Play Flashcards
Play has, until recently, been considered the “black sheep” of ethology. Why is this? What areas pertain to the topic today?
Few good, convincing “adaptive” or “functional” theories of play. Function of behaviour not obvious, no clear immediate gains.
Developmental ethology, developmental animal (comparative) psychology.
Define the animals of interest for the following researchers:
- Caro
- Bekoff
- Loeven
- Heinrich
- Pellis
- Biben/Altmann
- Panksepp/Burghardt
Caro: felids (cheetahs)
Bekoff: canids (dogs, coyotes)
Loeven: canids (wolves)
Heinrich: corvids (ravens)
Pellis: murids (rats)
Biben/Altmann: primates
Panksepp/Burghardt: behavioural neuroscience of play.
Bekoff offers the most “classical ethology” definition around. What does it focus on, what kind of definition is it, and what issues does it share with aggression?
Focuses on motor patterns and action sequences.
Structural definition, focuses on form rather than function.
Definitions and typologies based on cause, form or function.
The study of play involves discovering the triad of the mind. Define it.
Cognitive dimension (e.g., strategy, exploration).
Conative (motivational) dimension (e.g., stress reduction).
Affective (emotional) dimension (e.g., pleasure).
In fish, play is not correlated with what?
Phylogeny or sociality.
The elephant nose fish is notable because? What kind of play may fish partake in?
Largest cerebellum of all vertebrates.
Object play, social play.
Play is very common in social and most non-social mammals, given it is part of the developmental program. Provide two examples of animals in which it is quite common.
Solitary felids and ursids (bears).
Describe the differences in play between lab rats and mice.
Rat pups play socially, mouse pups don’t.
What issue may differentiate social carnivores with non-social carnivores.
Is play present in adulthood?
List the four types of play.
Object (instrumental) play: ≠ object exploration (novelty effects)
Social (subject) play: contact (e.g., biting) vs. non-contact (e.g., stalking): Caro, 1995.
Locomotor play: play chasing (social) and solitary: Power, 2000.
Inter-specific play: one or two way? (humans and dogs; ravens and wolves).
Provide a definition for locomotor play and describe its function.
Seemingly random actions often with no obvious environmental triggers, typically spontaneous.
Functions: development of motor skills, cerebellar signatures; development of environmental knowledge.
Who said, “Refining the motor training hypothesis for the evolution of play”?
Byers and Walker (1995).
Describe the three functions of social play.
Physical skills: e.g., fighting, hunting, mating.
Formation of social bonds.
Development of (socio-)cognitive skills: useful for future coalition formation; self-assessment of own development.
Describe the role of sexual play.
Common in many mammals and is considered “practice”; essential in many primates for normal sexual behaviour.
List three ways in which play markers signal intention to play.
Frequency, intensity and order of events in play bouts are different from other behaviours.
Play markers: e.g., play bow in canids (arched back, head low, behind high).
Role reversal or self-handicapping: e.g., an adult letting a younger animal take dominant role.