Thursday, January 16, 2014

altruistic (prosocial) behavior in rats modulated by social experience


elifesciences | In mammals, helping is preferentially provided to members of one’s own group. Yet, it remains unclear how social experience shapes pro-social motivation. We found that rats helped trapped strangers by releasing them from a restrainer, just as they did cagemates. However, rats did not help strangers of a different strain, unless previously housed with the trapped rat. Moreover, pair-housing with one rat of a different strain prompted rats to help strangers of that strain, evidence that rats expand pro-social motivation from one individual to phenotypically similar others. To test if genetic relatedness alone can motivate helping, rats were fostered from birth with another strain and were not exposed to their own strain. As adults, fostered rats helped strangers of the fostering strain but not rats of their own strain. Thus, strain familiarity, even to one’s own strain, is required for the expression of pro-social behavior.

13 comments:

ken said...

I wonder how this study would effect the unconscious decisions if it true?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-finds-that-fear-can-travel-quickly-through-generations-of-mice-dna/2013/12/07/94dc97f2-5e8e-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html

John Kurman said...

Off topic, but: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140116085105.htm

Peggy Mason said...

Hi Ken,

We think that rats help other rats by using non-cortical, subconscious circuits. Debates on non-human consciousness will probably rage for centuries. All available evidence suggests that the brain pathways that give rise to empathy and helping are conserved across mammals. Remember that if mom does not sense how her pups feel and react appropriately to their hunger, cold, and danger, then her evolutionary clock reaches an end.

Peggy Mason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofpZoqD1_X0

https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobio

@NeuroMOOC

CNu said...

Thanks for that Dr. Mason and kudos for your compelling packaging of this work.

Would you be so kind as to proffer a speculative answer to Ken's specific question? i.e., do you suppose it's possible that the selfsame subconscious circuits you describe as supporting empathy and as conserved across mammalian species are amenable to learning/conditioning, which conditioning is then epigenetically "recorded" and "transmitted" across generations?

Pretend you have a cocktail in your hand and this exceedingly random blog is a green day party in Denver and whatever you say is strictly off the record. (^;

Peggy Mason said...

It is a fantastic question!!! So as far as "Is empathy amenable to learning?", I would say that clearly yes. Our study shows that rats can "learn" to help others through experience with one individual of the others' type. Then the question of whether this learning is epigenetically recorded and transmitted is one that we 1) do not know the answer to; 2) have had lively discussions about in my laboratory with no consensus; 3) could answer - simple to do the experiment. Unfortunately, NIH feels that social bias is not a human health issue and is not supporting this research. So funds are tight. But in an ideal world, I'd do that experiment tomorrow.
Thanks for your interest. It is so wonderful to hear from people all over. I love hearing people's stories, reactions and questions. Neurobiology is a big part of life!!

https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobio

@NeuroMOOC

John Kurman said...

How much would your simple experiment cost? If NIH won't step up to the plate (or is it Congress that's the slacker?) why aren't these things crowd-funded? Or are they?

Peggy Mason said...

It would cost 10-20k.
I do receive donations from the general public (people who wander on to my lab page and are moved to donate) for which I am extremely grateful.
I love doing science and I feel very fortunate to be able to spend my life being curious. And I know that I owe that gift to the general public (particularly the American taxpayer). So I believe that I am in essence a public servant. And I would love to work directly for the general public without the middle man of NIH. So I have thought of going the crowd-funding route.
The real answer as to why I have not done that is that I am the "anti-salesperson". Whatever features make a great deal-closer and sales-person, I have none of them. People will run from me if I try to sell something.
I know rats and I know teaching (that is why I am so excited to offer a MOOC to all comers for free), not so much selling....

John Kurman said...

Really, 10-20K? That's all? That's like, the Bieber household's cocaine bill for a few days. Ot a millisecond Superbowl ad. If I had the time, I'd set up a kickstarter for you. But clearly a science-oriented crowd-funding site needs to happen, and then be advertised heavily to shame Congress. (Sequester is costing us money: http://www.scienceworksforus.org/economy/the-economic-consequences-of-reduced-r-d)

Peggy Mason said...

All that you say is true. Sequester is indeed doing great harm. I also wanted to add one more thing that has made me hesitant to ask for $$ from the public. That is that so long as there are people suffering out there - lost their homes, not enough to eat, walking around Chicago these days without a hat - I don't feel entirely comfortable saying that my need is supreme. The entities that should pony up in my opinion are corporations that are making obscene profits and salaries...... See how good I am at not-selling myself.

John Kurman said...

Them too. They are privatizing profit and socializing loss, and as long as fire ant capitalism continues, we are all screwed...

CNu said...

You have a very compelling story to tell Dr. Mason, and one which should resonate with a broad swath of the public, because it's accessible, feels good, and seems like science for the good



Take a look at John's kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1123543349/mechanicules - can't you see the tee-shirt and the swag urging humans to break a little bread together so that we can all just get along? I'm already seeing the partnership with a progressive cleric in your diocese use your science to underscore Pope Francis recent admonishments to the church. As for your reservations, the poor we will always have with us, but we will not always have you. http://biblehub.com/mark/14-7.htm -

Peggy Mason said...

CNu,
Your comments moved me. You have made me feel really great and I deeply appreciate you for that. A greater gift than money could ever be.
I agree with you that we should all just get along. Rodney King's words have been a mantra for me for a long time. And breaking bread together, or some analogous activity, may just be able to make that happen.
I am attaching an image that I took when I was recently in San Diego. An image that is fitting as we head in to MLK day.
Thank you,
Peggy

Nakajima Kikka said...

The real answer as to why I have not done that is that I am the "anti-salesperson". Whatever features make a great deal-closer and sales-person, I have none of them. People will run from me if I try to sell something.
Personally, I found that the more I hung out with artists and musicians, the better I became at deal-closing and being persuasive. Singing karaoke also helped. (^_^)

Master Arbitrageur Nancy Pelosi Is At It Again....,

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