Chapter 16 Flashcards
object play
Using inanimate objects such as sticks, rocks, leaves, feathers, fruit, and human-provided objects, and the pushing, throwing, tearing, or manipulating of such objects
for cheetahs do the benefits of play outweigh the costs
yes predation threat and energy expended is small
locomotor play
Provides exercise and training for specific motor skills needed later in life and provides animals with a better understanding of where things are in relation to one another
what is a potential benefit to locomotor play
An increase in the creation of synapses in the cerebellum. The cerebellum plays a critical role in
limb coordination, movement, postural changes, eye-limb coordination, and many other aspects of movement in mammals.
the differentiation of muscle fibers that will be important for use in foraging and antipredator behaviors
social play and the benefits
playing with others
May lead to the forging of long-lasting social bonds
may promote and fine-tune physical skills, such as those relating to fighting, hunting, and mating
Aid in the development of cognitive skills
positions them for rank acquisition in dominance hierarchies later in life
how do you distinguish play from fighting
Behavioral patterns during play are often exaggerated and misplaced. Young animals may be able to
distinguish these exaggerations and misorderings of behavioral
patterns by, for example, observing adults that are not involved in play
Play markers: play signals, can serve to initiate play, to indicate the desire to continue playing, and to warn adults that the young are playing and not in danger of injury
Role reversal or self handicapping: older individuals either allow subordinate younger animals to act as if they are dominant during play (without this, dominant individuals would have few play partners this would be costly)
what is the main function of play
allow animals to develop the physical and psychological skills to handle unexpected events in which they experience a loss of control (recover from sudden shocks like loss of balance)
Self-handicapping is thought to prepare for the unexpected, as individuals put themselves in a position very different from that in which they normally find themselves.
what environment is play most common in
play should be most common in species that live in the most variable environments. Individuals that engage in play should be more prepared for the unexpected, which is more likely to occur where there is environmental change
animals with higher testosterone play…
more rough
what three neurotransmitters are involved in rat play fighting
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. dopamine inhibitors reduce play and primes an animal to engage in play
