Adult Social Interactions Research Articles

Vocal modulation during courtship increases proceptivity even in naive listeners

Speakers modulate their voice when talking to infants, but we know little about subtle variation in acoustic parameters during speech in adult social interactions. Because tests of perception of such variation are hampered by listeners' understanding of semantic content, studies often confine speech to enunciation of standard sentences, restricting ecological validity. Furthermore, apparent paralinguistic modulation in one language may be underpinned by specific parameters of that language. Here we circumvent these problems by recording speech directed to attractive or unattractive potential partners or competitors, and testing responses to these recordings by naive listeners, across both a Germanic (English) and a Slavic (Czech) language. Analysis of acoustic parameters indicates that men's voices varied F0 most in speech towards potential attractive versus unattractive mates, while modulation of women's F0 variability was more sensitive to competitors, with higher variability when those competitors were relatively attractive. There was striking similarity in patterns of social context-dependent F0 variation across the two model languages, with both men's and women's voices varying most when responding to attractive individuals. Men's minimum pitch was lower when responding to attractive than unattractive women. For vocal modulation to be effective, however, it must be sufficiently detectable to promote proceptivity towards the speaker. We showed that speech directed towards attractive individuals was preferred by naive listeners of either language over speech by the same speaker to unattractive individuals, even when voices were stripped of several acoustic properties by low-pass filtering, which renders speech unintelligible. Our results suggest that modulating F0 may be a critical parameter in human courtship, independently of semantic content.

Strain- and context-dependent effects of the anandamide hydrolysis inhibitor URB597 on social behavior in rats

Genetic and environmental factors play an important role in the cannabinoid modulation of motivation and emotion. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to test whether anandamide modulation of social behavior is strain- and context-dependent. We tested the effects of the anandamide hydrolysis inhibitor URB597 on social behavior and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in adolescent and adult Wistar and Sprague–Dawley rats tested in different emotionally arousing conditions (familiarity/unfamiliarity to the test cage, low/high light).Under all experimental conditions, adolescent and adult Sprague–Dawley rats displayed higher levels of social behavior and emitted more 50-kHz USVs than Wistar rats. URB597 enhanced social play behavior in adolescent Wistar rats under all experimental conditions. However, URB597 only increased social interaction in adult Wistar rats under unfamiliar/high light conditions. URB597 did not affect adolescent social play behavior and adult social interaction in Sprague–Dawley rats under any experimental condition. Moreover, URB597 increased the USVs emitted during social interaction by adolescent Wistar and adult Sprague–Dawley rats tested under familiar/high light and unfamiliar/high light, respectively. These results show that anandamide has distinct roles in adolescent and adult social behaviors. Anandamide modulation of adolescent social play behavior is strain- but not context-dependent. Conversely, anandamide modulation of adult social behavior and USV emission depends upon both strain and experimental context. Furthermore, these results confirm that profound behavioral differences exist between Wistar and Sprague–Dawley rats, which may explain the sometimes contradictory effects of cannabinoid drugs on emotionality in different strains of rodents.

The effect of energetic and psychosocial stressors on glucocorticoids in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata)

The proximate causes of variation in glucocorticoids (GCs) of many free-ranging primates are still unclear, and in some cases, the available evidence is contradictory. Such is the case of mantled howler monkeys. In the present study, we tested whether variation in GC levels in this species could be predicted by energetic challenges or by psychosocial stressors. We focused on two groups living in Los Tuxtlas (Veracruz, Mexico) that differed in a number of parameters including: group size, habitat size, number of groups, and solitary males within the same habitat. Furthermore, one of the groups experienced changes in composition during our observations. From March to December 2009 we determined food availability in each group's habitat, studied the behavior of all adult individuals (N = 17), including, feeding, time budgets, ranging, and social interactions (N = 426.6 h), and measured weekly GCs in fecal samples (N = 160 individual/weeks) of both females and males. We found that participation in agonistic interactions, which were more frequent in the group that lived in the smaller habitat, was associated with increased weekly GCs, particularly in pregnant and lactating females. During the dry season weekly GCs were also higher in the group that lived in the smaller habitat. Although in this group individuals significantly increased travel time during the dry season, weekly GC levels were unrelated to time-budgets or ranging distances, contrasting with previous findings on mantled howler monkeys' GC response. We found no evidence that weekly variation in GC levels between groups resulted from differences in food availability. Our results indicate that mantled howler monkey GC levels respond to the effects of agonism, reproductive state, and the influence of a seasonal stressor, which may be attributable to anthropogenic disturbance. We conclude that psychosocial stressors affect the GC response of mantled howler monkeys, and that this response is modulated by reproductive state.

Natural variation in maternal care shapes adult social behavior in rats

Features of the early postnatal environment profoundly shape later physical and behavioral phenotypes. The amount of licking/grooming that rat dams direct towards their offspring has durable consequences, including behavioral and physiological dimensions of stress reactivity, cognition, and reproductive behavior. We examined how natural variation in maternal care alters social behavior in adult offspring and how this relates to anxiety behavior and oxytocin receptor density. Male and female offspring of mothers who received high levels of licking spent significantly more time in social contact with unfamiliar individuals than did offspring whose dams provided less grooming. Reduced anxiety behavior was associated with greater social interaction. No differences in oxytocin receptor binding assessed by (125) I-OVTA autoradiography were detected between groups. The present investigation characterizes a novel impact of maternal care on adult social interaction behavior, replicates anxiety behavior differences, and illustrates connections between social behavior and anxiety in adulthood across maternal treatment groups.

Neonatal handling induces deficits in infant mother preference and adult partner preference

Neonatal handling is an experimental procedure used to understand how early-life adversity can negatively affect neurobehavioral development and place animals on a pathway to pathology. Decreased preference for the maternal odor during infancy is one of many behavioral deficits induced by neonatal handling. Here, we hypothesize that deficits in maternal odor preference may interfere with partner preference in the adult. To test this hypothesis, we assessed infant maternal odor preference and adult partner preference in different reproductive stages in both male and female rats that received neonatal handling. Our results indicate that only neonatally handled females present deficits in maternal odor preference during infancy, but both male and females present deficits in adult partner preference. However, sexual experience was effective in rescuing partner preference deficits in males. These results indicate that, considering infant and adult social interactions, females are more susceptible to the effects of neonatal handling than males.

G.H. Mead and knowing how to act: Practical meaning, routine interaction, and the theory of interobjectivity

The general aim of this paper is twofold. First, we evaluate Mead’s later efforts at developing a non-conscious theory of meaning that refutes the primacy of Descartes’s cogito as a foundational explanation of adult human understanding and social interaction. However, paired with this first goal, we also intend to use Mead’s theoretical framework as a paradigmatic example of a theory of intersubjectivity. We will show how Mead problematically reintroduces the presence of conscious awareness in order to provide an intersubjective account of mutual human understanding and interaction. We argue that this position reveals a lacuna in both Mead’s theory of meaning specifically, as well as in theories of intersubjectivity more broadly. Such approaches require a foundational account of practical meaning and knowledge. We conclude by exploring the links between these arguments and the emerging theory of interobjectivity.

Connect for Success: Social Leadership, Mentorship, and the Female Healthcare Executive

AS THE HEALTHCARE FIELD EVOLVES, more women are moving into healthcare leadership roles. The pipeline of women leaders is expanding because of the growing participation of women in undergraduate and graduate programs, of which women represent 60 percent of enrollment (US Census Bureau 2006). After reading the feature articles, we reflected on the journeys of the feature authors and the contributions of other female trailblazers at the helm of healthcare organizations. While many of the leaders from the past were members of religious orders, as one feature notes, other pioneers paved the way for the female leader of today. The similarities between the women of the past and the feature authors can be seen in the leadership traits they exhibit. WOMEN AS SOCIAL LEADERS Are women in leadership roles really considered that different from men in such roles (Ibarra and Obodaru 2009), or does anecdotal information reinforce what we already think and feel? Eagly and Karau (19 91) found that in groups initially without leaders, men emerged as leaders more often if the group's work was task oriented, while women tended to take the lead of groups whose governance required complex social interactions. Social leadership is defined as the method by which a leader gets members of the team excited about their task, increasing the energy level around accomplishing an assignment, instilling team spirit, and reducing conflict (Balkundi and Kilduff 2006). The feature authors' character traits and leadership skills embody social leadership in their organizations. There are commonalities in what Alyson Pitman Giles and Teri Fontenot reveal as they reflect on their journeys to leadership. They advocate a focus on patient care, optimal communication, transparency about goals, collaboration, and skill building. They also emphasize the importance of cultivating relationships with mentors, participating in professional and community organizations, taking calculated career risks, surrounding oneself with talented people, and maintaining a positive mental attitude. How Women Shape Organizational Culture for Success Popular among developmental psychologists is the idea of separate cultures - that children learn rules for social interaction from experience in largely sex-segregated peer groups in childhood and then carry this learning into adult social interaction (Maccoby 1990; Tannen 1990). This developmental theory plays out in the work environment. Women appear to be better listeners who work better in teams (Hingston 2012). Women also ensure that others working with them are recognized and given credit for their contribution (Price 2009). They also tend to ask people what they think and to request help. This is not to say that men do not exercise these same characteristics, but anecdotal experiences and the literature support the notion that gender does make a difference in how people are perceived and how they function. Women tend to manifest socially sensitive, friendly behaviors and show concern for others' welfare, whereas men tend to manifest behaviors that can be described as dominant, controlling, and independent (Eagly 1995). Characteristics most ascribed to women, such as niceness and nurturance, contribute to the exclusion of women from certain kinds of high-status roles where toughness and aggressiveness are warranted (Eagly 1995). These female and male characteristics all help shape an organization's culture. The feature authors support the notion of finding a leadership style that represents one's values and those of the organization. They also discuss breaking down the communication barriers between the CEO and frontline staff. Fostering engagement and getting staff to relax for optimal communication have been critical to the success of the feature authors. Are these traits unique to women, or is this just good commonsense management? An authentic leader knows who she is and what she believes and values, and she acts upon those values and beliefs while transparently interacting with others (Avolio et al. …

The irony of immaturity: K’iche’ children as mediators and buffers in adult social interactions

In Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan adults constantly face the threat of resentment from other members of their community. Evading others’ resentment requires concealing one’s possessions, a feat that in turn entails the immoral act of speaking untruths. Children, however, can utter falsehoods that adults cannot because adults do not see children as principals of harmful words. It is argued in this article, therefore, that K’iche’ children in Santa Catarina are in the ironic situation of having influence on the adult social world precisely because adults do not view children as influential. The article shows how children’s very status as supposedly unimportant individuals gives them the pragmatic power to mediate malicious feelings between adults via their words and actions.

Epigenetic influence of social experiences across the lifespan

The critical role of social interactions in driving phenotypic variation has long been inferred from the association between early social deprivation and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Recent evidence has implicated molecular pathways involved in the regulation of gene expression as one possible route through which these long-term outcomes are achieved. These epigenetic effects, though not exclusive to social experiences, may be a mechanism through which the quality of the social environment becomes embedded at a biological level. Moreover, there is increasing evidence for the transgenerational impact of these early experiences mediated through changes in social and reproductive behavior exhibited in adulthood. In this review, recent studies which highlight the epigenetic effects of parent-offspring, peer and adult social interactions both with and across generations will be discussed and the implications of this research for understanding the developmental origins of individual differences in brain and behavior will be explored.

Prenatal Lipopolysaccharide Reduces Social Behavior in Male Offspring

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between maternal sickness behavior during pregnancy and offspring development and behavior. Methods: Pregnant Wistar rats were administered with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 µg/kg, i.p.) on gestation day (GD) 9.5. Dams’ sickness behavior was analyzed, and at birth, offspring number and weight were evaluated. Male offspring was evaluated through physical development, play behavior, adult social interaction, plus maze studies and morphological analysis of the brain. Results: Results, with respect to the control group, showed that: (1) LPS decreased general activity, food intake, and weight gain in dams, but no pyrexia was observed following treatment; (2) LPS reduced litter size, but no alterations in physical development were observed; (3) LPS reduced play behavior parameters in baby rats; (4) LPS decreased adult social interaction; (5) no alterations were observed between groups on plus maze studies; (6) no differences were observed between groups on morphological analyses of the brain. Conclusion: These data reveal that LPS administered on GD 9.5 impaired male offspring’s social behavior in infancy and adulthood. These results may be related to an alteration in motivational states or/and increased anxiety.

Stathmin reveals dissociable roles of the basolateral amygdala in parental and social behaviors

Innate parental behaviors and adult social interactions are essential for survival of the individual along with the species as a whole. Because these behaviors require threat assessment of the environment, it is plausible that they are regulated by the amygdala-associated neural circuitry of fear. However, the amygdala is not a single anatomic and functional unit, and nuclei of the amygdala have multiple inter- and intra-connections. This poses a question as to the exact role of different amygdala nuclei in these behaviors and the mechanisms involved. The basolateral complex of the amygdala nuclei (BLA) is particularly interesting in this regard: although the BLA role in forming memories for learned fear is established, the BLA role in innate behaviors is not well understood. We recently demonstrated that mice without an inhibitor of microtubules, stathmin, a gene enriched in BLA-associated circuitry, have deficiency in innate and learned fear. Here we show that the deficiency in fear processing in stathmin(-/-) females leads to improper threat assessment, which in turn affects innate parental care and adult social interactions. Profound deficiency is observed in maternal behavior of stathmin(-/-) females: they lack motivation for retrieving pups and are unable to choose a safe location for nest-building. Remarkably, stathmin(-/-) females have an enhancement in social interactions. BLA lesions in WT mice produce similar effects in maternal and social behaviors, confirming vital BLA participation. The findings implicate stathmin as the critical molecular component linking the BLA-associated neural circuitry with innate parental behaviors and adult social interactions.

Autism in adults: symptom patterns and early childhood predictors. Use of the DISCO in a community sample followed from childhood

Few studies have looked at the very long-term outcome of individuals with autism who were diagnosed in childhood. A longitudinal, prospective, community-based follow-up study of adults who had received the diagnosis of autism (classic and atypical) in childhood (n = 105) was conducted. A structured interview (the Diagnostic Interview for Social and COmmunication disorders--the DISCO) was used in order to evaluate symptoms and symptom patterns 13-22 years after original diagnosis. Childhood measures, including IQ-level at time of childhood diagnosis and communicative speech registered before age 5 years, were studied in relation to the presence of autism symptoms at follow-up. The classical and atypical autism groups were fairly homogeneously impaired in terms of symptoms in the social interaction category whereas other common childhood autism symptoms, including maladaptive and stereotyped behaviours, were more variable in the study group at follow-up. Odd responses to sensory stimuli were still extremely common. Speech before 5 years of age, IQ, gender, diagnosed medical disorder and onset of epilepsy before 5 years were variables that correlated to outcome on the DISCO algorithm for autistic spectrum disorders (Wing & Gould, 1979) concerning style and quality of social interaction, communication style and pattern of self-chosen activities. Social interaction problems were still present in the vast majority of adults with autism/atypical autism, but behavioural impairments were much more variable in adulthood. Almost all cases were reported to show persistent perceptual problems. Certain childhood measures were found to prospectively predict adult social interaction style, communication type, and pattern of self-chosen activities, which still met diagnostic criteria for autism/atypical autism in adulthood.

Was Jesus Illegitimate? The Evidence of His Social Interactions

AbstractThis article examines the social status of the historical Jesus in relation to recent studies that place Jesus into the social category of an illegitimate child. After surveying the evidence with respect to the situation of such individuals in first-century Mediterranean and Jewish society, we shall proceed to examine whether Jesus’ implied social status (as evidenced by accounts of his adult social interactions) coheres with what one would expect in the case of someone who bore the stigma of that status. Our study suggests that the scandal caused by Jesus’ association with the marginalized clearly implies that he did not himself fall into that category.

Genomic imprinting and the social brain.

Genomic imprinting refers to the parent-of-origin-specific epigenetic marking of a number of genes. This epigenetic mark leads to a bias in expression between maternally and paternally inherited imprinted genes, that in some cases results in monoallelic expression from one parental allele. Genomic imprinting is often thought to have evolved as a consequence of the intragenomic conflict between the parental alleles that occurs whenever there is an asymmetry of relatedness. The two main examples of asymmetry of relatedness are when there is partiality of parental investment in offspring (as is the case for placental mammals, where there is also the possibility of extended postnatal care by one parent), and in social groups where there is a sex-biased dispersal. From this evolutionary starting point, it is predicted that, at the behavioural level, imprinted genes will influence what can broadly be termed bonding and social behaviour. We examine the animal and human literature for examples of imprinted genes mediating these behaviours, and divide them into two general classes. Firstly, mother-offspring interactions (suckling, attachment and maternal behaviours) that are predicted to occur when partiality in parental investment in early postnatal offspring occurs; and secondly, adult social interactions, when there is an asymmetry of relatedness in social groups. Finally, we return to the evolutionary theory and examine whether there is a pattern of behavioural functions mediated by imprinted genes emerging from the limited data, and also whether any tangible predictions can be made with regards to the direction of action of genes of maternal or paternal origin.

Adult and Peer Social Interactions During Preschool Activity: A Combination for Gender Segregation?

Evidence suggests that gender segregation begins early in life, and becomes a dominant social fact for childhood and beyond. The phenomenon of segregation starts before three years of age, and seems to accelerate through middle childhood. One of the remarkable things about this differentiation is that it seems to occur naturally during the everyday activity of children. In this paper we attempt to explore some possible root causes of this gender segregation. We observed adult/child and child/ child social interactions in a preschool classroom that might normally be considered pre‐gender segregation or early gender segregation (30‐42 months of age). The observations were conducted during two distinctly different types of preschool activities: adult/mentor dominated activities (i.e., circle time) and peer culture dominated activities (i.e., free playtime). Analysis and coding of observations suggests that adult/child social interactions were very different for interactions initiated by females and those initiated by males. These differences played out in child/child social interactions during free playtime. We hypothesize that these early activities may help in setting the trajectory for gender defined social interactions that lead to segregation.

Sequential Analysis of Juvenile Isolation-Induced Decreased Social Behavior in the Adult Rat

VAN DEN BERG, C. L., J. M. VAN REE AND B. M. SPRUIJT. Sequential analysis of juvenile isolation-induced decreased social behavior in the adult rat. PHYSIOL BEHAV 67(4) 483–488, 1999.—The consequences of juvenile isolation on adult social behavior were studied in detail using two different analysis methods: frequency, duration, and latency of behavioral elements, and sequential analysis. Rats were either isolated or socially housed during weeks 4 and 5 of age, and after the isolation period housed in pairs with a rat of identical housing condition until the time of testing at 12 weeks of age. Juvenile isolation caused marked effects on the frequency, duration, and latency of various social behavioral elements, whereas the non-social activities such as ambulation, rearing, and self-grooming were hardly affected. Juvenile isolation reduced social exploration, anogenital sniffing, and approach/following and increased the latency to the first occurrence of these social behavioral elements. In contrast, the sequential analysis revealed that the structure of social behavior was barely affected by juvenile isolation. Some transitions were less pronounced in juvenile isolated rats compared to non-isolated rats, but no significant differences were observed in transitions between social elements. Thus, juvenile isolation bisected the time spent on adult social interactions, whereas it did not disrupt the sequential structure of social behavior. The present data suggest that juvenile isolation reduced the motivation for adult social behavior, but when social contact is initiated, a relatively normal social behavioral pattern is displayed.

Isolation during the play period in infancy decreases adult social interactions in rats

The effects of 1 or 2 weeks of social isolation immediately after weaning on social activity in adulthood were investigated in rats. In addition, it was studied whether these effects were influenced by social experiences of the cagemate when rehoused after the isolation period. Isolation during weeks 4 and 5 of age caused a reduction of social activity as compared to non-isolated controls. Previous social experiences of the cagemate (isolated or non-isolated) did not affect this decreased social activity. Isolation during week 4 of age resulted in similar effects, but the reduced social activity was not present when the rats were rehoused with non-isolated rats. Isolation during week 5 of age did not influence social activity patterns in adulthood.These findings support the idea of a sensitive period in infancy for subsequent social behavior in rats. It is suggested that especially deprivation of acquiring play behavior underlies the social disturbances in adulthood.

Behavioral and judged coordination in adult informal social interactions: Vocal and kinesic indicators.

Coordination in social interaction means that persons adjust their actions to those of their partners. Common methods for measuring coordination include judgments and behavioral covariation. Sixteen 1-min segments of interaction were chosen (8 high and 8 low in behavioral coordination). In Study 1, 51 people judged the 16 segments, rating each for coordination. Study 2 (N = 17) used different items. Study 3 (N = 22) replicated Study 2 without sound and with a mosaic pattern imposed on the faces. Results indicated judges were reliable, able to distinguish high from low coordination interactions on the basis of 1-min slices for male but not female dyads. Segments judged to be coordinated had partners smiling in synchrony but with complementary patterns of gazing and gesturing. Both measures correlated with conversational satisfaction, but only behavioral coordination predicted attraction.

Behavioral and judged coordination in adult informal social interactions: Vocal and kinesic indicators.

Behavioral and judged coordination in adult informal social interactions: Vocal and kinesic indicators.

Enhanced social interactions in rats following chronic, centrally infused oxytocin

Most studies investigating the behavioral effects of centrally administered oxytocin (OT) have been confined to single acute injections followed by brief behavioral observations lasting up to 90 min. The present study examines the behavioral effects of chronic, centrally administered OT in male rats observed continously for prolonged periods of time. Either artificial cerebrospinal fluid or OT was centrally infused (via osmotic minipump) to gonadally intact male rats. Behavioral observations were made on males paired with either ovariectomized or estrous females during a 6-h time period. Most striking was the observation that durations of physical contact were doubled in pairs containing OT-infused males, even in the absence of sexual interactions. Also, OT-infused males showed significantly higher levels of anogenital sniffing of females and autogrooming; however, sexual interactions were unaffected by chronic OT. Chronic OT had no effect on body temperature, analgesia, or exploratory behavior in an open field. These findings suggest that chronic OT in male rats has behavioral effects that may significantly enhance adult social (nonsexual) interactions, possibly through alterations in olfactory and somatosensory information processing.