1
|
Lemoine SRT, Samuni L, Crockford C, Wittig RM. Parochial cooperation in wild chimpanzees: a model to explain the evolution of parochial altruism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210149. [PMID: 35369746 PMCID: PMC8977654 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parochial altruism, taking individual costs to benefit the in-group and harm the out-group, has been proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the human ability of large-scale cooperation. How parochial altruism has evolved remains unclear. In this review paper, we formulate a parochial cooperation model in small-scale groups and examine the model in wild chimpanzees. As suggested for human parochial altruism, we review evidence that the oxytocinergic system and in-group cooperation and cohesion during out-group threat are integral parts of chimpanzee collective action during intergroup competition. We expand this model by suggesting that chimpanzee parochial cooperation is supported by the social structure of chimpanzee groups which enables repeated interaction history and established social ties between co-operators. We discuss in detail the role of the oxytocinergic system in supporting parochial cooperation, a pathway that appears integral already in chimpanzees. The reviewed evidence suggests that prerequisites of human parochial altruism were probably present in the last common ancestor between Pan and Homo. This article is part of the theme issue 'Intergroup conflict across taxa'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain R. T. Lemoine
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Liran Samuni
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, CNRS/University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, CNRS/University of Lyon, Bron, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
Humans are an unusually prosocial species, who engage in social behaviors that include altruism-whereby an individual engages in costly or risky acts to improve the welfare of another person-care, and cooperation. Current perspectives on the neurobiology of human prosociality suggest that it is deeply rooted in the neuroendocrine architecture of the social brain and emphasize the modulatory role of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin. In this review, we provide a conceptual overview of the neurobiology of prosocial behavior with a focus on oxytocin's modulatory role in human prosociality. Specifically, we aim to encourage a better understanding of the peptide's susceptibility to diverse factors that produce heterogeneity in outcomes and the resulting methodological implications for measuring the behavioral effects of oxytocin in humans. After providing an overview of the state-of-the-art research on oxytocin's exogenous use, we elaborate on the peptide's modulatory role in the context of care-based altruism, cooperation, and conflict and discuss its potential for therapeutic interventions in psychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Abigail A. Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mary R. Lee
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dunbar RIM, Frangou A, Grainger F, Pearce E. Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256229. [PMID: 34388212 PMCID: PMC8362988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans deploy a number of specific behaviours for forming social bonds, one of which is laughter. However, two questions have not yet been investigated with respect to laughter: (1) Does laughter increase the sense of bonding to those with whom we laugh? and (2) Does laughter facilitate prosocial generosity? Using changes in pain threshold as a proxy for endorphin upregulation in the brain and a standard economic game (the Dictator Game) as an assay of prosociality, we show that laughter does trigger the endorphin system and, through that, seems to enhance social bonding, but it does not reliably influence donations to others. This suggests that social bonding and prosociality may operate via different mechanisms, or on different time scales, and relate to different functional objectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Frangou
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Felix Grainger
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marsh N, Scheele D, Postin D, Onken M, Hurlemann R. Eye-Tracking Reveals a Role of Oxytocin in Attention Allocation Towards Familiar Faces. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:629760. [PMID: 34079520 PMCID: PMC8165288 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.629760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention directed towards the eye-region of a face emerges rapidly, even before conscious awareness, and regulates social interactions in terms of approach versus avoidance. Current perspectives on the neuroendocrine substrates of this behavioral regulation highlight a role of the peptide hormone oxytocin (OXT), but it remains unclear whether the facilitating effects of OXT vary as a function of facial familiarity. Here, a total of 73 healthy participants was enrolled in an eye-tracking experiment specifically designed to test whether intranasal OXT (24 IU) augments gaze duration toward the eye-region across four different face categories: the participants' own face, the face of their romantic partner, the face of a familiar person (close friend) or an unfamiliar person (a stranger). We found that OXT treatment induced a tendency to spend more time looking into the eyes of familiar persons (partner and close friend) as compared to placebo. This effect was not evident in the self and unfamiliar conditions. Independent of treatment, volunteers scoring high on autistic-like traits (AQ-high) spent less time looking at the eyes of all faces except their partner. Collectively, our results show that the OXT system is involved in facilitating an attentional bias towards the eye region of familiar faces, which convey safety and support, especially in anxious contexts. In contrast, autistic-like traits were associated with reduced attention to the eye region of a face regardless of familiarity and OXT-treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Danilo Postin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Marc Onken
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rene Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Declerck CH, Boone C, Pauwels L, Vogt B, Fehr E. A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust. Nat Hum Behav 2020; 4:646-655. [PMID: 32514040 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-0878-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In an influential paper, Kosfeld et al. (2005) showed that intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) increases the transfers made by investors in the trust game-suggesting that OT increases trust in strangers. Subsequent studies investigating the role of OT in the trust game found inconclusive effects on the trusting behaviour of investors but these studies deviated from the Kosfeld et al. study in an important way-they did not implement minimal social contact (MSC) between the investors and the trustees in the trust game. Here, we performed a large double-blind and placebo-controlled replication study of the effects of OT on trusting behaviour that yields a power of more than 95% and implements an MSC condition as well as a no-social-contact (NoC) condition. We find no effect of OT on trusting behaviour in the MSC condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses suggest that OT may increase trust in individuals with a low disposition to trust in the NoC condition, but this finding requires confirmation in future research. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 19 October 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11980368.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn H Declerck
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Christophe Boone
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Loren Pauwels
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bodo Vogt
- Chair in Empirical Economics and Health Economics, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ernst Fehr
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
Abstract
Current psychological perspectives emphasize “attack” and “defense” as the behavioral mechanisms underlying conflict. Here, we extend this view by highlighting the relevance of pathological altruism and the neuroendocrine pathways associated with hostile behaviors. Specifically, we elucidate the modulatory role of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin in motivating extraordinary levels of in-group commitment that can promote extreme behaviors and endure conflict with out-groups.
Collapse
|
7
|
Petereit P, Rinn C, Stemmler G, Mueller EM. Oxytocin reduces the link between neural and affective responses after social exclusion. Biol Psychol 2019; 145:224-235. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
8
|
Effects of oxytocin on prosocial behavior and the associated profiles of oxytocinergic and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in a rodent model of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Biomed Sci 2019; 26:26. [PMID: 30898126 PMCID: PMC6427848 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-019-0514-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic experience may lead to various psychological sequelae including the unforgettable trauma-associated memory as seen in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a mechanism of impaired fear extinction due to biological imbalance among hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and fear circuit areas such as medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala. Recently the impaired sociability seen in PTSD patients received great attention and the involvement of oxytocin (OXT) mediation is worth being investigated. This study examined whether the trauma-altered prosocial behavior can be modulated by OXT manipulation and its relationship with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling. METHODS Male rats previously exposed to a single prolonged stress (SPS) were evaluated for their performance in social choice test (SCT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) following the introduction of intranasal oxytocin (OXT) and OXT receptor antagonist atosiban (ASB). OXT receptors (OXTR) and CRH receptors (CRHR1, CRHR2) were quantified in both protein and mRNA levels in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala. RESULTS SPS reduced inclination of rats staying at the sociable place with performing less prosocial contacts. OXT can amend the deficit but this effect was blocked by ASB. Expression of OXTR became reduced following SPS in mPFC and amygdala, the latter exhibited higher therapeutic specificity to OXT. Expression of CRHR1 appeared more sensitive than CRHR2 to SPS, higher CRHR1 protein levels were found in mPFC and amygdala. CONCLUSION Psychological trauma-impaired sociability is highly associated with OXT signaling pathway. Intranasal OXT restored both the SPS-impaired prosocial contacts and the SPS-reduced OXTR expressions in mPFC and amygdala. OXT may have therapeutic potential to treat PTSD patients with impaired social behaviors.
Collapse
|
9
|
Effects of Oxytocin on Fear Memory and Neuroinflammation in a Rodent Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123848. [PMID: 30513893 PMCID: PMC6321616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced mental disorder characterized by fear extinction abnormalities, which involve biological dysfunctions among fear circuit areas in the brain. Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide that regulates sexual reproduction and social interaction and has recently earned specific attention due to its role in adjusting neurobiological and behavioral correlates of PTSD; however, the mechanism by which this is achieved remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine whether the effects of OXT on traumatic stress-induced abnormalities of fear extinction (specifically induced by single prolonged stress (SPS), an animal model of PTSD) are associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines. Seven days after SPS, rats received intranasal OXT 40 min before a cue-dependent Pavlovian fear conditioning-extinction test in which rats' freezing degree was used to reflect the outcome of fear extinction. We also measured mRNA expression of IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala at the end of the study, together with plasma oxytocin, corticosterone, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, to reflect the central and peripheral changes of stress-related hormones and cytokines after SPS. Our results suggested that intranasal OXT effectively amends the SPS-impaired behavior of fear extinction retrieval. Moreover, it neurochemically reverses the SPS increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines; thus, IL-1β and IFN-γ can be further blocked by the OXT antagonist atosiban (ASB) in the hippocampus. Peripheral profiles revealed a similar response pattern to SPS of OXT and corticosterone (CORT), and the SPS-induced increase in plasma levels of IL-1β and TNF-α could be reduced by OXT. The present study suggests potential therapeutic effects of OXT in both behavioral and neuroinflammatory profiles of PTSD.
Collapse
|
10
|
Shen B, Qu W, Ge Y, Sun X, Zhang K. The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190746. [PMID: 29324823 PMCID: PMC5764283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female) from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS), the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38) and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55). In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38) in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Biying Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weina Qu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Xianghong Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Kan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|