Play Flashcards

1
Q

Play has, until recently, been considered the “black sheep” of ethology. Why is this? What areas pertain to the topic today?

A

Few good, convincing “adaptive” or “functional” theories of play. Function of behaviour not obvious, no clear immediate gains.

Developmental ethology, developmental animal (comparative) psychology.

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2
Q

Define the animals of interest for the following researchers:

  • Caro
  • Bekoff
  • Loeven
  • Heinrich
  • Pellis
  • Biben/Altmann
  • Panksepp/Burghardt
A

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.

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3
Q

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?

A

Focuses on motor patterns and action sequences.

Structural definition, focuses on form rather than function.

Definitions and typologies based on cause, form or function.

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4
Q

The study of play involves discovering the triad of the mind. Define it.

A

Cognitive dimension (e.g., strategy, exploration).

Conative (motivational) dimension (e.g., stress reduction).

Affective (emotional) dimension (e.g., pleasure).

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5
Q

In fish, play is not correlated with what?

A

Phylogeny or sociality.

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6
Q

The elephant nose fish is notable because? What kind of play may fish partake in?

A

Largest cerebellum of all vertebrates.

Object play, social play.

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7
Q

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.

A

Solitary felids and ursids (bears).

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8
Q

Describe the differences in play between lab rats and mice.

A

Rat pups play socially, mouse pups don’t.

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9
Q

What issue may differentiate social carnivores with non-social carnivores.

A

Is play present in adulthood?

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10
Q

List the four types of play.

A

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).

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11
Q

Provide a definition for locomotor play and describe its function.

A

Seemingly random actions often with no obvious environmental triggers, typically spontaneous.

Functions: development of motor skills, cerebellar signatures; development of environmental knowledge.

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12
Q

Who said, “Refining the motor training hypothesis for the evolution of play”?

A

Byers and Walker (1995).

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13
Q

Describe the three functions of social play.

A

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.

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14
Q

Describe the role of sexual play.

A

Common in many mammals and is considered “practice”; essential in many primates for normal sexual behaviour.

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15
Q

List three ways in which play markers signal intention to play.

A

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.

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16
Q

Biben (1998) found three cognitive benefits of play fighting in squirrel monkeys (and other species). What are they?

A

Behavioural flexibility.

Gauging intentions of others.

Learning about social hierarchies.

17
Q

Spinka’s general theory of play denotes what five things?

A

Experience with unexpected events with loss of control.

Physical and emotional experience.

Play has a neuropharmacological impact: endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine.

Locomotor play more frequent in species living in variable (unpredictable) environments.

Sexual dimorphism in play acts (i.e., polyethism) increases with time.

18
Q

List three proximate causes of play.

A

Dopamine: facilitator of play, or “primer” for play. Similar role in sexual behaviour.

Endorphins: play feels good, similar role in sexual behaviour.

Play = coping with stress.

19
Q

Play in wolves and squirrel monkeys = low _____.

A

Stress hormones (cortisol).

20
Q

Who said, “In a sense, play is an index of youthful health.”

A

Panksepp.

21
Q

What are neuropharmacological ways to increase play in a non-playful adult animal?

A

None are clear; cannabinoids speculated.

22
Q

Panksepp sees play as what?

A

A behavioural mean: play deprivation will increase play in rodents.

23
Q

Social isolation with increase play-seeking behaviour in rats, but will decrease it in what?

A

Primates.

24
Q

Biben and Champoux (1999) found cortisol as a negative correlate of play in _____.

A

Saimiri.

25
Q

In Panksepp’s neurochemistry of play, list play arousing neurochemicals and play suppressing neurochemicals.

A

Arousing: acetylcholine; glutamate; opioids (e.g., beta-endorphins) low dose; dopamine low dose.

Suppressing: serotonin; norepinephrine; GABA; opioids (e.g., beta-endorphins) high dose; dopamine high dose; neuropeptides: oxytocin, CRH.

26
Q

Burghardt’s take on play suggests what? How does he define it?

A

Correlated with parental care and behaviour (e.g., no parental care = no play).

Repeated, incomplete functional behaviour differing from more adaptive versions; initiated voluntarily when in relaxed or unstressed setting.

27
Q

What are the five criteria to recognize play?

A

Not completely functional (no obvious direct, immediate benefits).

Endogenous component: spontaneous, voluntary, intentional, pleasurable, rewarding, autotelic (for its own sake).

Structural/temporal difference: not “serious”; incomplete, exaggerated, awkward, precocious; behaviour patterns with modified form, sequencing or targeting.

Repeated: repetitions or perseverations of motor patterns, some stereotypy, but some flexibility as well.

Relaxed field: initiated when the animal is “well” (not ill, not stressed, not hungry, etc.).

28
Q

Describe the three other global theories of play.

A

Fagen, 1974: sequences of play similar to genetic systems: recombination, fragmentation, translocation, and duplication.

Sutton-Smith, 1999: play = random process generator. Play is not really “random”; some boundaries.

MacLean, 1985: triune brain; play emerges from “family life” (link to parental care). Play is linked to the limbic system = mammalian.

29
Q

In terms of play:

Limbic system = \_\_\_\_\_
Cerebellum = \_\_\_\_\_
Basal ganglia = \_\_\_\_\_
Neocortex = \_\_\_\_\_
Neocortex X basal ganglia = \_\_\_\_\_
A

Emotional aspect.

Motor aspect.

Motor (emotional/motivational) aspect.

Sensorimotor and cognitive aspect - 1) prefrontal, 2) premotor, 3) motor cortices.

Motor-cognitive.