Specific Social Behaviors Research Articles

Social and behavioral differences among a predominantly African American preschool sample

This study investigated the relationship between problem behaviors, including those associated with hyperactivity, and social skill deficits in a predominantly African American sample of preschool children. Specifically, 96 children, ages 3 through 5, were evaluated by their teachers using the Conners' Teacher Rating Scales-28 (CTRS-28), the ADHD Rating Scale, and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). Three cluster groups were identified based upon ratings on the CTRS-28. Differences in specific SSRS Social Skill and Problem Behavior items among the three groups were identified. In addition, differential and concurrent validity for the AD/HD Rating Scale for the preschool age group was established. Implications of results regarding children at risk for school failure and drop-out were discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fine-scale genetic structuring in a natural population of European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The genetic structure of a free-living tagged population of European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was investigated for two consecutive years (1990 and 1991) using 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. A specific social behaviour, the formation of stable breeding groups, influenced the genetic structure of the population. These breeding groups were shown to constitute genetically differentiated units with low levels of gene flow between them. The average relatedness among members of a social group was higher than within the population as a whole. As a result of female philopatry coupled with male-biased natal dispersal, the relatedness of females was higher than that of males, both within social groups and in the whole population. Furthermore, the average relatedness of females within groups was twice the relatedness of females between groups. This study reveals marked fine-scale, intrapopulation genetic structure, which is attributable to the social behaviour of the European wild rabbit.

Role of vasopressin and oxytocin in the control of social behavior in Syrian hamsters(Mesocricetus auratus

Vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) play an important role in regulating social behavior in a variety of species as a result of their actions in the central nervous system. The following paper reviews the actions of VP and OT in controlling a range of social behaviors involved in communication, aggression and reproduction in the Syrian hamster. These data suggest that social and hormonal stimuli alter the expression of specific social behaviors by altering the release of, or the response to, VP and OT within key elements of the neural circuits controlling these behaviors.

Behavioural time–energy budgets of cooperatively breedingNeolamprologus pulcher(Pisces: Cichlidae)

We estimated the energy expenditures resulting from helping behaviour in the cooperatively breeding cichlidN.pulcherby measuring the metabolic rates directly associated with specific social and territory maintenance behaviours of individual pair males and females, and their helpers, in a respirometer. In pair males, pair females and helpers, routine metabolism was raised on average 4.4, 3.8 and 3.6 times, respectively, during agonistic behaviour. Helpers spent 3.3 and 6.1 times routine metabolism, respectively, on submissive behaviour (tail quivering) and digging. These estimates of energy expenditure were combined with laboratory time budgets, obtained previously, to calculate behavioural time–energy budgets for pair members and helpers. Both groups spent on average 98.5% of total metabolism on routine and standard metabolism. With regard to the energy expended on specific behaviours, pair males invested almost exclusively in intrafamily agonistic behaviour, while pair females and helpers shared the investment in territory maintenance and direct brood care. The behavioural energy budget of helpers was strongly determined by their submissive behaviour. This serves to maintain the social status of the helpers within the family hierarchy and may therefore be regarded as ‘paying for staying’, which may also be true for direct brood care and other helper duties. We conclude that the substantial energy expenditures associated with helping behaviours are probably partly responsible for the reduced growth rates of helpers. This is the first study in which energy expenditures associated with specific helping behaviours have been measured in brood care helpers, and it provides the first estimate of total behavioural energy expenditure in a cooperatively breeding fish.

The metabolic rates associated with resting, and with the performance of agonistic, submissive and digging behaviours in the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher (Pisces: Cichlidae)

We measured the metabolic rates as a direct estimate of energy expenditure of individual Neolamprologus pulcher, a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, when resting and when performing agonistic, submissive or digging behaviours in a respirometer. Standard and routine metabolic rates increased linearly with body mass (range 0.9–8.4 g) when plotted on a doubly logarithmic scale (linear regression equations: standard metabolic rate: log individual oxygen consumption rate = 0.65 + 0.86 log body mass; routine metabolic rate: log individual oxygen consumption rate = 0.75 + 0.86 log body mass). Routine metabolic rates were, on average, 30% higher than standard metabolic rates. Submissive and agonistic behaviours raised routine metabolic rates by factors of 3.3 and 3.9, respectively. Digging resulted in a 6.1-fold increase of routine metabolic rates. Differences in metabolic rates between active and resting rates were statistically significant. However, those between the three behaviours were not. Mean opercular beat frequencies correlated significantly with routine metabolic rates and with metabolic rates when performing specific behaviours, which offers methodological prospects for field measurements. In N. pulcher, the high energy expenditure for submissive behaviour may indicate that this is a reliable signal. The considerable energy expenditure involved in territory defence suggests that these costs should be considered in addition to risk in cost-benefit analyses. This is the first study in which the energy expenditures of specific social and territory maintenance behaviours of individual fish were measured directly by respirometry and within the usual social setting of the fish.

Long-term changes in rat social behavior following treatment with trimethylolpropane.

A potent convulsant, trimethylolpropane phosphate (TMPP), was evaluated for long-term effects on measures of social behaviors and anxiety in Long-Evans rats. Animals received three to four daily treatments of TMPP (0.1 mg/kg/ml) beginning at age 23 days in Experiment 1 and 73 days in Experiment 2. Gregariousness was measured in juvenile play and adult social investigation. Anxiousness was measured in the open field and elevated plus-maze. Long-lasting changes in social behaviors were found: play and social investigation were elevated, especially in female rats. Also, an aversive environmental experience associated with TMPP treatment influenced the drug effect on social investigation for males, but not females. In males, TMPP- vs. VEH-treated animals displayed greater social investigation when the treatment was in a positive environment than in an aversive one. In contrast, TMPP- vs. VEH-treated females showed greater social investigation regardless of environmental experience. There were no treatment group differences for measures of anxiety. These results suggest short-term exposure to TMPP may lead to long-lasting changes in specific social behaviors and neural substrates related to them, but not to changes in anxiousness.

Genetic relatedness, coalitions and social behaviour of white-nosed coatis,Nasua narica

The white-nosed coati,Nasua narica, lives in large social groups, called bands, and displays a variety of complex cooperative behaviours. These behavioural patterns, such as coalition support, may influence the ability of an individual to gain access to limited resources and have attracted theoretical attention because they may be maintained by reciprocal altruism. To better understand the mechanisms influencing cooperation, coalition dynamics and time individuals spend away from the band, the relationship between kinship and specific social behaviours was assessed. The genetic relationships of individuals from six coati bands were estimated by measuring the similarity of multilocus DNA fingerprints. Results showed that coati bands primarily consist of highly related individuals. The variance in relatedness was high, however, and four bands contained some individuals that were unrelated to other band members. Males who monopolized access to band females during the breeding season did not sire most offspring. Unrelated individuals spent more time away from the group than did band members with close relatives in the band. Moreover, unrelated individuals received more aggression from band members and received less coalition support than did individuals with close relatives in the band.

Social implications of gummivory in marmosets.

Gummivory or exudate feeding is a major dietary specialization which has received relatively little attention in the literature. While plant exudates contribute to the diet of many primate species, we suggest that the callitrichid species Cebuella pygmaea and Callithrix jacchus are obligate exudate feeders under free-ranging conditions. Callithrix jacchus provides an excellent model for examining the effects of exudate feeding and foraging upon social behavior, since other callitrichid species of similar body size do not share this dietary specialization. We review the effects of exudate foraging on specific social behaviors observed both in field and laboratory populations of C. jacchus. By comparing this species to closely related species, exudate foraging is seen to (1) be retained under laboratory conditions, (2) increase the frequency of territorial marking behavior while decreasing the frequency of overt aggression in males, (3) decrease the duration of infant care, and (4) increase the number of nonadults in social groups but not affect group size. The evidence presented supports the hypothesis that the consequences of exudate foraging in C. jacchus are fundamental and socially complex.

The GAF: The group assessment form: A screening instrument for adolescent group therapy

This article describes the process of evaluating the social competence of developmentally disabled (DD) adolescents who were referred for group therapy and which, in turn, led to the development of the GAF: The Group Assessment Form. The GAF allows for a more organized and in-depth understanding of a particular adolescent's social function. A description of a group treatment program servicing developmentally disabled adolescents and a definition of the term DD follows. Features and benefits of the GAF are discussed, including a symptom rating scale which involves frequency ratings on specific problem social behaviors as reported by the parent and the adolescent, thereby allowing for qualitative comparisons. The article concludes with an outline of additional clinical uses, such as its value as an instructional guide for beginning group leaders during their traineeship and as an aid in clarifying group treatment expectations and goals, thereby preventing possible premature termination.

Brain opioids and mother—infant social motivation

Brain opioids were the first neurochemical system to be implicated in the elaboration of social-bonding processes. Although a variety of neurochemical systems help elaborate social rewards and specific social behaviors, the role of opioids in the control of maternal behavior remains controversial. Although a great deal of data indicate that intermediate doses of morphine can reduce maternal behavior, the evidence, taken together, suggests that endogenous opioids promote the regulatory control of maternal behavior, probably by providing feedback concerning the satisfaction that can be had from indulging in various maternal behaviors. Thus opioid blockade with naltrexone can reduce maternal competence in animals, while at the same time increasing maternal motivation. Opiate blockade likewise appears to increase the social motivation of rat pups, but reduces the reinforcing quality of interaction with the mother, suggesting that opioids provide feedback concerning the pleasurable qualities of social interaction in both mothers and infants. The clinical implications of this knowledge are not straightforward, but they generally suggest that clinically deficient social bonding might be capable of being strengthened via manipulation of brain opioid systems.

The effects of haloperidol and clozapine on PCP- and amphetamine-induced suppression of social behavior in the rat

Previous work has shown that phenycyclidine (PCP) and amphetamine decrease social behavior in rats. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of the dopamine antagonists clozapine and haloperidol on PCP- and amphetamine-induced changes in rat social behavior. An intruder paradigm was used, in which rats were injected with drug and placed into a stable home colony of three other rats. Social behaviors were recorded for 30 min. Both amphetamine (4.0 mg/kg) and PCP (4.0 mg/kg) substantially reduced social behavior. Haloperidol and clozapine did not produce a general reversal of the effects of amphetamine or PCP on the total number of social behaviors. Nevertheless, 0.025 mg/kg haloperidol did reverse the effects of PCP and amphetamine on some of the specific social behaviors observed (side threats, mounting, crawling under). Clozapine had no effect on reversing the actions of amphetamine on social behavior, but 2.0 mg/kg clozapine did reverse the effect of PCP on side threats and mounting. These results indicate that DA antagonists do not restore normal social behavior in animals treated with PCP or amphetamine, but can reverse some of the effects of PCP or amphetamine on specific social behaviors.

Relationship between Social Factors and Pituitary-Adrenocortical Activity in Female Rhesus Monkeys ( Macaca mulatta)

Psychosocial stress in humans has been related to the occurrence or progression of certain diseases and a positive social environment has been shown, in some cases, to ameliorate this effect. In many experimental studies changes in serum cortisol levels have been used as an endocrine-defined stress response, however, the variation in this measure under unchanging conditions in socially housed animals is not well documented. The present study was designed to examine the relationship between specific social behaviors and concentrations of serum cortisol in female rhesus monkeys. Subjects were members of one of two social groups. One was an established long-term (8 years) group with members which had from one to many kin, while the second was a group formed 5 months prior to the onset of the present study composed of initially unfamiliar animals. Blood samples were collected weekly and a total of 16 hr of behavioral data was collected on each subject. For purposes of analyses, the year-long study was organized according to calendar quarters (3 months) with cortisol concentrations averaged and behavioral categories cumulated. When regression techniques were applied, it is of note that neither group nor dominance rank was a predictor of cortisol levels. However, when a correlation analysis was applied to each group separately to assess the effect of dominance rank, rank significantly correlated with cortisol levels in the established but not in the recently formed group. In each quarter, analyses revealed behavioral categories which combined to account for a significant proportion of the variance in cortisol levels, but these behaviors were not identical over the four quarters. For three of the four quarters analyzed, and for the year as a whole, an affiliative behavioral category was predictive of cortisol levels in addition to agonistic behavioral categories. These data suggest that cortisol levels are influenced by not only negative interactions, such as receiving bites, but also by positive interactions such as receiving grooms. Results also showed that reconciliatory behaviors occurred significantly more frequently following dyadic agonistic episodes in the recently formed versus the long-term group. The higher rate of reconciliatory behaviors exhibited by the recently formed group may account for the lack of a dominance rank/cortisol relationship.

Sequential analysis of social interaction: Assessing internal versus social determinants of behavior.

Predictability and controllability of events influence attributions and affect in many research domains. In face-to-face social interaction, behavior is predictable from actor's own past behavior (internal determinants) and from partner's past behavior (social determinants). This study assessed how affect ratings are related to predictability of vocal activity from internal and social determinants. Time and frequency domain analysis of on-off vocal activity from 55 dyadic gettingacquainted conversations provided indexes of predictability from internal and social determinants. Greater predictability of vocal activity patterns from both internal and social determinants was associated with more positive affect. Future research should take internal as well as social determinants of behavior into account. The study of behavioral dialogues is emerging as an important research paradigm in social, developmental, and clinical psychology (Warner, 1991a). Investigators have examined time series data on the behavior, affect, or physiological states of social interaction partners to assess how social behavior is structured in time and how the behaviors of partners are interdependent. Researchers agree that social behaviors are nonrandomly sequenced and show mutual contingency between partners (Cappella, 1981), although there is not a consensus as to which statistics provide the best description of sequencing and mutual contingency. Now researchers are turning to the question of whether the degree of structure or interdependence in social behavior is related to evaluations of the quality of social interaction. Given the prominent role of predictability and controllability of events in theories of attribution, depression, and other social-psychological phenomena, it is logical to expect that the predictability and controllability of events in face-to-face social interaction influences attributions and evaluations of affect. In the present study, I looked at predictable patterning for a specific social behavior: on-off vocal activity patterns in conversations. It is important to note that both the nature of the predictable patterning and the meanings that people attach to more or less predictable behavior sequences may differ substantially for other kinds of behaviors such as gaze, body movement, facial expressions, levels of affective involvement, or physiological changes that occur during social interaction (cf. Cappella, 1988). This study illustrated a set of analyses that can be applied to all these kinds of data, but the conclusions that were reached may be specific to the type of behavior that was observed in this study: on-off patterns of talk and silence. The

Leisure Instruction Outcomes

Acquiring and performing leisure skills for a teacher does not denote the criterion of ultimate functioning for a teenager. One important criterion for community leisure participation by teenagers includes engaging in those activities with friends. The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate the degree to which leisure skills acquired and demonstrated through instruction would generalize when students were provided opportunities to engage in those same activities with a peer. A secondary purpose was to determine the impact of leisure skill competence by the student with disabilities on social interactions with peers while engaging in leisure activities. A tertiary purpose was to examine the attitudes of the teenagers without disabilities who participated in the study. Results indicated that the increase in skills demonstrated with the instructor were associated with an increase in the demonstration of those same skills when engaged in the activity with a peer. Correlations were calculated between leisure skill demonstration by the student with disabilities and specific social behaviors. Only the skill defined as “cooperative participation” was highly correlated. Attitude scores of the high school peers showed a statistically significant increase following the 4 months of interaction. The implications for intervention approaches to facilitate the acquisition and generalization of leisure skills for students with severe disabilities are discussed.

Parental report of social behaviors in autistic preschoolers

The aim of this study was to identify specific social behaviors that differentiate autistic preschoolers from other children at comparable developmental levels. A parent report measure, the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist (PSBC), was developed for this purpose. The PSBC consists of 22 items representing social milestones usually achieved within the first 4 to 5 years of life. Results obtained from a sample of 20 parents of children with autism and 14 parents of children with mental retardation revealed group differences in specific aspects of imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills. The importance of examining the specific manifestations of social deficits and implications for the diagnosis of autism are discussed.

The influence of anxiety and mental status on social isolation among the elderly in nursing homes

AbstractSocial isolation is a pervasive problem for older adults and interventions designed to reduce it have met with only limited success. The current research was designed to identify observable behaviors and qualitative aspects of emotional distress that differentiate socially active from socially isolated elderly nursing home residents. The investigation consisted of two parts: The first involved direct observation of subjects (n = 51) and the second involved a structured interview with a subsample of subjects (n = 23), including an assessment of social anxiety, social competence and depression. Results of a multiple regression analysis suggest that staff views of social isolation are related to rates of specific social behaviors, social anxiety, and mental status. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Les grandes endémies : l’espace social coupable

The role of social space in epidemics. Trypanosomias and onchocerciasis share a common means of transmission. It is thus tempting to consider that these major epidemics «inevitably» strike when the carriers come into contact with human societies. Against this somewhat deterministic vision we defend the hypothesis that humans are actors who have a degree of control over the spread of depending on their specific social behaviour.

Toddlers' Social Behaviors in Dyads and Groups

Abstract Although toddlers are clearly capable of interacting with peers, the amount and type of interactions among toddlers is controversial. Objectives of the present study were (a) to determine the effect of dyad versus group settings on the amount and type of social behaviors with peers, (b) to determine preference for interacting with peers versus adults, and (c) to determine differences in the types of behaviors directed to peers and adults. Sixteen children (with a mean age of 27 months) were observed in both a group setting and a dyad setting; their mothers were present in both settings. The children were from three different toddler classes, each meeting once a week. Specific social behaviors were coded, as well as the person to whom the behavior was directed (i.e., peer or adult). Setting affected toddlers' behaviors with adults but not behaviors with peers. Regardless of setting, toddlers preferred interacting with adults. The types of behaviors directed to peers and adults differed. Direct int...

Social interactions among rodent conspecifics: A review of experimental paradigms

The authors suggest that kin selection theory offers a different perspective from which to examine social interactions among rodent conspecifics. Paradigms designed to investigate various interactions among rodent conspecifics are presented, and include simple affiliative behaviors, social facilitation, and cooperation. It is established that many species of rodents are appropriately social to use as subjects under investigation in research which focuses on topics such as kin selection. Studies reporting positive results as well as some reporting negative or inconclusive results have been presented for the purpose of informing the reader under which conditions we might expect specific social behaviors to occur. It is concluded that a combined method of a sociobiological perspective using established experimental procedures will offer unique opportunities for the investigation of specific predictions suggested by kin selection theory.

Social anxiousness: the construct and its measurement.

The self-report measures of social anxiety that are commonly used in social psychological and personality research confound the measurement of social anxiousness with the measurement of specific behaviors that often, but not always, accompany social anxiety. Theoretical and methodological issues regarding this problem are discussed, and two new scales are presented that measure interaction and audience anxiousness independent of specific social behaviors. Psychometric data show the scales to possess high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, as well as strong evidence of construct and criterion validity.