Pair bond In biology, a pair bond is the strong affinity that develops in some species between a pair consisting of a male and female, or in some cases as a same-sex pairing, potentially leading to producing offspring and/or a lifelong bond. Pair-bonding is a term coined in the 1940s[1] that is frequently used in sociobiology and evolutionary psychology circles. The term often implies either a lifelong socially monogamous relationship or a stage of mating interaction in socially monogamous species. It is sometimes used in reference to human relationships. Monogamous voles, such as prairie voles, have significantly greater density and distribution of vasopressin receptors in their brain when compared to polygamous voles. Both vasopressin and dopamine act in this region to coordinate rewarding activities such as mating, and regulate selective affiliation. Varieties[edit] Black-backed jackals are one of very few monogamous mammals. Examples[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ "Pair-bond".
Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture.[1][page needed] Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups relative to their own ethnic group or culture, especially with concern for language, behavior, customs, and religion. These ethnic distinctions and subdivisions serve to define each ethnicity's unique cultural identity.[2] Ethnocentrism may be overt or subtle, and while it is considered a natural proclivity of human psychology, it has developed a generally negative connotation.[3] Origins of the concept and its study[edit] William G. Sumner created the term "ethnocentrism" upon observing the tendency for people to differentiate between the in-group and others. Anthropologists such as Franz Boas and Bronislaw Malinowski argued that any human science had to transcend the ethnocentrism of the scientist. Anthropology[edit] Biology and evolutionary theory[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ John T. Further reading[edit]
Dopamine Dopamine (contracted from 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a hormone (also known as Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone/Factor - PIH or PIF) and neurotransmitter of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families that plays a number of important roles in the human brain and body. Its name derives from its chemical structure: it is an amine that is formed by removing a carboxyl group from a molecule of L-DOPA. In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter—a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. The brain includes several distinct dopamine systems, one of which plays a major role in reward-motivated behavior. Most types of reward increase the level of dopamine in the brain, and a variety of addictive drugs increase dopamine neuronal activity. Other brain dopamine systems are involved in motor control and in controlling the release of several other important hormones. A variety of important drugs work by altering the way the body makes or uses dopamine.
Oxytocin Oxytocin (/ˌɒksɨˈtoʊsɪn/; Oxt) is a mammalian neurohypophysial hormone. Produced by the hypothalamus and stored and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland, oxytocin acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain. Oxytocin plays an important role in the neuroanatomy of intimacy, specifically in sexual reproduction of both sexes, in particular during and after childbirth; its name comes from Greek ὀξύς, oksys "swift" and τόκος, tokos "birth." It is released in large amounts after distension of the cervix and uterus during labor, facilitating birth, maternal bonding, and, after stimulation of the nipples, lactation. Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin's role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors.[4] For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the "bonding hormone". Medical uses[edit] Injected oxytocin analogues are used for labor induction and to support labor in case of difficult parturition.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/009262300278641 Autism prevalence in China Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) met today to launch a new collaborative study into the prevalence of autism in mainland China. Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) affect one per cent of the general population in Western countries. However, it is unclear as to whether autism is as prevalent in China. A pilot study conducted by the University of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre and Cambridge Institute of Public Health suggests that autism in China is currently under-diagnosed and may be in line with Western countries at one per cent. This collaboration will enable Cambridge, CDPF and CUHK to determine whether a one per cent estimate also applies to China. If it is confirmed that China has the same prevalence rate as Western countries, an astonishing 14 million people could have the condition. Dr Sophia Xiang Sun said: “This is an important new study.
Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrism Author Affiliations Edited by Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved December 21, 2010 (received for review October 12, 2010) Abstract Human ethnocentrism—the tendency to view one's group as centrally important and superior to other groups—creates intergroup bias that fuels prejudice, xenophobia, and intergroup violence. Footnotes 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Touch May Alleviate Existential Fears for People With Low Self-Esteem As human beings, we all know that we are going to die some day. Most of us deal with this knowledge by trying to live meaningful lives, but people with low self-esteem tend not to see their lives as particularly meaningful. Now, research suggests that touch may help people with low self-esteem in confronting their own mortality. “Even fleeting and seemingly trivial instances of interpersonal touch may help people to deal more effectively with existential concern,” explains psychological scientist and lead researcher Sander Koole of VU University Amsterdam. “This is important because we all have to deal with existential concerns and we all have times at which we struggle to find meaning in life,” says Koole. “Our findings show that people may still find existential security through interpersonal touch, even in the absence of symbolic meaning derived from religious beliefs or life values.” In one study, an experimenter approached participants as they walked through a university campus.
Breastfeeding possible deterrent to autism In an article appearing in Medical Hypotheses on September 20, a New York-based physician-researcher from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine has called for the testing of umbilical cord blood for levels of a growth protein that could help predict an infant's propensity to later develop autism. Based on an analysis of findings in prior published studies, Touro researcher Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, proposes that depressed levels of a protein called insulin-like growth factor (IGF) could potentially serve as a biomarker that could anticipate autism occurrence. His research points to numerous prior studies that powerfully link IGF with a number of growth and neural functions. Dr. Steinman -- who has also conducted extensive research into fertility and twinning -- further points to breastfeeding as a relatively abundant source of the protein. If the IGF-autism hypothesis is validated by further study, Dr. "This leads to two conclusions. Dr. If corroborated, Dr. Under Dr.
What is known about autism: genes, bra... [Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2005 Autism and vaccination-the current evide... [J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2009 Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autistic spectr... [Pediatrics. 2001