Anxiolytic treatment of a trapped rat reduces helping and anxiogenic treatment increases helping: Evidence for emotional contagion in altruism

IF 3.3 3区 心理学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Eleanor B. Ketterer-Sykes, Elisabeth Saraceno, Frances Hough, Maya Wyse, Gabriella Restifo-Bernstein, Allison Y. Blais, Maisha Khondokar, Penn Hoen, Hassan H. López
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The present experiment used the trapped rat model to explore whether pharmacological manipulation of distress affects the likelihood of helping behavior. 120 Sprague-Dawley rats (30 male pairs and 30 female pairs) completed 12 consecutive, daily trials assessing helping behavior. During an individual trial, a trapped rat was placed in a restrainer in the center of an open field, while its cagemate could move around freely and possibly open the restrainer by lifting a door. Trapped rats received an intraperitoneal injection of either 1) physiological saline, 2) the anxiolytic midazolam (1.5 mg/kg), or 3) the anxiogenic yohimbine (2.5 mg/kg) 30 min prior to the start of each trial. Dependent variables measured were: 1) door opening latency (sec), 2) percentage of trials in which a door opening occurred, and 3) the number of free rats classified as “openers.” Based on emotional contagion theory, we predicted that 1) free rats paired with midazolam-subjects would show attenuated helping behavior (e.g., higher door opening latency) compared to controls, and conversely 2) free rats paired with yohimbine-subjects would show enhanced helping behavior. First, a significant sex-difference was observed, in that more females were classified as openers than males. This supports previous evidence that females express higher altruistic motivation and experience stronger emotional contagion than males. Second, midazolam-treatment significantly attenuated helping behavior. From trials 4–12, free rats paired with midazolam-subjects expressed slower door opening latencies compared to controls. Third, yohimbine-treatment significantly increased helping behavior (e.g., reduced door opening latencies) – but only on trials 1–3; by trials 9–12, this pattern was reversed. These results are consistent with emotional contagion theory and indicate that intensity of distress directly modulates altruistic motivation through vicarious state-matching.

对被困大鼠进行抗焦虑治疗会减少助人行为,而抗焦虑治疗则会增加助人行为:利他主义情绪传染的证据。
本实验使用被困大鼠模型来探究药物控制痛苦是否会影响帮助行为的可能性。120只Sprague-Dawley大鼠(30对雄性大鼠和30对雌性大鼠)每天连续完成12次评估帮助行为的试验。在单个试验中,一只被困大鼠被放置在开放场地中央的束缚器中,而它的笼友可以自由走动,并可能通过抬起一扇门打开束缚器。每次试验开始前 30 分钟,被诱捕的大鼠腹腔注射 1) 生理盐水;2) 抗焦虑药物咪达唑仑(1.5 毫克/千克);或 3) 致焦虑药物育亨宾(2.5 毫克/千克)。测量的因变量为1)开门潜伏期(秒);2)发生开门的试验百分比;3)被归类为 "开门者 "的自由大鼠数量。根据情绪传染理论,我们预测:1)与对照组相比,与咪达唑仑受试者配对的自由大鼠会表现出减弱的帮助行为(如较高的开门潜伏期);相反,2)与育亨宾受试者配对的自由大鼠会表现出增强的帮助行为。首先,我们观察到了明显的性别差异,即被归类为开门者的雌性比雄性多。这支持了之前的证据,即雌性比雄性表现出更高的利他主义动机和更强的情绪感染力。其次,咪达唑仑治疗显著削弱了帮助行为。在试验 4-12 中,与咪达唑仑受试者配对的自由大鼠的开门潜伏期比对照组慢。第三,育亨宾治疗显著增加了帮助行为(例如,减少了开门潜伏期),但仅限于第 1-3 次试验;到了第 9-12 次试验,这种模式发生了逆转。这些结果与情绪传染理论相一致,表明痛苦的强度会通过替代状态匹配直接调节利他主义动机。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
6.40
自引率
2.80%
发文量
122
审稿时长
38 days
期刊介绍: Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior publishes original reports in the areas of pharmacology and biochemistry in which the primary emphasis and theoretical context are behavioral. Contributions may involve clinical, preclinical, or basic research. Purely biochemical or toxicology studies will not be published. Papers describing the behavioral effects of novel drugs in models of psychiatric, neurological and cognitive disorders, and central pain must include a positive control unless the paper is on a disease where such a drug is not available yet. Papers focusing on physiological processes (e.g., peripheral pain mechanisms, body temperature regulation, seizure activity) are not accepted as we would like to retain the focus of Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior on behavior and its interaction with the biochemistry and neurochemistry of the central nervous system. Papers describing the effects of plant materials are generally not considered, unless the active ingredients are studied, the extraction method is well described, the doses tested are known, and clear and definite experimental evidence on the mechanism of action of the active ingredients is provided.
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