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Finseth TT, Smith B, Van Steenis AL, Glahn DC, Johnson M, Ruttle P, Shirtcliff BA, Shirtcliff EA. When virtual reality becomes psychoneuroendocrine reality: A stress(or) review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107061. [PMID: 38701607 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
This review article was awarded the Dirk Hellhammer award from ISPNE in 2023. It explores the dynamic relationship between stressors and stress from a historical view as well as a vision towards the future of stress research via virtual reality (VR). We introduce the concept of a "syncytium," a permeable boundary that blurs the distinction between stress and stressor, in order to understand why the field of stress biology continues to inadequately measure stress alone as a proxy for the force of external stressors. Using Virtual Reality (VR) as an illustrative example to explicate the black box of stressors, we examine the distinction between 'immersion' and 'presence' as analogous terms for stressor and stress, respectively. We argue that the conventional psychological approaches to stress measurement and appraisal theory unfortunately fall short in quantifying the force of the stressor, leading to reverse causality fallacies. Further, the concept of affordances is introduced as an ecological or holistic tool to measure and design a stressor's force, bridging the gap between the external environment and an individual's physiological response to stress. Affordances also serve to ameliorate shortcomings in stress appraisal by integrating ecological interdependencies. By combining VR and psychobiological measures, this paper aims to unravel the complexity of the stressor-stress syncytium, highlighting the necessity of assessing both the internal and external facets to gain a holistic understanding of stress physiology and shift away from reverse causality reasoning. We find that the utility of VR extends beyond presence to include affordance-based measures of immersion, which can effectively model stressor force. Future research should prioritize the development of tools that can measure both immersion and presence, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of how external stressors interact with individual psychological states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon Smith
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | | | - David C Glahn
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Megan Johnson
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | - Paula Ruttle
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
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Zeller K, Ballesta S, Meunier H, Duboscq J, Morino L, Rimele A, Bonnet X, Maille A, Dezecache G, Garcia C. Spot the odd one out: do snake pictures capture macaques' attention more than other predators? Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1945-1958. [PMID: 37855842 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01831-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Detecting and identifying predators quickly is key to survival. According to the Snake Detection Theory (SDT), snakes have been a substantive threat to primates for millions of years, so that dedicated visual skills were tuned to detect snakes in early primates. Past experiments confronted the SDT by measuring how fast primate subjects detected snake pictures among non-dangerous distractors (e.g., flowers), but did not include pictures of primates' other predators, such as carnivorans, raptors, and crocodilians. Here, we examined the detection abilities of N = 19 Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana) and N = 6 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to spot different predators. By implementing an oddity task protocol, we recorded success rates and reaction times to locate a deviant picture among four pictures over more than 400,000 test trials. Pictures depicted a predator, a non-predator animal, or a simple geometric shape. The first task consisted of detecting a deviant picture among identical distractor pictures (discrimination) and the second task was designed to evaluate detection abilities of a deviant picture among different distractor pictures (categorization). The macaques detected pictures of geometric shapes better and faster than pictures of animals, and were better and faster at discriminating than categorizing. The macaques did not detect snakes better or faster than other animal categories. Overall, these results suggest that pictures of snakes do not capture visual attention more than other predators, questioning previous findings in favor of the SDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Zeller
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
| | - Sébastien Ballesta
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Hélène Meunier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Julie Duboscq
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Luca Morino
- Ménagerie du Jardin Des Plantes, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Adam Rimele
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Xavier Bonnet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS ULR, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Audrey Maille
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
- DGD Musées, Jardins Botaniques et Zoologiques, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | | | - Cécile Garcia
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
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Bertels J, de Heering A, Bourguignon M, Cleeremans A, Destrebecqz A. What determines the neural response to snakes in the infant brain? A systematic comparison of color and grayscale stimuli. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1027872. [PMID: 36993883 PMCID: PMC10040846 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1027872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakes and primates have coexisted for thousands of years. Given that snakes are the first of the major primate predators, natural selection may have favored primates whose snake detection abilities allowed for better defensive behavior. Aligning with this idea, we recently provided evidence for an inborn mechanism anchored in the human brain that promptly detects snakes, based on their characteristic visual features. What are the critical visual features driving human neural responses to snakes is an unresolved issue. While their prototypical curvilinear coiled shape seems of major importance, it remains possible that the brain responds to a blend of other visual features. Coloration, in particular, might be of major importance, as it has been shown to act as a powerful aposematic signal. Here, we specifically examine whether color impacts snake-specific responses in the naive, immature infant brain. For this purpose, we recorded the brain activity of 6-to 11-month-old infants using electroencephalography (EEG), while they watched sequences of color or grayscale animal pictures flickering at a periodic rate. We showed that glancing at colored and grayscale snakes generated specific neural responses in the occipital region of the brain. Color did not exert a major influence on the infant brain response but strongly increased the attention devoted to the visual streams. Remarkably, age predicted the strength of the snake-specific response. These results highlight that the expression of the brain-anchored reaction to coiled snakes bears on the refinement of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Bertels
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LNT), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Julie Bertels,
| | - Adelaïde de Heering
- LulLABy, Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (UNESCOG), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Bourguignon
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LNT), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Destrebecqz
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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Bird TL, Moeti S, Hitchcock RK, Kelly MC, Chobolo LL, Gotcha N, Moatlhodi KK, Mukoka LD, Sekopo EK, Chaboo CS. Orb-web spider Argiope (Araneidae) as indigenous arrow poison of G/ui and G//ana San hunters in the Kalahari. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0276557. [PMID: 36630457 PMCID: PMC9833577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hunting has been crucial in early human evolution. Some San (Bushmen) of southern Africa still practice their indigenous hunting. The use of poisons is one remarkable aspect of their bow-and-arrow hunting but the sources, taxonomic identifications of species used, and recipes, are not well documented. This study reports on fieldwork to investigate recent indigenous hunting practices of G/ui and G//ana San communities in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Botswana. Here we discuss their use of spider poison. The hunters use the contents of the opisthosoma ('abdomen') of a spider as sole ingredient of the arrow poison and discard the prosoma that contains the venom-glands. Using taxonomic keys, we identified the spider as the garden orb-web spider Argiope australis (Walckenaer 1805) (Araneidae). The hunters' choice of this species is remarkable given the scientific perception that A. australis is of little medical importance. The species choice raises questions about how the spider fluids could kill game, particularly when the prosoma, which contains the venom glands, is not used. Possibilities include trauma, as a source of pathogens, or abdomen-containing toxins. Based on characteristics of Argiope Audouin 1826, we hypothesize that the choice of this species for arrow poisons might have evolved from the recognition of aposematic signalling or spiritual symbolism. Indigenous knowledge (IK) is an important source for advances in biotechnology but is in decline worldwide. The study contributes to the documentation of the San people, and their ancient IK, which is threatened by marginalization, political pressures, and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharina L. Bird
- General Entomology, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Robert K. Hitchcock
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- Kalahari Peoples Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Melinda C. Kelly
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- Kalahari Peoples Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Lefang L. Chobolo
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
| | - Nonofo Gotcha
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
| | - Kgosi K. Moatlhodi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
| | - Leungo D. Mukoka
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
| | - Emmanuel K. Sekopo
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana
| | - Caroline S. Chaboo
- Systematics Research Collections, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
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Vaughn AK, Larson LR, Peterson MN, Pacifici LB. Factors associated with human tolerance of snakes in the southeastern United States. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.1016514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of snakes is influenced by humans’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward these often-maligned animals. We investigated public attitudes toward snakes through an online survey of undergraduate students (n = 743) at a large public university in a southeastern U.S. state. We used behavioral intent (i.e., how a person would react if they encountered a snake) to assess tolerance of different snake species. We also examined various predictors of tolerance including demographic attributes and a variety of cognitive (e.g., knowledge, value orientations) and affective (e.g., emotions) social-psychological variables. Tolerance of snakes varied based on whether the snake was venomous or non-venomous: about 36% of students said they were likely to kill venomous snakes they encountered, compared with 9% who said they would kill non-venomous snakes and 21% of students who said they would kill snakes whose identity was uncertain. However, most students (54%) could not distinguish between venomous and non-venomous species. Value orientations and emotions were strong predictors of tolerance for snakes, suggesting snake outreach and management strategies should account for both cognitive and affective antecedents of behavior.
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No matter how you mark the points on the fever curve – threatening shapes do not add to threat of climate change. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGraphs have become an increasingly important means of representing data, for instance, when communicating data on climate change. However, graph characteristics might significantly affect graph comprehension. The goal of the present work was to test whether the marking forms usually depicted on line-graphs, can have an impact on graph evaluation. As past work suggests that triangular forms might be related to threat, we compared the effect of triangular marking forms with other symbols (triangles, circles, squares, rhombi, and asterisks) on subjective assessments. Participants in Study 1 (N = 314) received 5 different line-graphs about climate change, each of them using one out of 5 marking forms. In Study 1, the threat and arousal ratings of the graphs with triangular marking shapes were not higher than those with the other marking symbols. Participants in Study 2 (N = 279) received the same graphs, yet without labels and indeed rated the graphs with triangle point markers as more threatening. Testing whether local rather than global spatial attention would lead to an impact of marker shape in climate graphs, Study 3 (N = 307) documented that a task demanding to process a specific data-point on the graph (rather than just the line graph as a whole) did not lead to an effect either. These results suggest that marking symbols can principally affect threat and arousal ratings but not in the context of climate change. Hence, in graphs on climate change, choice of point markers does not have to take potential side-effects on threat and arousal into account. These seem to be restricted to the processing of graphs where form aspects face less competition from the content domain on judgments.
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7
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Zvaríková M, Prokop P, Zvarík M, Ježová Z, Medina-Jerez W, Fedor P. What Makes Spiders Frightening and Disgusting to People? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.694569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The quality of human-animal interactions may crucially influence conservation efforts. Unfortunately, and despite their important roles in the functioning of the ecosystem, some animals are considered notoriously unpopular. Using the forced-choice paradigm, we investigated which cues humans perceive as frightening and disgusting in spiders, one of the most unpleasant animals in the world. The research was carried out with a representative sample of N = 1,015 Slovak adults. We found that perceived fear and disgust of spiders were triggered predominantly by enlarged chelicerae, enlarged abdomen, and the presence of body hair. Longer legs were associated with perceived fear as well; however, the presence of two eyes did not produce any statistical significance in terms of fear. We hope that further research in this field, where additional cues can be manipulated (e.g., color and number of legs), will improve conservation efforts by using an improved reputation of spiders in the eyes of the general public.
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da Silva MXG, Braga-Pereira F, da Silva MC, de Oliveira JV, de Faria Lopes S, Alves RRN. What are the factors influencing the aversion of students towards reptiles? JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:35. [PMID: 34011374 PMCID: PMC8136183 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00462-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reptiles form a paraphyletic group with significant roles for human society, including species that are considered important for food, medicinal and mystical use and as pets. Some species are considered to be aversive, whereas others are captivating among people. Aversion is an important factor which should be considered in the conservation policies of these animals. As such, here, we investigate the demographic, educational, perceptives and behavioural factors of students related to their aversion and non-conservationist attitudes directed towards different reptile species and evaluated the effect of educational exhibition of animals as a strategy of mitigating these attitudes. METHODS The data were obtained through forms on the aversion and conservation of reptiles represented by three species, a chelonian, a snake and a lizard. The form was given in two instances, before and after a visit to a private zoo (Museu Vivo Répteis da Caatinga), where the students had contact with the aforementioned species. A total of 133 students participated in the study, among these, 43 from elementary school (21 females and 22 males), 29 from high school (16 females and 13 males), 37 from university biology students (22 females and 15 males) and 24 university mathematics students (6 females and 18 males). RESULTS Among all evaluated species, snakes were considered to be the most aversive species. The aversion attitudes differed between the three evaluated species when correlated to age and type of university courses. However, this pattern did not differ between student sexes. Older students had a lower aversion to the chelonian compared to the younger ones, but for snakes and lizards, the aversion was high among students of all ages. The university biology students had a lower aversion compared to the university mathematics students for the three species. The recognition and handle of the tested species and previous visits to educational exhibitions of animals were negatively related to aversion. The comparative analysis of the forms applied before and after the visit to the Museu Vivo Répteis da Caatinga showed that this visit influenced the decrease of aversion, but not in non-conservationist attitudes, for which the attitude scores had always been low. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that reptile aversion varies in accordance with the taxon, being snakes the most disliked by students. The visit to the educational exhibition of animals contributed to the reduction of the observed aversion. This is especially true when the acquisition of educational information about species is associated with practical activities which includes contact with the animals. Finally, the fact that non-conservationist attitudes had been low towards all species perhaps demonstrates a conservationist tendency even for the most aversive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moacyr Xavier Gomes da Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza (PPGEtno), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n – Dois irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900 Brazil
| | - Franciany Braga-Pereira
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900 Brazil
- RedeFauna, Rede de Pesquisa Em Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna da Amazônia, Brazil, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Mikaela Clotilde da Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351 – Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB 58109-753 Brazil
| | - José Valberto de Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351 – Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB 58109-753 Brazil
| | - Sérgio de Faria Lopes
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351 – Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB 58109-753 Brazil
| | - Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza (PPGEtno), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n – Dois irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900 Brazil
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900 Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351 – Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB 58109-753 Brazil
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Robinson JM, Breed MF. The Lovebug Effect: Is the human biophilic drive influenced by interactions between the host, the environment, and the microbiome? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 720:137626. [PMID: 32146404 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Psychological frameworks are often used to investigate the mechanisms involved with our affinity towards, and connection with nature--such as the Biophilia Hypothesis and Nature Connectedness. Recent revelations from microbiome science suggest that animal behaviour can be strongly influenced by the host's microbiome--for example, via the bidirectional communication properties of the gut-brain axis. Here, we build on this theory to hypothesise that a microbially-influenced mechanism could also contribute to the human biophilic drive - the tendency for humans to affiliate and connect with nature. Humans may be at an evolutionary advantage through health-regulating exchange of environmental microbiota, which in turn could influence our nature affinity. We present a conceptual model for microbially-influenced nature affinity, calling it the Lovebug Effect. We present an overview of the potential mechanistic pathways involved in the Lovebug Effect, and consider its dependence on the hologenome concept of evolution, direct behavioural manipulation, and host-microbiota associated phenotypes independent of these concepts. We also discuss its implications for human health and ecological resilience. Finally, we highlight several possible approaches to scrutinise the hypothesis. The Lovebug Effect could have important implications for our understanding of exposure to natural environments for health and wellbeing, and could contribute to an ecologically resilient future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake M Robinson
- Department of Landscape, The University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK; inVIVO Planetary Health, of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), NJ 10704, USA; The Healthy Urban Microbiome Initiative (HUMI), Australia.
| | - Martin F Breed
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia; The Healthy Urban Microbiome Initiative (HUMI), Australia
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10
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Bertels J, Bourguignon M, de Heering A, Chetail F, De Tiège X, Cleeremans A, Destrebecqz A. Snakes elicit specific neural responses in the human infant brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7443. [PMID: 32366886 PMCID: PMC7198620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63619-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting predators is essential for survival. Given that snakes are the first of primates' major predators, natural selection may have fostered efficient snake detection mechanisms to allow for optimal defensive behavior. Here, we provide electrophysiological evidence for a brain-anchored evolved predisposition to rapidly detect snakes in humans, which does not depend on previous exposure or knowledge about snakes. To do so, we recorded scalp electrical brain activity in 7- to 10-month-old infants watching sequences of flickering animal pictures. All animals were presented in their natural background. We showed that glancing at snakes generates specific neural responses in the infant brain, that are higher in amplitude than those generated by frogs or caterpillars, especially in the occipital region of the brain. The temporal dynamics of these neural responses support that infants devote increased attention to snakes than to non-snake stimuli. These results therefore demonstrate that a single fixation at snakes is sufficient to generate a prompt and large selective response in the infant brain. They argue for the existence in humans of an inborn, brain-anchored mechanism to swiftly detect snakes based on their characteristic visual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bertels
- Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. .,Laboratoire de Cartographie Fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - M Bourguignon
- Laboratoire de Cartographie Fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A de Heering
- Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - F Chetail
- Laboratoire Cognition Langage Développement (LCLD), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - X De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Cartographie Fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Cleeremans
- Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Destrebecqz
- Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Bonin P, Méot A. Pourquoi avons-nous encore peur des serpents ? Apport de la psychologie évolutionniste à la compréhension de certains biais comportementaux. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2019. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy1.193.0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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12
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Grassini S, Valli K, Souchet J, Aubret F, Segurini GV, Revonsuo A, Koivisto M. Pattern matters: Snakes exhibiting triangular and diamond-shaped skin patterns modulate electrophysiological activity in human visual cortex. Neuropsychologia 2019; 131:62-72. [PMID: 31153966 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The neural and perceptual mechanisms that support the efficient visual detection of snakes in humans are still not fully understood. According to the Snake Detection Theory, selection pressures posed by snakes on early primates have shaped the development of the visual system. Previous studies in humans have investigated early visual electrophysiological activity in response to snake images vs. various alternative dangerous or non-dangerous stimuli. These studies have shown that the Early Posterior Negativity (EPN) component is selectively elicited by snake or snake-like images. Recent findings yielded the complementary/alternative hypothesis that early humans (and possibly other primates) evolved an aversion especially for potentially harmful triangular shapes, such as teeth, claws or spikes. In the present study we investigated the effect of triangular and diamond-shaped patterns in snake skins on the ERP correlates of visual processing in humans. In the first experiment, we employed pictures of snakes displaying either triangular/diamond-shaped patterns or no particular pattern on their skins, and pictures of frogs as control. Participants observed a random visual presentation of these pictures. Consistent with previous studies, snakes elicited an enhanced negativity between 225 and 300 ms (EPN) compared to frogs. However, snakes featuring triangular/diamond-shaped patterns on their skin produced an enhanced EPN compared to the snakes that did not display such patterns. In a second experiment we used pictures displaying only skin patterns of snakes and frogs. Results from the second experiment confirmed the results of the first experiment, suggesting that triangular snake-skin patterns modulate the activity in human visual cortex. Taken together, our results constitute an important contribution to the snake detection theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Grassini
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, 20014, Finland.
| | - Katja Valli
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, 20014, Finland; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, 54128, Sweden
| | - Jérémie Souchet
- Station D'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale Du CNRS, 2 Route Du Cnrs, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Fabien Aubret
- Station D'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale Du CNRS, 2 Route Du Cnrs, 09200, Moulis, France
| | | | - Antti Revonsuo
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, 20014, Finland; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, School of Bioscience, University of Skövde, 54128, Sweden
| | - Mika Koivisto
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, 20014, Finland
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13
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Rádlová S, Janovcová M, Sedláčková K, Polák J, Nácar D, Peléšková Š, Frynta D, Landová E. Snakes Represent Emotionally Salient Stimuli That May Evoke Both Fear and Disgust. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1085. [PMID: 31143154 PMCID: PMC6521895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans perceive snakes as threatening stimuli, resulting in fast emotional and behavioral responses. However, snake species differ in their true level of danger and are highly variable in appearance despite the uniform legless form. Different snakes may evoke fear or disgust in humans, or even both emotions simultaneously. We designed three-step-selection experiments to identify prototypical snake species evoking exclusively fear or disgust. First, two independent groups of respondents evaluated 45 images covering most of the natural variability of snakes and rated responses to either perceived fear (n = 175) or disgust (n = 167). Snakes rated as the most fear-evoking were from the family Viperidae (Crotalinae, Viperinae, and Azemiopinae), while the ones rated as the most disgusting were from the group of blind snakes called Typhlopoidea (Xenotyphlopinae, Typhlopinae, and Anomalepidinae). We then identified the specific traits contributing to the perception of fear (large body size, expressive scales with contrasting patterns, and bright coloration) and disgust (thin body, smooth texture, small eyes, and dull coloration). Second, to create stimuli evoking a discrete emotional response, we developed a picture set consisting of 40 snakes with exclusively fear-eliciting and 40 snakes with disgust-eliciting features. Another set of respondents (n = 172) sorted the set, once according to perceived fear and the second time according to perceived disgust. The results showed that the fear-evoking and disgust-evoking snakes fit mainly into their respective groups. Third, we randomly selected 20 species (10 fear-evoking and 10 disgust-evoking) out of the previous set and had them professionally illustrated. A new set of subjects (n = 104) sorted these snakes and confirmed that the illustrated snakes evoked the same discrete emotions as their photographic counterparts. These illustrations are included in the study and may be freely used as a standardized assessment tool when investigating the role of fear and disgust in human emotional response to snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rádlová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - M Janovcová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - K Sedláčková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - J Polák
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - D Nácar
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - Š Peléšková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia
| | - D Frynta
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - E Landová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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14
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Abstract
Life threatening situations as urgent as defending against a predator precludes the use of slow trial and error strategies. Natural selection has led to the evolution of a behavioral system that has 3 critical elements. 1) When it is activated it limits the behaviors available to the organism to a set of prewired responses that have proven over phylogeny to be effective at defense. 2) A rapid learning system, called Pavlovian fear conditioning, that has the ability to immediately identify threats and promote prewired defensive behaviors. 3) That learning system has the ability to integrate several informational dimensions to determine threat imminence and this allows the organism to match the most effective defensive behavior to the current situation. The adaptive significance of conscious experiential states is also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Fanselow
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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15
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