The effect of ethanol treatment on social behavior in male rats

The effect of 0.50 g/kg of EtOH in male rats interacting with a stimulus male juvenile in a newly developed test of social interaction was examined. The adult male rats were treated with EtOH (8.0 to 12.0 g/kg/day) or equicaloric dextrin maltose for 2 weeks (studies 1 and 2) or 8 weeks (study 3) and social interaction was assessed both before and after chronic drug treatment was ended in study 1 and after chronic drug treatment was ended in studies 2 and 3. It was found that prior to chronic drug treatment, in study 1, 0.50 g/kg of EtOH increased both aggressive behavior and time spent interacting with the stimulus juvenile male from the first presentation of the juvenile to the second presentation (20 min apart) while saline injection decreased it. After chronic drug treatment was ended, in study 1 animals treated chronically with EtOH were more aggressive when they were not intoxicated than when they had been treated with 0.50 g/kg of EtOH. In studies 2 and 3, after chronic drug treatment was ended, aggressive behavior and time spent interacting with the juvenile were greater in the animals treated chronically with EtOH, regardless of whether they were injected with saline or 0.50 g/kg of EtOH. The results of these studies showed that chronic EtOH treatment can produce long-lasting changes in social behavior after drug treatment is over and can alter the animal's normal response to EtOH in a social setting.     

Pain‐induced aggression and changes in social behavior in mice

The effects of neuropathic, formalin, and acetic acid‐induced visceral pain were investigated on the social and aggressive behaviors in the Swiss male mice. Neuropathic pain was induced by tibial nerve transection (TNT). Also, somatic and visceral pain was conducted by intraplantar injection of diluted formalin (1%, 20 μl) and intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid (0.6%, 200 μl), respectively. Fourteen and twenty one days after the TNT surgery, and also, 1 and 7 days following formalin and acetic acid administration, the three‐chambered test was used to determine sociability and preference for social novelty and resident/intruder test was used for the evaluation of the aggressive behaviors. In the sociability phase of the three‐chambered test, all the three models of pain did not change the animal's sociability. However, in the social novelty preference phase, the animals in pain showed deficits in social novelty preference by a significant increase in the time spent with the familiar mice compared to the control groups. Also, animals in pain significantly showed more aggressive behaviors like biting and clinching and have much less attack latency in comparison to the control groups. Pain‐induced changes in the social novelty preference and aggressive behaviors continued in the neuropathic group until the end of the experiment. However, 7 days following the induction of both formalin and visceral pain, animals' social memory, and aggression almost returned to the standard value. These results suggest that long‐lasting pain could lead to social memory impairment and increase aggressive behaviors in mice.     

Alcohol intoxicated witnesses' interpretation of social behavior in intimate partner violence

Alcohol intoxication affects social information processing, though research is scarce regarding how alcohol affected eyewitnesses' perception of social interaction within an applied forensic context. In the present study, the effects of alcohol intoxication on eyewitnesses' perception of interaction in intimate partner violence (IPV) were investigated. The participants (n = 152) were randomized to an experimental (alcohol) or control group (juice). After consumption, they viewed a filmed IPV scenario where both interacting parties were confrontational. Afterwards, they rated the involved parties' behavior. Several behaviors were perceived in a similar manner by intoxicated and sober participants, but intoxicated participants perceived both parties' attacking behaviors and some of the man's prosocial behaviors differently than sober participants. Hence, alcohol affected some, but not all, kinds of social behaviors investigated in the present study. This would be of interest to legal praxis and to future studies on intoxicated witnesses to interpersonal violence.     

Effects of alpha and beta adrenergic antagonists on aggressive behavior in male mice

The effects of a variety of alpha and beta adrenergic antagonists were examined on the social encounters of isolated male mice with anosmic male partners. A range of alpha antagonists, including phentolamine, prazosin, and yohimbine, all suppressed social aggression. A range of beta antagonists, including propranolol, atenolol, metaprolol, and ICI 118, 551, also reduced this type of attack. Ethological assessment of the lowest effective dose of these adrenergic antagonists revealed a marked inhibitor action on offensive, social, and nonsocial behavior, while defensive responses and immobility were enhanced. It is concluded that the noradrenergic system has a significant non-specific role in mediating intermale aggression via both alpha and beta adrenergic receptor subtypes. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Predicting dating behavior from aggression and self‐perceived social status in adolescence

We investigated the longitudinal associations between self‐reported aggression, self‐perceived social status, and dating in adolescence using an intrasexual competition theoretical framework. Participants consisted of 536 students in Grade 9 (age 15), recruited from a community sample, who were assessed on a yearly basis until they were in Grade 11 (age 17). Adolescents self‐reported their use of direct and indirect aggression, social status, and number of dating partners. A cross‐lagged panel model that controlled for within‐time covariance and across‐time stability while examining cross‐lagged pathways was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that direct aggression did not predict dating behavior and was negatively associated with self‐perceived social status in Grade 10. Self‐perceived social status in Grade 9 was positively associated with greater use of indirect aggression in Grade 10. Regarding dating, in Grade 9, self‐perceived social status positively predicted more dating partners the following year, while in Grade 10, it was higher levels of indirect aggression that predicted greater dating activity the following year. Overall, there were no significant sex differences in the model. The study supports the utility of evolutionary psychological theory in explaining peer aggression, and suggests that although social status can increase dating opportunities, as adolescents mature, indirect aggression becomes the most successful and strategic means of competing intrasexually and gaining mating advantages.

     

Gender-specific social experiences and the development of aggressive and sexual behavior in male mice

This study examined influences of gender-specific social experiences on the development of aggressive and sexual behavior in male mice. To determine the effects of gender-specific social experience three different types of groups were constituted after the animals had been weaned. The subjects were randomly assigned to different treatments. Female groups were composed of one experimental male and three female cohabitants. Male groups were composed of five experimental males each, and the mixed-sex groups were composed of two experimental males and of two females. The experimental subjects stayed in these groups until the age of approximately three months, when the testing for sexual and aggressive behavior commenced. For the sexuality tests, a receptive female was placed in the home cage of the experimental male for ten minutes. A nonaggressive male was placed in the home cage of the experimental male for seven minutes for the aggression tests. The experimental males were administered both sexuality and aggression tests, the sequence of testing sexual and aggressive behavior was systematically varied in order to control the influence of the two different types of behavioral tests. The results showed that males with only male social experiences showed fewer responses and were less active in both the aggression and sexuality tests than the males from the two other types of groups. Significant positive correlations between activity during aggression and sexual tests were obtained for all three groups. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

饥饿对认知与社会行为的影响及其机制

从心理学视角综述了饥饿对个体认知与社会行为的广泛影响。饥饿会损害一般认知功能, 潜在导致决策与认知偏差, 并引发道德判断标准降低、社会态度改变以及攻击行为增加等现象。在以往研究的基础上, 总结出饥饿影响认知与社会行为内在机制的三种假说：自我损耗说、认知激活说以及协调机制说。最后, 指出当前研究存在着饥饿主观感受差异、测量方法不够准确等问题, 未来研究需要提高饥饿的测量效度, 从生理、心理、社会等多个层面对饥饿影响的机制进行深入探讨。     

A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior.

The social consequences delivered for problem behavior during functional analyses are presumed to represent common sources of reinforcement; Final acceptance however, the extent to which these consequences actually follow problem behavior in natural settings remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether access to attention, escape, or tangible items is frequently observed as a consequence of problem behavior under naturalistic conditions. Twenty‐seven adults who lived in a state residential facility and who exhibited self‐injurious behavior, aggression, or disruption participated. Observers recorded the occurrence of problem behavior by participants as well as a variety of consequences delivered by caregivers. Results indicated that attention was the most common consequence for problem behavior and that aggression was more likely to produce social consequences than were other forms of problem behavior.     

Executive functions and social information processing in adolescents with severe behavior problems

One tradition in research for explaining aggression and antisocial behavior has focused on social information processing (SIP). Aggression and antisocial behavior have also been studied from the perspective of executive functions (EFs), the higher-order cognitive abilities that affect other cognitive processes, such as social cognitive processes. The main goal of the present study is to provide insight into the relation between EFs and SIP in adolescents with severe behavior problems. Because of the hierarchical relation between EFs and SIP, we examined EFs as predictors of SIP. We hypothesized that, first, focused attention predicts encoding and interpretation, second, inhibition predicts interpretation, response generation, evaluation, and selection, and third, working memory predicts response generation and selection. The participants consisted of 94 respondents living in residential facilities aged 12–20 years, all showing behavior problems in the clinical range according to care staff. EFs were assessed using subtests from the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Test battery. Focused attention was measured by the Flanker task, inhibition by the GoNoGo task, and working memory by the Visual Spatial Sequencing task. SIP was measured by video vignettes and a structured interview. The results indicate that positive evaluation of aggressive responses is predicted by impaired inhibition and selection of aggressive responses by a combination of impaired focused attention and inhibition. It is concluded that different components of EFs as higher-order cognitive abilities affect SIP.     

Differential sensitivity to the effects of nicotine and bupropion in adolescent and adult male OF1 mice during social interaction tests

Few studies have compared the action of both nicotine (NIC) and bupropion (BUP), an antidepressant used to treat NIC dependence, on social and aggressive behavior at different ages. This study aims to determine whether these drugs produce differential effects in adolescent (postnatal day: 36-37) and adult (postnatal day: 65-66) mice that have been housed individually for 2 weeks in order to induce aggressive behavior. Mice received BUP (40, 20, or 10 mg/kg), NIC (1, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/kg as base), or vehicle earlier to a social interaction test. BUP (40 mg/kg) decreased social investigation and increased nonsocial exploration in both adolescent and adult mice. The same effects were also observed in adult mice administered with a lower dose of the same drug (20 mg/kg). In adolescents, NIC (1 mg/kg) decreased social investigation, but this effect did not reach statistical significance in adults. In conclusion, a differential sensitivity to the effects of NIC or BUP emerged in some of the behavioral categories when the two age groups were compared.     

Effect of MAO A deficiency on different kinds of aggression and social investigation in mice

Monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) degrades serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, factors critically involved in the regulation of aggression. Different kinds of aggression were investigated in Tg8, a transgenic mouse strain lacking a functional MAO A gene. MAO A-deficient mice differ from wild-type C3H/HeJ (C3H) in terms of showing higher territorial, predatory and isolation-induced aggression. Tg8 demonstrated shorter latencies to cricket killing and to the first attack after 6 weeks isolation than C3H mice. In the resident-intruder paradigm, MAO A-lacking mice were more aggressive than C3H when tested as intruders. In contrast to C3H, attack in Tg8 mice did not depend on different aggressiveness of intruders of BALB/c, A/Sn and C3H strains. Tg8 mice displayed no increase in aggression but demonstrated reduced social investigation towards anesthetized, as well as towards juvenile BALB/c males. Thus, MAO A deficiency in Tg8 mice is accompanied by increased expression of different kinds of aggression, as well as by disruption of normal pattern of social interaction.     

The development of territorial-induced intermale agonistic behavior in albino laboratory mice

Male mice of the CF-1 strain (Mus musculus) were allowed to take up lone residence in a small territory consisting of a 60-cm enclosure attached by a tubular runway to a standard mouse cage with food, water, and bedding. A group of ten mice, each of which resided in its own separate enclosure for 24 hours, were more aggressive toward intruders than other groups of ten mice following six-hour residence periods, or no such residence. Aggression toward intruders increased in repeated weekly tests of the six-hour residents, but after four weeks of testing did not reach the maximum stable level displayed by the 24-hour residents over four weeks of testing. In another experiment, the 24-hour residence period of groups of 20 CF-1 male mice was disturbed by briefly removing the mouse from the enclosure, before introducing the intruder, at various intervals prior to testing. Removal of the resident five minutes before testing resulted in a marked decrease in aggression toward intruders. Although lesser decreases in aggression followed intervals of 30, 45, and 60 minutes, a 180 minute interval resulted in no appreciable effects compared to undisturbed controls. It is concluded that exposure to the stimuli provided by the enclosure results in an aggressive readiness in the resident mouse which reaches a high level within a 24-hour period.     

Strain‐specific aggressive behavior of male mice submitted to different husbandry procedures

Severe aggression within groups of male laboratory mice can cause serious welfare problems. Previous experiments have shown that the transfer of specific olfactory cues during cage cleaning and the provision of nesting material decrease aggression and stress in group‐housed male mice. In this study, the combined effect of these husbandry procedures was tested for their long‐term effect on aggression in two strains of male mice (BALB/c and CD‐1). We used postcleaning aggressive behavior, wound counts, and testosterone levels as indicators of aggressiveness. Physiological responses to social challenge were investigated through urinary corticosterone and adrenal tyrosine‐hydroxylase measurements. Furthermore, the aggression‐modulating effects of two enrichment items (ShepherdShack/DesRes and PVC tube) were explored. Marked differences were found between the two strains. CD‐1 mice were more aggressive, had higher testosterone levels but lower corticosterone levels, and had fewer wounds than BALB/c mice. However, in neither of the two strains was long‐term enrichment with nesting material and its transfer after cage cleaning effective in lasting reduction of intermale aggression. This may be explained by the fact that aggression levels were generally low. It seems that housing mice in small, socially stable groups or keeping social disturbances to a minimum considerably modulates aggression in group‐housed male mice. Mice of both strains housed in cages enriched with nesting material had lower urinary corticosterone levels than standard‐housed mice. We therefore conclude that the long‐term provision of nesting material, including the transfer of nesting material during cage cleaning, may enhance the welfare of laboratory mice. Aggr. Behav. 29:69–80, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

“别人家的孩子”vs.平庸的自己：社会比较对独特性寻求行为的影响

人们在自我评价中普遍存在着优于平均值效应,而上行社会比较会打破这一自我评价偏差,引发后续的补偿性消费行为。通过5个实验,依次论证上行比较(vs.下行比较)会提升个体对独特产品选项的偏好(实验1);其心理机制在于上行比较降低了而非下行比较提升了个体的自我独特性感知,从而促使个体出于补偿的目的而寻求独特性(实验2a、2b和2c);上述效应适用于经济状况这一特定比较维度,并且在感知经济流动性的调节作用下得到强化或削弱(实验3)。研究结论对于推动社会比较和独特性寻求行为相关领域的理论进展,指导长尾市场中企业的营销策略、帮助个体缓解上行比较的威胁均有着积极的启示价值。     

不同类型社会排斥中归因诱导对攻击性的影响

为探讨归因诱导能否缓解不同类型社会排斥引发的攻击性,研究分别采用网络任务范式和网络投球范式启动拒绝和放逐,进行不同的归因诱导后用科研助理评分范式测量攻击性。结果发现,放逐引发的攻击性比拒绝高;归因诱导对拒绝引发的攻击性有显著影响,对被拒绝者进行内部归因诱导后其攻击性显著低于外部归因诱导组和无归因诱导组;归因诱导对放逐引发的攻击性无显著影响。研究表明归因诱导对拒绝型直接排斥引发的攻击性有缓解作用。     

Aggression and prosocial behaviors in social conflicts mediating the influence of cold social intelligence and affective empathy on children's social preference

This study proposes a model in which aggressive and prosocial behaviors exhibited in social conflicts mediate the influence of empathy and social intelligence to children's social preference by same‐sex peers. Data were obtained from kindergarten to the end of the first grade. The sample yielded 117 Spanish children (64 girls and 53 boys) with a mean age of 62.8 months (SD = 3.3) at the beginning of the study. For boys, affective empathy contributed to boys’ social preference through a decrease in physical aggression as responses to social conflict. For girls, affective empathy had an indirect effect on girls’ preference by increasing assistance to others in their conflicts. No mediating effect in the contribution of social intelligence on girls’ social preference was detected. Our results suggest that, only for girls, cold social intelligence can promote both indirect aggression (coercive strategic that do not leave social preference, at least at these ages) and behaviors that lead social preference (such as prosocial behaviors).     

The relationship between aggressive and sexual behavior in male mice: Effects of testosterone and parachlorophenylalanine

The purpose of this study was to clarify the connection between aggressive and sexual behavior with the aid of testosterone propionate (TP) and parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA). Previous studies have indicated that aggressive and sexual behavior are positively correlated, and it has been suggested that both behaviors are related to the level of general arousal. Testosterone has documented effects on both aggressive and sexual behavior. It has been hypothesized that these effects are due to an increased level of general arousal. If this is the case, aggressive and sexual behavior could be restored by administration of drugs excitating the central nervous system, e.g., PCPA. The present study examined the effects of TP and PCPA on aggressive and sexual behavior in gonadectomized male mice. Control animals were injected with sesame seed oil or saline. The level of aggressiveness was assessed by means of dyadic tests with gonad-intact male opponents. For the sexuality tests, a receptive female was placed in the home cage of the experimental male. The results showed that male mice injected with PCPA were more aggressive than the males of the other groups, while the TP-exposed males expressed the most sexual activity. Compared to the control group, the PCPA and TP groups were more active in both the aggression and the sexuality tests. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that the earlier documented correlations between aggressive and sexual behavior could be due to both behaviors being dependent on a certain level of general activation. Aggr. Behav. 24:367–377, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of prenatal cocaine and genotype on intermale agonistic behavior in Mus musculus

We exposed the pups of three F₁ genotypes of mice to a daily regime of cocaine by injecting their mothers (all C57BL/10J strain) on days 7–18 of gestation with 20 mg/kg subcutaneously. Pups of the cocaine and control groups did not differ on measures of maternal and pup health or size. Male pups were weaned and isolated at 21 days of age and their behaviors measured in an intermale aggression situation at about 80 days of age. Treated and untreated males of each F₁ genotype were paired in dyads with either a C3H/HeJ (hawk-like) or AKR/J (retaliator-like) standard tester male. Standard tester males were not exposed to cocaine. Cocaine treatment alone reduced the overall level of aggression in dyads, and in interaction with genotype or the standard tester it altered the behavior of dyads in all phases of social interaction: the initiation, content, and outcome. Standard testers used as behavioral probes, differentiated cocaine and control males with respect to their stimulus and behavioral qualities. Aggr. Behav. 23:183–196, 1997.© 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of reactivity to dorsal stimulation and social role on aggressive behavior in laboratory rats

Rats were selected on the basis of reactivity to dorsal tactile stimulation and then tested in a resident-intruder paradigm. While reactivity of residents did not influence the occurrence of agonistic behaviors or wounding of residents and intruders, reactivity of intruders did affect offensive and defensive patterns of interactions and the wounds sustained by residents and intruders. Subsequent to resident-intruder testing, rats were tested for shock-induced aggression. The pattern of the results and the results of additional experiments demonstrated that resident-intruder experience could affect subsequent shock-induced aggressive behavior.     

Intermale fighting and predatory behavior in house mice: An analysis of behavioral content

Two forms of aggression, intermale and predatory, wwere compared on the basis of behavioral content. Male wild mice were presented with opponents of two types, nonaggressive male mice and crickets, and the amounts of time spent in each of 18 behaviors were recorded. Results from analyses of variance and principal components analyses indicated that the structure of behavioral content differs greatly for intermale fighting and predatory behavior. It was, therefore, concluded that the integrated patterns of beahvior were controlled by separate mechanisms for predatory versus intermale aggression.