patterns
e.g. level of play in canids is correlated with sociality - wolfes and dogs play more than jackals and coyotes
What are the costs of play?
- Injury
- Energy
- time spent away from foraging, etc.
- Risk of predation
why is play considered a “luxury” behaviour?
Play doesn’t occur in reduced welfare situations
- hungry, sick, cold animals will conserve energy
Briefly describe the three benefits of play
- Learning about the environment
- Familarity
- Food sources - Practicing motor skills
- hunting, fighting, mating
- exercise - social
- relationships, cognitive skills
- social interactions, e.g. status, reducing tension
coping with unpredictability
What is self-handicapping?
stronger animals perform behaviours at lower levels than their capabilities
- deliberate adopt vulterable positions
- larger and older animals (but younger too) typically reduce strength of movements
- signals intent : play
(e. g. dog gently playing with rabbit)
Describe the relationship between synaptogenesis and play
the cerebulum of the brain in cats is responsible to coordinate the limbs of the animal. synaptogenesis in this part of the brain peaks when social play in cats peaks during their up brining
What other two features of play can be distinguisehd?
1. Role reversal = partners take turns in play roles
- offensive vs defensive
- this can vary across species and individuals
2. Signals = products produced by an animal whih have evolved to carry specific information to another animal (play markers)
Why are signals in play important?
- e.g. interspecific social play between dogs and humans
(bow, lunge, both and voalisation are most effective)
How can play be an indicator for welfare?
- detrimental environmental factors reduce play
- play can provide long-term benefits to individuals
- play can benefit individuals immediately via self-reward (and others via contagion)
- Indicates the absence of fitness threats
- acts as reward and pleasurable experience
- immidiate psychologycal benefits and improves current and future welfare
- socially contagious and therefore capable of spreading good welfare in groups
