Oxytocin and Social Behaviour Flashcards
1
Q
oxytocin (what is it, what does it play a role in?)
A
- Neuropeptide (protein in nature)
- Produced in hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland
- Binding to receptors it: acts as a NT in the brain and acts as a hormone in the body
- Underlies parturition, lactation, social behaviour, and bonding/attachment (both parental and partner/romantic), feeding behaviour, stress, fear, and anxiety
2
Q
evolution of oxytocin
A
- Oxytocin homologs (sharing the same evolutionary history – ex. vasopressin), originated 700 million years ago
- Found in diverse array of vertebrates
- The role of oxytocin is relatively conserved and related to ancient functions
3
Q
social behaviour
A
- any action directed by an individual towards another individual
- Ex. Mating, parental care, communication, social recognition, allogrooming (social grooming – grooming another individual), social play, social learning and memory, fighting, altruism
4
Q
play
A
motor activity performed postnatally that may appear to have no purpose, but does
5
Q
3 types of play
A
- Object: pushing, throwing, tearing, or manipulating inanimate objects
- Locomotor: leaping, jumping, twisting, shaking, whirling, somersaulting, rolling, or chasing their tail
- Social: activity directed toward another living being (always involves 2+ animals; important to consider both)
6
Q
distinguishing play behaviours
A
- can distinguish play behaviours from hunting, mating, or aggression by:
- Order and frequency of behaviours
- Play markers (signals that initiate, continue, and warn of play)
- Vocalization
- Facial expression
- Role reversal and self-handicapping (dominant animals will reverse roles and will inhibit abilities while playing with subordinate animals – ie. Won’t bite as hard as it can)
7
Q
development of play behaviours (age and time)
A
- Age dependent:
characteristics of early life stages in most species
– Continues into adulthood in some species (ex. Rodents, canids, primates) - Time dependent:
Starts after individuals have associated with each other for a certain amount of time
8
Q
functions of play behaviours (short and long term)
A
- Short-term:
- Reduces tension
- Self-assurement
- Enjoyment or reward
- Long-term:
- Long-lasting social bonds
- Social and emotional flexibility
- Improves physical, cognitive, and conflict resolution skills
- Reactions to unexpected situations
9
Q
social play behaviour in rats
A
- Initiation/Pouncing: making contact with partner (ie. jumping, nuzzling)
- Evasion: recipient animal avoids contact/runs away
- Partial rotation: upon contact, recipient begins to rotate but stays standing
- Full Rotation: upon contact, recipient fully rotates, going into supine with initiator standing over it
- Boxing/Wrestling: both upright, pushing/grabbing each other
- Following/Chasing (self-explanatory)
- Sniff/Grooming (self-explanatory)
10
Q
social play behaviour: player vs. playee
A
- The player: intiates and follow/chase (ex. Blue rat)
- The playee: evades and rotates (ex. White rat)
- Can flip back and forth between these roles, but dominant is usually player and playee is usually subordinate
11
Q
rat group social play following prenatal alcohol exposure experiment
A
- control: pellet diet; PAE: alcohol diet
- Observe play behaviour in triads with 2 controls and 1 PAE and 2 PAES and 1 control -> control choose to initiate more with control animals than PAE animal, and are more likely to reciprocate play with control vs. PAE
- Likely that PAE animal does something that controls don’t like, inhibiting social play
- PAE will play/reciprocate with both controls and PAEs an equal amount
12
Q
oxytocin and play behaviour in mice experiment
A
- Injection of either oxytocin or saline before testing
- Social interaction test (pair of unfamiliar stranger mouse and experimental mouse)
- Recorded time spent in social interaction -> Includes active content (ex. Sniffing, follow/chase, grooming, playing)
- Results: oxytocin increases social interaction time in males and females
13
Q
oxytocin and play in dogs
A
- Nasal spray of oxytocin or saline (all subjects received both conditions)
- In familiar room with familiar dog partner
- Recorded behaviours for 60 minutes
- Recorded as play sessions, starting with play signal/initiation, including play behaviours, and ending when dogs moved 1m+ away (play over)
- results: oxytocin increases number of play signals given and duration of play in dogs
14
Q
anxiety
A
- psychological, physiological, and behavioural state induced in animals and humans by a threat to well-being or survival, either actual or potential
- In contrast, fear is a response to an immediate and real danger
- When these ADAPTIVE functions are prolonged and begin to interfere with the
ability to cope they can become PATHOLOGICAL
15
Q
cross-species responses to anxiety
A
- Physiological: increased arousal, autonomic and neuroendocrine activation (ex. HPA axis)
- Behavioural: decreased exploration, feeding, and sexual behaviours, and increased escape/flight and defensive/fight behaviours
