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PubMed2001

Cooperation, control, and concession in meerkat groups.

"Limited control" models of reproductive skew in cooperative societies suggest that the frequency of breeding by subordinates is determined by the outcome of power struggles with dominants. In contrast, "optimal skew" models suggest that dominants have full control of subordinate reproduction and allow subordinates to breed only when this serves to retain subordinates' assistance with rearing dominants' own litters. The results of our 7-year field study of cooperative meerkats, Suricata suricatta, support the predictions of limited control models and provide no indication that dominant females grant reproductive concessions to subordinates to retain their assistance with future breeding attempts.

Africa, Southern↗
PubMed1988

Effects of opiate agonists and antagonists on aggressive encounters and subsequent opioid-induced analgesia, activity and feeding responses in male mice.

The effects of peripheral administration of the mu, kappa and sigma opiate agonists, levorphanol (1.0 mg/kg), U-50,488 (1.0 and 10.0 mg/kg), (+/-) SKF-10,047 (10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg), respectively, as well as the delta opiate antagonists, ICI-154,129 (10.0 mg/kg), and the prototypic antagonist, naloxone (1.0 mg/kg), on the agonistic behaviors and subsequent analgesic, locomotory and ingestive responses of subordinate mice were examined in a "resident-intruder" paradigm. The latter behaviors were examined in both defeated and nondefeated mice that had received an equivalent level of aggression. The mu and delta opiate antagonists decreased, while the mu, kappa, and sigma opiate agonists selectively increased aggressive behavior (number of bouts of aggressive interactions, number of bites to defeat, time to defeat). Both naloxone and the delta antagonist suppressed defeat- and aggression-induced activity and feeding, while only naloxone blocked the analgesic response. Levorphanol enhanced, U-50,488 had variable dose related effects, and SKF-10,047 decreased the defeat and aggressive-induced responses. These results indicate that various opioid systems and opiate receptors are differentially involved in the mediation of various components of the agonistic encounters and in the expression of the consequences of social conflict and defeat-induced opioid activation.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Early social enrichment shapes social behavior and nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the adult mouse brain.

BACKGROUND: Early experiences produce persistent changes in brain and behavioral function. We investigate whether being reared in a communal nest (CN), a form of early social enrichment that characterizes the natural ecological niche of many rodent species including the mouse, has effects on adult social/aggressive behavior and nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in mice. METHODS: The CN consisted of a single nest where three mothers kept their pups together and shared care-giving behavior from birth to weaning (postnatal day 25). RESULTS: Compared to standard laboratory conditions, in CN condition, mouse mothers displayed higher levels of maternal care. At adulthood, CN mice displayed higher propensity to interact socially and achieved more promptly the behavioral profile of either dominant or subordinate male. Furthermore, CN adult mice showed higher NGF levels, which were further affected by social status, and higher BDNF levels in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that CN, a highly stimulating early social environment, produces differences in social behavior later in life associated with marked changes of neurotrophin levels in selected brain areas, including hippocampus and hypothalamus.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1996

Breaking the cycle of oppression: lessons for nurse practitioners?

The oppressed group behavior model suggests that persons who are in groups that are subordinate to more powerful groups in their society learn certain behavior patterns that, although necessary for their survival, lead to a cycle of further oppression. Nurses have been considered an oppressed group. This article explores the implications of oppressed group behavior for nurse practitioners. Strategies for changing the cycle of oppression are described that can empower nurse practitioners and lead them to greater unity and control over their own practices.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Whose side are you on? Interdependence and its consequences in management of healthcare delivery.

Healthcare employees who are committed to the organization and go the extra mile are especially needed today. An empirical study of visiting nurse agency employees showed that a sense of being "in the same boat" with management, or perceiving outcome interdependence, contributed to positive behaviors. Supervisors were generally more inclined than were their subordinates to perceive this interdependence, to be committed, and to exhibit good citizenship behavior. Unexpectedly, physical therapists who worked as hourly part-time contractors reported even stronger feelings of being in the same boat with management and being more committed than the supervisors. Such a sense of partnership could have been a result of the therapists' long-term relationship with the agency over an indefinite time. They might have also felt that they worked voluntarily and autonomously, rather than under close supervision. These findings point to various management actions that can engender a feeling of interdependence, pride in the organization, and fairness of treatment. One step is to involve employees in joint goal setting, organized around "our problems," not just the person's own concerns. Authentic downward communication and the sharing of operating results can convey to employees the major issues that challenge the organization. Such information makes it possible for employees to provide vital input, if not actually take on more decisions themselves. Executives can expect less commitment and less inclination from employees to go above and beyond what is expected if they fail to acknowledge good performance and if they accentuate differences between the most-senior leaders and lower-level employees.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Mother-infant separation in group-living rhesus macaques: a hormonal analysis.

Adrenocortical responsiveness to separation in group-living rhesus macaque mother-infant pairs was determined. Cortisol evaluations were complemented by behavioral observations of mother-infant interactions and group social behavior. Infants, but not their mothers, showed cortisol elevations that could be attributed specifically to separation. Steroid-behavior relationships suggested that the infants of high dominant mothers evinced the greatest adrenocortical response to separation. These data exemplify the complexities involved in determining endocrine/behavior relationships in a group-living situation.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The socioendocrinology of adolescent development in male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Observations were made on four captive breeding groups of rhesus monkeys in order to measure hormonal, behavioral, and genital changes in adolescent males during the annual mating season. Three questions were addressed with regard to possible effects of social environment upon reproductive maturation: (1) Does male agonistic rank influence adolescent development? (2) Does affiliation between adolescent males and adult females during the mating season influence the males' reproductive development? (3) Does maternal rank exert any effect upon reproductive maturation in adolescent sons? In many (but not all) cases male rank was positively correlated with circulating testosterone and testes weights during the mating season. Affiliative behavior (allogrooming and sexual interactions) between adolescents and adult females in their social groups bore no relationship to the degree of reproductive maturation in males. Mounts involving intromission were infrequent, but sons of high-ranking mothers gained significantly more intromissions than sons of lower-ranking females. Maternal rank was also found to correlate with circulating testosterone levels, testes weights, growth of the baculum (os penis), and maintenance of body weight in adolescent sons during the mating season. By contrast, levels of beta-endorphin in the cerebrospinal fluid of adolescent males did not correlate with social rank, testosterone levels, or genital development. These findings point to possible effects of maternal rank, as well as intermale agonistic rank, in determining reproductive maturation during adolescence in the male rhesus monkey.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed2001

Castration in Gambel's and Scaled Quail: ornate plumage and dominance persist, but courtship and threat behaviors do not.

During the breeding season, testosterone in male birds is often linked to some secondary sexual ornaments, courtship behaviors, and intrasexual aggression. I examined the effect of castration on plumage expression in Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii), a species in which males are highly ornate, and in Scaled Quail (C. squamata), an unornamented species. Using male pairs, each consisting of a castrate and a control, I also assessed whether castration affected (1) the behavior of males, (2) the mating decisions of females, or (3) the outcome of male-male competition. Castration did not alter the plumage of male Gambel's or Scaled Quail. In these species, and some other members of the avian order Galliformes, production of ornate plumage appears to be independent of testosterone. In contrast, castration reduced or eliminated courtship behaviors. Females almost never preferred castrated individuals. During male-male competition, castrates also exhibited lower rates of threat behaviors, which appear to be identical to those used during courtship. Castration did not, however, influence the outcome of male-male competition. Castrates of both species exhibited overt aggression (pecks, chases, displacement) and frequently won male contests. Such results suggest that certain types of aggressive behavior may be testosterone-independent. In both Gambel's and Scaled Quail, male body size correlated positively with dominant individuals.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1993

Anxiety enhancement in the murine elevated plus maze by immediate prior exposure to social stressors.

Anxiety has been implicated in the acute nonopioid analgesic reaction seen in defeated mice. In the present study, behavioural responses to the elevated plus-maze test were examined in male DBA/2 mice immediately following defeat by an experienced aggressive conspecific. Compared to home-cage controls, defeat reduced total arm entries and rearing, although anxiety enhancement was indicated by decreases in percent open-arm entries and percent time spent on the open arms. These effects were accompanied by significant increases in nonexploratory behaviour (movement arrest and grooming) and risk assessment (closed arm returns, protected head dipping, and stretch-attend postures). This anxiogenic effect of social defeat was partially replicated in mice merely exposed to the scent of an aggressive male conspecific. The specificity of present findings to socially relevant stressors was confirmed by the general lack of effect on plus-maze behaviour of prior exposure to a novel cage or to interaction with a nonaggressive male. Present results are not only consistent with the anxiety hypothesis of defeat analgesia but also show that the elevated plus-maze test is sensitive to alterations in anxiety produced by ecologically relevant stimuli. Possible implications for pharmacological studies are discussed.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed2004

Recognition of competitors by male golden hamsters.

Golden hamsters, like many animals, form dominant/subordinate relationships after aggressive encounters. We examined whether behavioral responses by males that won or lost fights would differ toward familiar and unfamiliar male stimulus animals. In Experiment 1, male winners or losers of fights explored an arena containing a confined stimulus animal that was either familiar or novel and had either won or lost a fight. Compared to dominant males, losers spent less time in proximity to stimulus males and investigated them less. Losers also displayed higher levels of stretch-attend postures (indicative of risk assessment) than winners, and they showed more escape and locomotion in response to familiar winners than to unfamiliar winners, indicating recognition of the male that they had lost to. In Experiment 2, losers scent marked less to the odors of a familiar winner than to those of an unfamiliar winner. Thus, male hamsters appear to use familiarity with a former opponent's odors to adaptively regulate their responses to variations in social threat.

Aggression↗
PubMed1986

Ethological aspects of psychiatry.

Studies of non-verbal behaviour with respect to mentally ill patients is a relatively neglected aspect of psychiatry. Probably the main reason for this has been the lack of relevant methods. In recent years ethological techniques have emerged enabling the facial expressions, body postures and gestures of animals and humans to be objectively measured so that the functional importance is laid open for analysis. This article discusses the way ethological ideas and techniques can contribute to an understanding of the behaviour of the mentally ill. Examples are drawn from studies of flight behaviour which encompass those behavioural strategies associated with withdrawal or avoidance of a source of danger or harm. It is argued that much of the non-verbal behaviour in psychotic patients reflects blocked escape and that this is one of the reasons why such individuals are socially withdrawn. The application of ethology to the psychiatric assessment of patients is also demonstrated on the basis of ethological profiles from some selected patients. It is concluded that psychiatrists and ethologists should cooperate in the future evaluation of therapeutic measures including new drugs developed on the basis of ethological tests.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

The neural basis of dominance hierarchy formation in crayfish.

Fifty years of study of the nervous system and behavior of crayfish have revealed neural circuits for movements that are similar to those seen during formation of a dominance hierarchy. Given this background, it is of interest to ask what is understood about the neural substrates of dominance hierarchy formation. Here we will consider the social behavior that crayfish display in the wild and in the laboratory, and its relationship to movements released by activation of specific neural circuits. We will consider how these movements might be knit together to produce the behavior patterns that are characteristic of dominant and subordinate animals.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1995

Behavior and progesterone levels in Callithrix jacchus females.

In callitrichids, and especially in the Callithrix and Saguinus genera, reproductive suppression maintains the breeding exclusivity of dominant females. It has been suggested that dominance may be inferred from agonistic behavior of females. The purpose of this study was to assess the adequacy of behaviors as indicators of hormonal status in Callithrix jacchus females. Two pairs of twin females were observed for affiliative, agonistic and sexual behaviors for 20 weeks, in four stages of increasingly potential competition for one male. During the same period, blood samples were taken regularly for progesterone determination by ELISA. The two pairs differed markedly as to behaviors and hormonal status: pair 1 showed a well established behavioral dominance and only one ovulating female from the beginning of the observation period; pair 2 showed competition for dominance until the last stage of observation, when one of the females started ovulating. Correlations between behaviors and progesterone levels showed differences between subordinate and dominant females mostly in pair 2. Although limited in number of animals studied, these results suggest that there is a relationship between behavior and hormones in female marmosets, but this relationship may be useful in the identification of the physiological status of females only in groups where the dominance is not well established.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1998

Adaptations to subordinate status in female marmoset monkeys.

In singular cooperatively breeding mammals, social status is a key determinant of female reproductive success. Usually only one dominant female breeds in a social group. In the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a cooperatively breeding primate, adaptations to nonbreeding subordinate status appear to parallel those found in social insect societies which demonstrate similar skew to the marmoset in female reproductive success. Female marmosets exhibit rank-related polyethism in behavior, reproductive neuroendocrinology and non-reproductive physiology, and subordinates participate in alloparental care and territory defense. Olfactory, visual and behavioral cues from dominant female marmosets provide important proximate cues regulating ovarian inhibition in female subordinates. Cooperatively breeding marmosets, therefore, appear to have developed specific neural and neuroendocrine adaptations to subordinate social status analogous to those found in social insects such as the lower wasps, bees and termites. Such parallel developments probably reflect the outcome of repeated convergent evolutionary attempts at adapting to environmental conditions not readily conducive to dispersal and independent breeding.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

The ability to arrange with conspecifics depends on social experiences around puberty.

The study examined the effect of age on the ability to arrange with unfamiliar conspecifics in differentially reared male guinea pigs. The experiments were conducted with 50-, 90-, 150-, and 210-240-day-old-males, which either had been reared in large colonies (CRM) or each with a single female (FRM). In each age class, seven pairs of unfamiliar CRM and seven pairs of unfamiliar FRM were placed in chronic confrontations for 6-10 days in the presence of an unfamiliar female in 2 m2 enclosures. Body weights were determined directly before and 52 h, 124 h, and 220 h after the onset of the experiments. CRM showed no substantial losses in body weights irrespective of whether the experiments were conducted before, around, or after sexual maturity (which is achieved at 2-3 months of age). In contrast pairs of FRM arranged without problems only at 50 days of age. Around puberty, social stress distinctly increased, and 2 and 4-5 months later the confrontations even had to be ceased after 6 days, because losers extremely decreased in body weights. It is concluded that in male guinea pigs the time around sexual maturity is crucial for the development of social skills necessary to arrange with unfamiliar conspecifics in a nonstressful way.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1987

Consorting among juvenile Midas cichlids (Cichlasoma citrinellum) in relation to own and to parents' color.

Adults of the Midas cichlid, Cichlasoma citrinellum, are either normal (N) colored or gold (G); they mate assortatively by color, and that choice is influenced by prior experience with their parents. Three groups of N and two groups of G juveniles were reared by parents which were either N or G. After some months of separation from their parents, the juveniles were tested to ascertain whether the color of their parents or of their cohorts affected their affiliative responses; they were given a choice between four G and four N juveniles. There was no demonstrable effect of either their parents' or their own color. All groups spent more time with N than with G and directed more behavior toward N. The subjects differed only in that they attacked more (at a higher rate) at N and spread their fins more (at a higher rate) at G, consistent with findings in earlier studies of the effect of gold color on dominance relationships. Thus mate choice does not result from continuous associations during development.

Animals↗