A separação materna é um procedimento bastante utilizado com ratos, no qual a prole é privada do contato com a mãe por algumas horas diárias no período anterior ao desmame, observando-se os efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento comportamental e biológico dos filhotes. O objetivo desta tese foi investigar o efeito da separação materna no desenvolvimento de respostas sociais em ratos de ambos os sexos mais especificamente, sobre o brincar social, entre os dias pós-natais 28 e 36; sobre o comportamento sexual, entre a puberdade e a idade adulta; e sobre o comportamento materno, na idade adulta, de fêmeas submetidas à separação materna na infância. Para tanto, os episódios de separação foram conduzidos por 3hs diárias, entre os dias pós-natais 2 e 14, tendo como controle ratos não expostos a esse procedimento. Observou-se que os animais submetidos ao procedimento de separação materna emitiram mais respostas de brincar do que os animais controle. No que se refere ao desenvolvimento sexual, machos submetidos ao procedimento na infância tiveram frequência elevada de respostas de cópula menos efetivas, em detrimento das mais efetivas. Já nas fêmeas, constatou-se um atraso no início da puberdade, além de elas terem se tornado atrativas para machos em idade mais precoce que o grupo controle. Por fim, quando as fêmeas submetidas à separação materna na infância se tornaram mães, suas proles tiveram proporção sexual alterada, com maior número de machos, e índices de mortalidade menores. Ademais, mãe e filhotes foram mais atraídos pelo cheiro do ninho em teste olfativo, em comparação ao grupo controle. Esses resultados sugerem que a separação materna tem efeitos extensos sobre o desenvolvimento de respostas sociais, indicando a necessidade da condução de mais estudos que investiguem os motivos pelos quais esse evento, na infância, leva às alterações observadas / Maternal separation is a frequently used procedure with rats in which the offspring is daily deprived of the contact with the mother during a few hours in the period previous to weaning in order to observe the effects on the behavioral and biological development of the pups. Our aim in this study is to explore the effect of maternal separation on the development of social responses in rats of both sexes, specifically on the social play, between the post-natal days 28 and 26; on the sexual behavior, between puberty and adulthood; and on maternal behavior of females in adulthood that underwent maternal separation during childhood. Therefore, the separation episodes were conducted for 3 hours daily between post-natal days 2 and 14. Rats not exposed to this procedure were used as control. We observed that animals submitted to the maternal separation procedure emitted more play responses than control animals. Regarding sexual development, males submitted to maternal separation had high frequency of less effective copula over more effective copula. The females presented a delay in puberty and became attractive to the males in a more precocious age than the control group. Lastly, when the females submitted to maternal separation became mothers their offspring had altered sexual ratio with a higher number of males and a lower mortality rate. In addition, the mother and her pups were more attracted by the nests odor than the control group in an olfactory test. These results suggest that maternal separation has extensive effects on the development of social responses, indicating the necessity of more studies that investigate why this event in childhood leads to the observed alterations

O comportamento observado de animais não humanos sugere processamento de informação e tomada de decisão. Diferentes espécies exibem diferenças qualitativas quando a como informação é processada e utilizada, parcialmente graças ao contexto ecológico. Macacos-prego são animais que forrageiam socialmente, com cada indivíduo vivendo em um contexto social distinto, o que afeta suas oportunidades de alimentar-se. O presente projeto propôs um experimento de campo, com plataformas de madeira e amendoins como recompensa, com o objetivo de identificar diferenças quanto à estratégia de forrageio. Ainda, compreender se fatores sociais como hierarquia, parentesco e proximidade influenciam na oportunidade de um animal forragear e utilizar fontes de informação distintas. Encontramos que hierarquia foi um fator crucial quanto à estratégia adotada e no tipo de informação utilizada. Ao utilizar informação social, indivíduos foram seletivos quanto à identidade da fonte de informação, mostrando uma preferência por seguir as escolhas de animais jovens e batedores ativos / When foraging, non-human animals are observed performing actions suggestive of information processing and decision making. Different species show qualitative differences as to how information is processed and used, partially due to its ecological context. Capuchin monkeys are primates that forage socially, with each individual living in a single social context, what affects its opportunity to forage. This project proposes an experimental protocol, aided by wooden platforms and peanuts as rewards, to identify differences in foraging strategies and understand if social factors, such as hierarchy, kinship and proximity, influence ones opportunities to forage and use distinct sources of information. We found that hierarchy play a major role on the strategy adopted and this is reflected on type of information used. Also when using social information, individuals were selective with respect to the identity of the source of information, showing a preference for following young and active foragers

Responder mantido por relação acidental com reforço, comportamento supersticioso, pode ser facilitado por variáveis sociais como a modelação. O presente estudo investigou o comportamento supersticioso em um procedimento com ou sem substituição de participantes. No procedimento com substituição, um participante trabalhava em uma tarefa no computador enquanto outro o observava. Quando terminava a tarefa, o participante observador passava a realizar a tarefa e outro participante era chamado para observá-lo. A tarefa básica envolveu a programação de um esquema múltiplo com componentes de VT e EXT. Os participantes podiam emitir respostas, por meio da manipulação de um mouse, em um retângulo colorido apresentado na tela do computador. Dois grupos de oito participantes foram constituídos para avaliar a transmissão do padrão desenvolvido em VT EXT, designados Cultura A e Cultura B. Cada uma dessas duas culturas começava com um experimentador confederado, que respondia no componente VT e não respondia no componente EXT. As cores do retângulo que sinalizavam os componentes VT e EXT eram alteradas a cada troca de participante, de modo a favorecer o responder em ambas as contingências a cada vez que o novo participante era colocado na tarefa. Em um Grupo de Exposição Individual, cada participante foi exposto a três sessões experimentais seguidas, sem acesso a modelo. Ao final de cada sessão, os participantes eram solicitados a estimar o controle que tinham sobre a tarefa. Resultados mostraram que houve mais respostas em VT e em EXT para os participantes com o procedimento com troca de participantes do que para os do Grupo de Exposição Individual, indicando o efeito do comportamento do outro sobre o desempenho em esquema múltiplo. Participantes responderam tanto em EXT quanto em VT, mostrando que o desempenho não estava sendo mantido pela relação acidental com reforço, mas sim pela história prévia de observação do comportamento do modelo. Não houve qualquer tipo de correlação entre o desempenho não verbal e estimativa de controle / Superstitious behavior as response maintained by accidental relation with reinforcement can be facilitated by social variables such as modelling. Present study examined superstitious behavior in a procedure involving participants replacement or not. In replacement procedure one of the participants worked on a task on the computer while the other watched. When finished the task, the participant who was observing passed to perform the task and another participant was asked to observe. Programmed task involved basically a multiple schedule with VT and EXT components. Participants could emit responses by mouse clicking in a colored rectangle presented on computer screen. Two groups of eight subjects called \"Culture A\" and \"Culture B\" were made to evaluate developed EXT VT transmission. Each of these two cultures began with an experimenter confederate, who answered VT component but not EXT component. Rectangles color signaled VT and EXT components were changed when participant changed in order to favor responding in both contingencies with each new participant. In Individual Exhibition Group, each participant was exposed to three consecutive experimental sessions with no access. At the end of each session, participants were asked to estimate the control they had over the task. Results showed there were more responses in VT and EXT on replacing participants procedure than Individual Exhibition Group, indicating other\'s behavior effect on multiple schedule performance. Participants answered both EXT and in VT, showing that the performance was not being maintained by the accidental relation with reinforcement, but the history of observing models behavior. There was no correlation between nonverbal performance and estimation control

Os primatas exibem uma grande diversidade de sistemas sociais e a socioecologia propõe uma abordagem para o estudo da evolução dessa diversidade, através da análise das relações entre comportamento social, ecologia e dinâmica de populações. Primatas do gênero Cebus exibem vasta distribuição geográfica e grande flexibilidade alimentar e comportamental e, portanto, são modelos ideais para o teste das previsões dos modelos. Além disso, algumas populações exibem o uso espontâneo de ferramentas para processar alimentos. Embora seja reconhecido que o uso de ferramentas pode alterar as características de recursos alimentares, o impacto dessa técnica nunca foi incorporado às previsões dos modelos socioecológicos. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram (1) estudar as relações sociais de fêmeas de uma população selvagem de Cebus libidinosus, que utiliza ferramentas, em área de ecótono Cerrado/Caatinga, à luz dos modelos socioecológicos, investigando se o uso de ferramentas afeta o padrão das relações estabelecidas entre elas, e (2) estudar o orçamento de atividades, a dieta e o uso de substratos, avaliando se fatores ecológicos afetam o tempo de atividades e a dieta desses animais. Esta pesquisa foi realizada na Fazenda Boa Vista (BV), localizada no município de Gilbués, ao Sul do estado do Piauí. Foram estudados dois grupos de macacos (ZA e CH), entre maio de 2006 e abril de 2008. Os resultados mostram que a oferta de alimento na BV não sofreu variação ao longo desta pesquisa, assim como o orçamento de atividades dos animais. Frutos e invertebrados foram os principais alimentos consumidos pelos macacos, enquanto recursos obtidos com ferramentas foram pouco representativos na dieta. Diferenças sexuais no padrão de atividades e dieta sugerem que as fêmeas possuem uma demanda energética maior e/ou que são forrageadoras menos eficientes do que os machos, enquanto as diferenças entre faixas etárias indicam que os juvenis são forrageadores menos eficientes do que os adultos. Frutos, que são recursos de alta qualidade nutricional, discretamente distribuídos no ambiente e usurpáveis, foram o principal alimento das fêmeas, e o tamanho das fontes alimentares discretas variou entre intermediário e grande. O sistema social da população de estudo correspondeu ao padrão Residente-Nepotista-Tolerante (filopatria de fêmeas, formação de hierarquia de dominância linear e estável, relações de catação e coalizão entre fêmeas), corroborando a previsão dos modelos para primatas que se alimentam de recursos de alto valor energético, com distribuição discreta e usurpáveis, e que estão submetidas a forte competição direta intra e entre grupos por alimento. O padrão de atividades, a dieta, o uso de substratos e a estrutura social de C. libidinosus da BV foram semelhantes ao padrão encontrado para algumas populações de Cebus que não utilizam ferramentas, indicando que o uso desses artefatos não alterou significativamente o tempo de atividades e a dieta dos animais da BV, nem os regimes competitivos e a dinâmica das relações entre fêmeas. Contudo, é possível que o impacto do uso de ferramentas sobre esses aspectos comportamentais seja mais evidente em populações que dependam prioritariamente de alimentos extraídos com ferramentas / Primates exhibit a wide diversity of social systems. Socioecology proposes an approach for studying the evolution of this diversity, by analyzing the relationship between social behavior, ecology and population dynamics. Primates of the genus Cebus exhibit a wide geographic distribution and a related diet and behavioral flexibility, thus are ideal for testing predictions from the socioecological model. In addition, some populations exhibit the spontaneous use of tools for processing food. Although it is recognized that the use of tools may change the characteristics of food resources, the impact of this technique was never incorporated into the predictions of socioecological models. Our aims were (1) to study the social relationships of females of a wild tool using population of Cebus libidinosus, in an area of ecotone Cerrado/Caatinga, in the light of socioecological models, investigating whether the use of tools affects the pattern of females social relationships, and (2) to study the activity budget, diet and substrate use, assessing whether ecological factors affect these behavioural patterns of the animals. This research was conducted at Fazenda Boa Vista (BV), located in the municipality of Gilbués, south of Piauí state. We studied two groups of monkeys (ZA and CH), between May 2006 and April 2008. The results show that the amount of available food did not change in BV during the research period, as well as the activity budget of the animals. Fruits and invertebrates were the main foods eaten by the monkeys, while foods obtained with the aid of tools represented a small proportion of their diet. Sex differences in diet and activity patterns suggest that females have a higher energy demand and/or are less efficient foragers than males, while the differences between age groups indicate that juveniles are less efficient foragers than adults. Fruits, which are a high quality, patchily distributed and usurpable food resource, were the main food for females, and the size of patchy food sources ranged from intermediate to large. The social system of the study population corresponded to the standard Resident-nepotistictolerant (philopatry of females, linear dominance hierarchy and stable relations of grooming and coalition between females), supporting the models predictions for primates that feed on high quality, patchily distributed and usurpable food resources, and are subject to strong direct competition within and between groups for food. The pattern of activities, diet, substrate use and the social structure of C. libidinosus at BV were similar to the pattern found in some populations of Cebus that do not use tools, indicating that the use of these artifacts did not significantly alter the activity period and the diet of animals in the BV or the competitive regimes and the dynamics of relations between females. However, it is possible that the impact of using tools on behavioral aspects is most evident in populations that depend primarily on foods extracted with the aid of tools

A socioecologia estuda a diversidade dos sistemas sociais a partir dos princípios da ecologia comportamental. Roedores são bons modelos para o estudo dos sistemas sociais por apresentarem elevada variação no comportamento social, a qual pode ser uma adaptação selecionada no passado evolutivo e/ou uma resposta adaptativa ao contexto ecológico atual. Estudar preás para investigar a flexibilidade da organização social é relevante porque, apesar de explorarem vários ambientes diferentes, esses animais podem apresentar certa rigidez comportamental. Nesse contexto, a hipótese que avaliamos é a de que a organização social dos preás Cavia magna, um herbívoro pouco estudado, encontrado do Norte do Uruguai ao Sul do Brasil, depende de determinantes ecológicos atuais, sendo uma resposta adaptativa. A hipótese alternativa é a de que a organização social é uma resposta adaptada, limitada por características selecionadas no passado. Para isso, (1) caracterizamos suas interações sociais; (2) avaliamos as distâncias interindividuais durante o forrageamento, (3) analisamos o padrão de agregação dos indivíduos e (4) comparamos seus comportamentos e organização social com os dados disponíveis de uma população da espécie ocorrente no Uruguai e com os dados de Cavia intermedia, uma espécie endêmica das Ilhas Moleques do Sul, em Santa Catarina que apresenta adaptações ao habitat insular. Os preás foram observados em uma área urbana costeira, dentro do campus do Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), em Florianópolis. Esse local apresenta isolamento da população em área pequena e com pouco risco de predação, isto é, uma área semelhante ao habitat insular. Observamos os preás na estação fria-seca e quente-úmida, por 60 dias. Concluímos que a população de C. magna do IFSC é social, pois encontramos grandes tamanhos médios de agregação, elevados Índices de Associação entre os indivíduos, e associações preferenciais em três grupos com conformação típica de harém. Constatamos que são poligínicos, porque o acesso às fêmeas diferiu entre os machos, e estes apresentaram mais comportamentos agonísticos que as fêmeas. A presença de hierarquia de dominância e ausência de comportamento territorialista dos machos indicaram que a poliginia foi sem defesa. Apesar de termos encontrado um sistema social semelhante ao de C. intermedia, não encontramos características típicas de síndrome insular. Dessa forma, corroboramos a hipótese de que a organização social dos preás é uma resposta adaptativa / Socioecology studies social systems applying the behavioral ecology principles. Studying rodents social systems represents a valuable opportunity once this group shows high variations on social behavior, which may be an adaptation selected in evolutionary past and/or an adaptative feedback to the ecological context. Investigate the social organization flexibility by studying cavies is relevant because of its relative behavioral rigidity, despite their occupation of different environments. In this context, we intend to evaluate our hypothesis on the Cavia magna, cavie social organization: it depends on current ecological factors, being an adaptive answer. C. magna is an herbivore found on northern Uruguay and south of Brazil. The alternative hypothesis is that the social organization is an adaptive answer, limited by reaction rules selected on the past. The cavies was observed in a coast urban area, inside of the Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), in continental Florianópolis, Brazil. The population is isolated in a small area with low predatory risk, being similar to an insulated habitat. We collected data on social interaction, interindividual distances during foraging, grouping pattern and sexual ratio. This data was compared to the available data of Cavia intermedia, from the Moleques do Sul archipelago, specie that was probably derived from C. magna and presents adaptations to the insular habitat. Cavies were observed for 60 days in cold-dry and hot-wet season. We have concluded that the studied C. magna population is social, given that we have found relatively large mean groups size, high Association Indexes between individuals, and preferred associations in three clusters with typical harem structure. We have also found that the population is polygynous, because the access to females differed between male individuals, and the males performed significantly more agonistic behaviors than females. The existence of a dominance hierarchy and the absence of male territorial behavior pointed to polygyny without defense. Even though the studied social system is similar to the one observed on C. intermedia, we did not encounter typical insular syndrome features on C. magna. Accordingly, we have supported the hypothesis that the cavies social organization is an adaptive answer

Abstract The focus of this thesis is early attachment among institutionalized infant orphans. Previous research has pointed towards attachment problems in dysfunctional institutions, but did not take a comparative approach to understanding attachment. The present research was conducted in an orphanage in Kaya, a little town located in the Center North Region of Burkina Faso, Africa. The 22 children at the institution were aged four months to five years and were mostly from the Mossi ethnicity. Using mixed psychological and anthropological methods such as behaviors checklist, attachment questionnaires, and participant observation, this research indicates that orphans do not display evident features of unsecure attachment such as avoidant, resistant, or disorganized attachment: 79% of the children would seek proximity with caregivers, 93% would make visual contact, and 79% would often explore their environment. However, a significant number of children in the orphanage showed disinhibited reactive attachment: 36% of the children would seek contact with a stranger; only 21% would be anxious to see a stranger. Using a cross-cultural approach, the study questions the classification of disinhibited reactive attachment as a problematic ailment and suggest that the behavior might not be seen negatively, but can have positive outcome in the transition process from the orphanage to the adoptive family. The research also examines the factors related to orphanhood that can have consequences on the future of children and consecutively on their chances to form secure attachment. The research underlines many other difficulties between caregivers and orphans such as the lack of training, the young age of the caregivers, and the reluctance to get attached to the children in order to avoid difficult separations. This study emphasizes the complexity of the early attachment process of institutionalized orphans.

Empathy plays a crucial role in our relationships with others and enhances personal well-being. The brain areas that are critical for the experience of on-line empathy and empathic behavior are not known. The current study investigated the neural substrates of empathy through the examination of whether the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC) is critical for empathy. For the first time, on-line empathic experience and behavior were measured in patients with brain damage to the VMPC. Six patients with bilateral damage to the VMPC were case-matched on specific demographic and neuropsychological criteria to two comparison groups: a brain damage group and a healthy adult group. On-line empathy was induced in an ecologically-valid manner in which the participant experienced live the sorrow of another person. The participant thought they would be playing an economic game against two opponents. However, during the study the participant overheard their game opponent experience deep sadness, revealing that it was the anniversary of their son's death (empathic induction.) A comparison neutral induction involved the participant overhearing their opponent converse with the research assistant about a neutral topic. On-line empathic experience was measured by a questionnaire completed before and after the inductions. Empathic behavior was measured implicitly through an economic game. It was defined as the degree of behavioral change on the game as a result of the empathic induction (after accounting for baseline behavior.) The economic game used to measure empathic behavior was the Repeated Fixed Opponent variant of the well-validated Ultimatum Game. This particular variant had not been studied in participants of a similar age range to the patient sample (younger and older adults). Furthermore, there is evidence for some aging-related differences in behavior on economic games, providing additional rationale to examine the behavior of healthy younger and older adults on the game. Consequently, game behavior of younger and older adults was measured and then used to implement a model of healthy game behavior in the experiment that investigated empathy in patients with damage to the VMPC. Patients with damage to the VMPC experienced poor on-line empathy and showed poor empathic behavior. Patients with brain damage to the VMPC reported significantly less on-line empathy than patients with brain damage to other regions. Empathic behavior was not shown by patients with damage to the VMPC as a result of the empathic induction and their behavior was significantly different from both the healthy and the brain damage comparison groups which showed increased empathic behavior due to the empathic induction. A specific role for the VMPC region in empathy was demonstrated by the finding that patients with damage to this region had less on-line empathy and empathic behavior than patients with brain damage to other regions. This study showed that the VMPC region of the brain is critical for empathy. Further research is needed to elucidate whether patients with brain damage to the VMPC show decreased empathic behavior in all domains or whether it is specific to monetary decision-making.

No description available.

Thesis (MS)--University of Montana, 2009. / Contents viewed on November 25, 2009. Title from author supplied metadata. Includes bibliographical references.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 8, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.