scholarly journals Temperament, Plasticity, and Emotions in Defensive Behaviour of Paca (Mammalia, Hystricognatha)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Selene S. C. Nogueira ◽  
Sérgio L. G. Nogueira-Filho ◽  
José M. B. Duarte ◽  
Michael Mendl
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Defensive Behaviour ◽  
Rapid Adaptation ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Judgement Bias ◽  
Temperament Dimension ◽  
Ambiguous Cue

Within a species, some individuals are better able to cope with threatening environments than others. Paca (Cuniculus paca) appear resilient to over-hunting by humans, which may be related to the behavioural plasticity shown by this species. To investigate this, we submitted captive pacas to temperament tests designed to assess individual responses to short challenges and judgement bias tests (JBT) to evaluate individuals’ affective states. Results indicated across-time and context stability in closely correlated “agitated”, “fearful” and “tense” responses; this temperament dimension was labelled “restless”. Individual “restless” scores predicted responses to novelty, although not to simulated chasing and capture by humans in a separate modified defence test battery (MDTB). Restless animals were more likely to show a greater proportion of positive responses to an ambiguous cue during JBT after the MDTB. Plasticity in defensive behaviour was inferred from changes in behavioural responses and apparently rapid adaptation to challenge in the different phases of the MDTB. The results indicate that both temperament and behavioural plasticity may play a role in influencing paca responses to risky situations. Therefore, our study highlights the importance of understanding the role of individual temperament traits and behavioural plasticity in order to better interpret the animals’ conservation status and vulnerabilities.

How Can Adaptive Behavioural Plasticity Be Implemented in the Mammalian Brain?

1998 ◽  
Vol 53 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 593-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Koch
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Control ◽  
Startle Response ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Defensive Behaviour ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Neuronal Mechanisms ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Startling Stimulus

Abstract The adaptive control of behaviour requires brain mechanisms for the selection (i.e. activa­tion and suppression) of responses, as well as mechanisms for the modulation of the response vigour. The concept of motivation postulates the existence of brain centres that regulate the selection and strength of behavioural responses. The present paper provides examples from the behavioural neurosciences for brain mechanisms that lead to adaptive changes of an organisms responsiveness to external stimuli. The mammalian startle response is a simple defensive behaviour which is mediated by an oligosynaptic pathway located in the lower brainstem. The startle response is enhanced by aversive states (fear, anxiety) and attenuated by appetitive states (pleasure), which can be regarded as an example of motivational priming. Furthermore, the startle response is inhibited by a weak sensory stimulus presented shortly before the startling stimulus. The suppression of startle by a prepulse is an example of sen­ sorimotor gating, a principle that is important for the hierarchical organisation of behaviour. This paper describes the neuronal mechanisms underlying the modulation (prepulse inhibi­tion and fear potentiation) of the startle response in rats, and discusses the possible adaptive significance of these different phenomena of behavioural plasticity.

Satisfaction and Performance of the International Faculty: To What Extent Emotional Reactions and Conflict Matter?

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110305
Author(s):  
Majid Ghasemy ◽  
Farhah Muhammad ◽  
Jamshid Jamali ◽  
José Luis Roldán
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Interpersonal Conflict ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Affective States ◽  
International Faculty ◽  
Mediating Role

Guided by affective events theory (AET), our inquiry aims at examining the relationships among affective work events, affective states, affect-driven behaviors, and attitudes of international faculty working in the Malaysian institutions of higher learning. Specifically, the impacts of interpersonal conflict, as a work event, on international faculty’s affective states were in focus. In addition, the mediating role of job performance, as an affect-driven behavior, on the relationship between affective states and job satisfaction, as an attitude, was examined. Data were collected from 152 respondents and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to estimate the proposed theoretical model. Our model was examined from an explanatory-predictive perspective and exhibited a high level of out-of-sample predictive power. In addition, the results of the analysis highlighted the role of interpersonal conflict in causing affective states and affective states in causing job satisfaction. However, empirical evidence was not provided for the mediating role of job performance within the proposed model. Finally, given the fluctuating nature of the affective states, a robustness check verified the nonlinear relationship between positive affect and job performance. Implications of the findings, limitations, and recommendations were elaborated.

scholarly journals Family quarrels in seeds and rapid adaptive evolution in Arabidopsis

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (19) ◽  
pp. 9463-9468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine S. Geist ◽  
Joan E. Strassmann ◽  
David C. Queller
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Rapid Adaptation ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Evolutionary Conflict ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses

Evolutionary conflict can drive rapid adaptive evolution, sometimes called an arms race, because each party needs to respond continually to the adaptations of the other. Evidence for such arms races can sometimes be seen in morphology, in behavior, or in the genes underlying sexual interactions of host−pathogen interactions, but is rarely predicted a priori. Kin selection theory predicts that conflicts of interest should usually be reduced but not eliminated among genetic relatives, but there is little evidence as to whether conflict within families can drive rapid adaptation. Here we test multiple predictions about how conflict over the amount of resources an offspring receives from its parent would drive rapid molecular evolution in seed tissues of the flowering plant Arabidopsis. As predicted, there is more adaptive evolution in genes expressed in Arabidopsis seeds than in other specialized organs, more in endosperms and maternal tissues than in embryos, and more in the specific subtissues involved in nutrient transfer. In the absence of credible alternative hypotheses, these results suggest that kin selection and conflict are important in plants, that the conflict includes not just the mother and offspring but also the triploid endosperm, and that, despite the conflict-reducing role of kinship, family members can engage in slow but steady tortoise-like arms races.

Behavioural responses of Australian freshwater crayfish (Cherax cainii and Cherax albidus) to exotic fish odour

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Height ◽  
G. J. Whisson
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Freshwater Crayfish ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Exotic Fish ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Invasive Crayfish ◽  
Australian Freshwater

Exotic finfish and crayfish have been translocated into Western Australia for more than 100 years. Deliberate stocking and subsequent escape from man-made impoundments have resulted in widespread distribution of non-native yabbies (Cherax albidus) and the exotic redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) in the State’s south-west. Both species are considered invasive and are known to compete with indigenous species for resources. The nature and degree of impact on native marron (Cherax cainii) is unclear and the subject of current debate. Other researchers have hypothesised that invasive species modify their behaviour in the presence of predators in a more rapid and advantageous manner than native species. This greater behavioural plasticity can result in displacement of indigenous species and successful colonisation of invaders. The aim of this study was to investigate behavioural responses of an indigenous crayfish (C. cainii) and an invasive crayfish (C. albidus) to odours from a native predator (Tandanus bostocki) and an exotic predatory fish (P. fluviatilis) present in Western Australia. Crayfish behaviour was observed in individual glass tanks following the addition of odours from native (T. bostocki) or exotic (P. fluviatilis) finfish predators. Marron exhibited minor behavioural modifications when presented with odours from native or exotic finfish. In contrast, the invasive yabby showed greater detection of odours, displaying significant changes in behaviour (P < 0.05). Yabbies also appeared to distinguish between food odour (commercial crayfish feed) and predator odour; however, neither marron nor yabbies displayed behaviour indicating that they could distinguish between a native or exotic fish predator. Results support the hypothesis that invasive crayfish species have a greater capacity for behavioural plasticity than non-invasive crayfish.

The effects of cocaine and mazindol on the cognitive judgement bias of rats in the ambiguous-cue interpretation paradigm

2014 ◽  
Vol 270 ◽  
pp. 206-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafal Rygula ◽  
Ewa Szczech ◽  
Justyna Papciak ◽  
Agnieszka Nikiforuk ◽  
Piotr Popik
Keyword(s):  
Judgement Bias ◽  
Ambiguous Cue

scholarly journals Evaluating and Validating Emotion Elicitation Using English and Arabic Movie Clips on a Saudi Sample

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 2218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharifa Alghowinem ◽  
Roland Goecke ◽  
Michael Wagner ◽  
Areej Alwabil
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
English Language ◽  
Recognition Rate ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Emotion Elicitation ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Multiclass Svm ◽  
The Relationship

With the advancement of technology in both hardware and software, estimating human affective states has become possible. Currently, movie clips are used as they are a widely-accepted method of eliciting emotions in a replicable way. However, cultural differences might influence the effectiveness of some video clips to elicit the target emotions. In this paper, we describe several sensors and techniques to measure, validate and investigate the relationship between cultural acceptance and eliciting universal expressions of affect using movie clips. For emotion elicitation, a standardised list of English language clips, as well as an initial set of Arabic video clips are used for comparison. For validation, bio-signal devices to measure physiological and behavioural responses associated with emotional stimuli are used. Physiological and behavioural responses are measured from 29 subjects of Arabic background while watching the selected clips. For the six emotions’ classification, a multiclass SVM (six-class) classifier using the physiological and behavioural measures as input results in a higher recognition rate for elicited emotions from Arabic video clips (avg. 60%) compared to the English video clips (avg. 52%). These results might reflect that using video clips from the subjects’ culture is more likely to elicit the target emotions. Besides measuring the physiological and behavioural responses, an online survey was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the selected video clips in eliciting the target emotions. The online survey, having on average 220 respondents for each clip, supported the findings.

scholarly journals Testing Whether Suicide Capability Has a Dynamic Propensity: The Role of Affect and Arousal on Momentary Fluctuations in Suicide Capability

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyne C. Law ◽  
Michael D. Anestis
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Main Effects

To prevent suicidal behaviors, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms and processes that enable an individual to act on suicidal thoughts. Suicide capability, which involves an increased pain tolerance and fearlessness of death, is a critical factor that enables an individual to endure the physical pain necessary to make a lethal suicide attempt. Extant research has largely conceptualized suicide capability as developing linearly in response to painful and provocative experiences, but the emerging literature on the temporal dynamics of suicide has been challenging the notion of linearity in suicide risk. Few studies have directly measured and compared changes in suicide capability in response to rumination on different affective states. We sought to experimentally test if rumination in the context of low vs. high arousal emotions will prompt distinct changes in two core components of suicide capability: pain tolerance and fearlessness of death on two undergraduate student samples. In both studies, participants provided measures of subjective emotional state as well as pain threshold, tolerance, and persistence before and after completing experimental manipulations which included both emotion and rumination induction procedures. In the second study, measures of fearlessness about death and physiological arousal (heart rate) were added to the experimental procedures. We found significant decreases in pain threshold, tolerance, and persistence following the experimental manipulations but found no main effects of rumination or suicide risk. These findings suggest that suicide capability can fluctuate but these changes may occur through a different mechanism and/or differ between individuals at varying levels of suicide risk.

scholarly journals Distinct facial expressions represent pain and pleasure across cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (43) ◽  
pp. E10013-E10021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaona Chen ◽  
Carlos Crivelli ◽  
Oliver G. B. Garrod ◽  
Philippe G. Schyns ◽  
José-Miguel Fernández-Dols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
Dynamic Facial Expressions ◽  
Negative Affective States ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
New Research

Real-world studies show that the facial expressions produced during pain and orgasm—two different and intense affective experiences—are virtually indistinguishable. However, this finding is counterintuitive, because facial expressions are widely considered to be a powerful tool for social interaction. Consequently, debate continues as to whether the facial expressions of these extreme positive and negative affective states serve a communicative function. Here, we address this debate from a novel angle by modeling the mental representations of dynamic facial expressions of pain and orgasm in 40 observers in each of two cultures (Western, East Asian) using a data-driven method. Using a complementary approach of machine learning, an information-theoretic analysis, and a human perceptual discrimination task, we show that mental representations of pain and orgasm are physically and perceptually distinct in each culture. Cross-cultural comparisons also revealed that pain is represented by similar face movements across cultures, whereas orgasm showed distinct cultural accents. Together, our data show that mental representations of the facial expressions of pain and orgasm are distinct, which questions their nondiagnosticity and instead suggests they could be used for communicative purposes. Our results also highlight the potential role of cultural and perceptual factors in shaping the mental representation of these facial expressions. We discuss new research directions to further explore their relationship to the production of facial expressions.

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