Social modulation of aversive learning in rats

• Autorzy: Knapska E. , Mikosz M. , Sadowska J. , Maren S. , Werka T.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

It is well known that emotions participate in regulation of social behaviors and that the emotional states displayed by a conspecifi c can seriously affect the behavior of other animals. In its simplest forms empathy can be characterized as the capacity to be affected by and/or share the emotional state of another. However, to date, relatively little is known about the mechanisms by which the animals that are not in a direct danger can share emotions. In the present study we used the model of between-subject transfer of fear to characterize the social interaction during which fear is transmitted, as well as the effects of socially transmitted fear on behavior of its recipients. We found that: (1) during social interaction with a recently fear conditioned partner, observers and demonstrators exhibit social exploratory behaviors rather than aggressive behaviors; (2) learning in a shockmotivated shuttle avoidance task is facilitated in rats that under-went the social interaction with a partner that had been either fear conditioned or trained in two-way avoidance; (3) a brief social interaction with a recently fear conditioned partner immediately before fear conditioning improves conditioned freezing measured on the next day; this effect can be also seen in rats that are unfamiliar to each other. Collectively, the obtained data suggest that a brief social interaction with a cage-mate that had undergone an aversive learning experience promotes aversive learning in an otherwise naïve animal.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
• Rocznik: 2009
• Tom: 69
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.369

Twórcy

autor

Knapska E.

• Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Mikosz M.

• Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Sadowska J.

• Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Maren S.

• Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann. Arbor, MI, USA

autor

Werka T.

• Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland