Discovering Psychology : The Responsive Brain

Summary

This script explores the dynamic nature of the brain and its responsiveness to behavior and environment. It discusses how touch, particularly in premature infants, can significantly impact growth and cognitive development. The brain's structure can alter due to environmental enrichment or social interactions, as seen in studies on rats and cichlid fish. The script also draws parallels between animal behavior, such as dominance in baboons, and human psychology, emphasizing the brain's adaptability to social stressors and experiences.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The brain is a dynamic organ that controls behavior and is influenced by it, adapting its structure and function through environmental interaction.
• 👶 Touch is crucial for early development; premature infants who receive regular massages gain more weight and show better cognitive and motor development.
• 🐀 Research on rats showed that maternal touch is essential for normal growth, with a specific enzyme, ODC, being significantly affected by touch deprivation.
• 🐟 The African cichlid fish can physically change its size and color based on its social status, demonstrating the brain's role in translating social cues into physiological changes.
• 🦍 Dominant male baboons are healthier due to lower stress levels, which is linked to their social status and behavior within the troop.
• 🔬 The responsive brain can be modified by behavior and environment, as seen in studies where rats raised in enriched environments had physical changes in their brains.
• 🌐 The brain's hypothalamus plays a key role in translating social cues into physiological responses, such as in the territorial behavior of cichlid fish.
• 🧪 Early experiences, like touch in infancy, can have lifelong effects on an individual's ability to cope with stress and their overall health.
• 📈 The concept of 'stress dwarfism' illustrates how extreme emotional deprivation can stunt growth, similar to the effects observed in deprived baby rats.
• 🧬 There is a genetic continuity across species that allows researchers to draw parallels between animal behavior and human conditions, such as stress responses.

Q & A

What is the role of touch in human and animal development?

Touch is a fundamental aspect of human and animal development, providing a sense of security and emotional well-being, and even influencing physical health. The brain creates a need for touch, and the lack of it can lead to significant developmental issues.

What was the outcome of Tiffany Field's study on premature infants?

In Tiffany Field's study, premature infants who received daily massages gained 47% more weight, were more active and alert, and showed better cognitive and motor development at 8 months compared to those who did not receive massages.

How does a mother's touch affect the growth and development of baby rats?

A mother's touch is essential for the normal growth and development of baby rats. When separated from their mother, the levels of an enzyme crucial for growth, called ODC, significantly decrease. This can be reversed by the mother's licking or by a technician simulating the touch pattern with a brush.

What is psychosocial dwarfism and how does it relate to touch deprivation?

Psychosocial dwarfism is a condition where emotional deprivation stunts the growth of children. It is related to touch deprivation as the lack of physical affection can affect the brain's hypothalamus, leading to reduced secretion of growth hormones.

How does an enriched environment impact the brain structure of rats?

Rats raised in an enriched environment showed physical changes in their brains, including a larger brain size with a thicker cortex, especially in the occipital cortex responsible for vision, more neurotransmitters, and larger dendritic spines, which can have lifelong effects.

What is the relationship between early experiences and an animal's ability to cope with stress?

Early experiences can change an animal's brain and behavior, particularly how it is affected by stress. Touching newborn rats not only stimulates growth but also helps them cope better with stress throughout their lives.

How do the physical changes in cichlid fish relate to their social status?

Cichlid fish undergo physical changes such as color and size alterations based on their social status. A non-territorial male will change physically when it becomes dominant, with brighter colors and an increase in certain brain cells and gonads, preparing it for its role as a dominant territorial male.

What is the significance of the research on baboon social structures in understanding human behavior?

The research on baboon social structures is significant because it provides insights into how social status and behavior can impact physiological health. Dominant baboons exhibit healthier physiological responses, which can help us understand the impact of social dynamics on human health.

How does the brain's response to social behavior in baboons compare to humans?

The brain's response to social behavior in baboons is similar to humans in that both species experience stress due to social competition rather than environmental factors like famine or drought. The style of dominant behavior and social involvement in baboons can predict their stress levels and overall health.

What message does the research underscore about the brain's capacity to change?

The research underscores the dynamic and responsive quality of the brain, showing that it continually changes in response to environmental demands and new behavioral strategies essential for survival.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Responsive Brain

This paragraph introduces the concept of the responsive brain, emphasizing its dynamic nature and its ability to change both functionally and structurally based on behavior and environmental stimulation. The brain's role in controlling behavior is highlighted, as well as how behavior, in turn, influences the brain. The example of touch is used to illustrate this reciprocal relationship, showing how touch can affect emotional well-being, physical health, and even brain structure. The importance of touch, especially for premature infants, is underscored by a study that demonstrates the significant benefits of massage on their growth and development.

05:02

🐭 Maternal Touch and Growth

The second paragraph delves into the importance of maternal touch for growth and development, using both human and animal studies to support its claims. It discusses a study where premature infants who received regular massages gained more weight and showed better cognitive and motor development than those who did not. The narrative then shifts to a study on infant rats, which found that maternal touch is crucial for maintaining normal growth and development, with the absence of touch leading to a decrease in a key enzyme for growth. The study also demonstrates that touch deprivation can be reversed through specific touch patterns, emphasizing the biological value of a mother's touch.

10:02

🧪 Brain Plasticity and Enriched Environments

This section explores how the brain's structure can be altered by environmental factors, particularly through enriched experiences. It discusses a study where rats raised in stimulating environments showed physical changes in their brains, including a thicker cortex and more neurotransmitters, compared to those raised in ordinary environments. The implications of these findings for lifelong effects are considered, such as better stress coping and reduced aging effects. The research suggests that early experiences can have a profound impact on an animal's brain and behavior, influencing their ability to handle stress and maintain cognitive function.

15:03

🐠 Social Behavior and Brain Adaptation

The fourth paragraph examines the brain's ability to adapt in response to social situations, using the African cichlid fish as a model. It describes how these fish undergo physical changes, including color and size alterations, based on their social status. The research indicates that social information can be transformed into physiological changes, with the brain playing a central role in this process. The paragraph also draws parallels between fish and human behavior, suggesting that understanding the mechanisms in fish can provide insights into human conditions such as stress and its impact on physical development.

20:03

🦍 Social Hierarchy and Stress in Baboons

This section discusses the impact of social hierarchy on stress levels and overall health in baboon colonies, drawing parallels to human social dynamics. It explains how dominant baboons experience less stress and have better physiological functioning, particularly during times of stress. The research suggests that an individual's position within a social group can significantly influence their health and stress response, with implications for understanding stress-related diseases in humans. The paragraph highlights the complex interplay between social behavior, stress, and the brain's response to these factors.

25:05

👶 The Dynamic Human Infant

The final paragraph teases the next program's focus on the human infant, suggesting a continuation of the exploration of the brain's dynamic and responsive nature throughout the human life cycle. It sets the stage for examining how the brain develops and changes in response to early experiences, hinting at the importance of early life interactions for long-term brain function and behavior.

Keywords

💡Responsive Brain

The 'responsive brain' refers to the concept that the brain is not only an organ that controls behavior but is also shaped by it. This is a central theme of the video, illustrating how experiences and behaviors can alter the brain's structure and function. For instance, when discussing the impact of touch on premature infants, the video notes that touch not only provides comfort but also stimulates brain development, demonstrating the brain's responsiveness to environmental stimuli.

💡Touch Deprivation

Touch deprivation is a state where an individual receives insufficient physical contact, which can have significant psychological and physical health implications. The video uses the example of premature infants who, despite receiving medical care, lack human touch. Research highlighted in the video shows that infants who receive regular massages gain more weight and show better cognitive and motor development than those who do not, underscoring the critical role of touch in early development.

💡Psychosocial Dwarfism

Psychosocial dwarfism is a condition where emotional deprivation leads to stunted growth, as the brain's hypothalamus fails to stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormones. The video references a study where institutionalized children, despite being well-fed, showed significantly lower growth rates due to lack of emotional care, illustrating the profound impact of psychological factors on physical development.

💡Enriched Environment

An enriched environment is one that provides a variety of stimuli and experiences, which can lead to physical changes in the brain, such as increased brain size and altered neurochemistry. The video discusses a study where rats raised in enriched environments had larger brains and performed better in learning tasks compared to those in ordinary environments, highlighting the brain's plasticity and capacity to adapt to its surroundings.

💡Glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids are hormones released in response to stress that can have detrimental effects on brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, which is crucial for learning and memory. The video explains how early experiences, such as touch, can help animals cope with stress and reduce the release of these hormones, thus protecting the brain from damage and preserving cognitive function.

💡Cognitive Development

Cognitive development refers to the growth of mental processes like learning, memory, and thinking. The video connects cognitive development to physical touch, showing that premature infants who receive regular massages not only gain weight but also exhibit better cognitive development, suggesting that early sensory experiences can enhance brain function and mental abilities.

💡Social Hierarchy

A social hierarchy is a ranking system within social groups that determines an individual's status and influence. The video discusses how baboons' health and stress levels are linked to their position in the social hierarchy, with dominant individuals experiencing less stress and enjoying better health, illustrating how social dynamics can have physiological consequences.

💡Stress

Stress is a physical and emotional response to demanding or threatening situations. The video explores how stress affects the brain and body, particularly in baboons, where high-ranking individuals have better control and predictability, leading to lower stress levels. This highlights the impact of social behavior on stress responses and overall health.

💡Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that plays a critical role in regulating bodily functions, including the stress response and hormone production. The video explains how, in cichlid fish, changes in social status lead to the hypothalamus activating physiological changes, such as increased gonad size, demonstrating the brain's role in translating social signals into physical adaptations.

💡Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland that produces hormones that regulate various body functions. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a key player in the stress response and growth regulation, where signals from the hypothalamus stimulate the pituitary gland to release hormones that influence stress responses and growth, as seen in the example of psychosocial dwarfism.

💡Cichlid Fish

Cichlid fish are used as a model species in the video to study how social behavior can influence brain and body structure. The video describes how these fish change color and size based on their social status, with dominant males showing physical transformations due to changes in brain signaling. This example illustrates the direct impact of social interactions on physiological changes.

Highlights

The brain is a dynamic system that can change its own functioning and structure through learning and environmental stimulation.

Touch is a silent language that communicates feelings such as friendship, love, and control, with cultural variations in how it is perceived.

Gentle touch by a nurse before surgery can have positive physiological effects, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing anxiety in women.

Men may react negatively to gentle touch before surgery, experiencing increased blood pressure and anxiety.

People comfortable with touch tend to be more cheerful and less conforming, while those uncomfortable with it may have lower self-esteem and be more socially withdrawn.

The lack of touch can have significant consequences for emotional well-being, physical health, and brain function.

Premature infants who receive daily touch sessions gain more weight and show better cognitive and motor development than those who do not.

The act of touching or being touched influences brain function, which in turn affects growth and development.

Rat studies show that maternal touch is necessary for normal growth and development, with a specific enzyme, ODC, playing a crucial role.

Emotional deprivation in children can stunt growth, a phenomenon known as psychosocial dwarfism.

Children who are emotionally deprived can catch up in growth and development when placed in a loving family environment.

Rats raised in an enriched environment show physical changes in their brains, including a thicker cortex and more neurotransmitters.

Early experiences, such as touch, can have a lifelong effect on an animal's ability to cope with stress and reduce the effects of aging.

Stress can lead to the release of hormones that can kill brain cells, particularly affecting learning and memory.

The African cichlid fish changes its size and color based on its social status, demonstrating the brain's role in physical transformation.

The brain's hypothalamus plays a key role in the physical changes that occur when a cichlid fish becomes dominant or loses territory.

Baboon studies show that social status and behavior can impact an individual's stress levels and overall health.

Baboon research indicates that individual differences in social behavior can predict stress-related diseases and overall health.

Transcripts

what makes a premature infant who is

massaged regularly develop faster than

one who is rarely touched up to 1470 G

good today so she's really how can this

tropical fish actually change its size

and color when it wins or loses

territory and what makes this dominant

baboon healthier than its lower ranking

cousins the responsive brain this time

on discovering psychology

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[Applause]

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the brain is the organ of Life the inner

Universe of intelligence passion pain

and creativity and by understanding how

it functions we can better understand

the basic mechanisms that underly human

and animal

behavior but the relationship between

brain and behavior is

reciprocal the brain controls Behavior

but Behavior also feeds back information

to influence the brain

in this sense we can talk about the

responsive brain as well as the behaving

brain because it's designed to be

modified by the behaviors that has

caused and by environmental stimulation

the brain is constantly open to change

it can alter its own functioning and

even its structure as it learns more as

it becomes more knowledgeable and

sophisticated about the world around it

this capacity for internal modification

makes the brain one of the most dynamic

systems on the

planet to understand how this two-way

process of brain and behavior really

works let's use touch as an

example touch is the silent language by

which people communicate everything from

friendship and love to the need to

control others this personal contact is

governed by unspoken cultural rules and

regulations great in our culture men and

women respond to being touched in

different

ways for instance women are more likely

to touch Embrace and kiss friends and

family while men typically limit touch

to a

handshake according to one study when

women were gently touched by a nurse

before an operation they reacted

positively with lower blood pressure and

reduced

anxiety the men on the other hand got

upset by the same kind of touch their

blood pressure went up and their anxiety

increased researchers have also found

that regardless of gender those who are

quite comfortable with touching others

are more cheerful less conforming and

less suspicious of other people's

motives while those uncomfortable with

touching others tend to have lower

self-esteem and are generally more

socially withdrawn

the consequences of being touch deprived

are extremely significant not only for

our sense of security and emotional

well-being but also for our physical

health and this is where the brain comes

in for in between the act of touching or

being touched and its positive

consequences is the brain which

apparently creates a need for touch and

the most critical need begins at the

beginning at Birth the need for a

mother's touch is such that both humans

and animals Thrive when they get it and

suffer badly when they

don't when premature infants are placed

in intensive care units which provide

every possible life support system they

still lack one thing human

touch what difference would it make if

some of the infants were given daily

touch sessions while they remained

inside their incubators the question was

asked by psychologist Tiffany field of

Miami University 20 premature infants

were randomly selected to receive

periodic massages while 20 others got

the usual hospital treatment without

massages in all other respects the care

they received was

identical the premature babies who were

massaged for 45 minutes a day uh for 10

days before they were discharged gained

weight 47% more weight than the babies

who did not get massage they were more

active they were more

alert these babies when we see them at 8

months are still showing a weight

advantage and at that time they're

showing better cognitive development and

better motor

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development not only do the babies Fair

better but so does society sending

premature infant's home early could save

millions of dollars in hospital costs

each year 1470 G oh good today so she's

really she's really gaining a lot of

weight I think the temperature and

humidity feel about at the same time

Saul shanberg of Duke University Fields

collaborator LED another research team

working with infant rats shanberg showed

how a mother's touch comes to have real

biological value to her offspring

A Mother's Touch who we know now is

absolutely necessary to maintain normal

growth and development of the baby

rats and uh what we found was that when

rat babies were removed from the mother

for even a short period of time this

enzyme very important for for growth and

development called orine decabox alas or

ODC as we call it uh went way down so

all of a sudden we were faced with a

situation trying to understand how it

was that a shortterm separation from the

mother could have such dramatic effects

throughout the body on uh the actual

process of growth

we have found

that the

deprivation effects that we

see to be reversed by only two ways one

returning it to the mother who then uh

licks the pups and goes through the

process or by a technician using a

little paintbrush and stroking the pups

with a certain frequency and strength

that is the pattern touch that uh we

have

discovered researcher Cindy cun

demonstrates how the infant rats are

treated okay what we have here is normal

active maternal Behavior she's

retrieving the pups as you see she we'

disturbed her nest so she's going to

gather them back into a ball lick and

stimulate each one in turn and rather

actively and rotate among them

sporadically for a short period of time

eventually in 5 or 10 minutes she'll

settle back over them and simply Crouch

over them so that they can

suckle what we have here are pups who

have been away from the mom for about

two hours they've had a temporary

deprivation of maternal touch when I

stimulate them with this brush with this

very robust pattern it stimulates we

think how she behaves when she licks

them and stimulates them and retrieves

them um the longer really they're

separated from the mom we have found the

less responsive they are which is again

another sign probably of of the

deprivation but we don't do it at all

gently because she doesn't do it at all

gently and this it takes stimulation

this active to return their enzymes to

normal it's an interesting thought but

one can say here that the need for a

mother's touch is really brain based it

isn't just nice to have it it's a

requirement for the normal development

and growth of the

baby with all this research in mind you

might wonder if lack of affection can

actually stunt the growth of human

children unfortunately the answer is

yes John Balby and Renee Spitz conducted

a study of institutionalized youngsters

who were emotionally

deprived although the children were well

fed and received good medical care their

rate of growth was significantly below

the normal range for their age

groups because physical growth is

clearly affected by psychological

experience this phenomenon is known as

psychosocial

dwarfism the mechanism by which this

emotional deprivation stunted the

children's growth seems to be the

failure of the brain's hypothalamus

which normally stimulates the pituitary

gland to secrete growth hormones

so the lack of touching may have had the

same effect as it did with the baby rats

reducing the production of biochemical

substances essential for

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growth but whenever children are placed

with a loving family they begin to

return to normal

size in one study these children who had

been emotionally deprived caught up with

their peers by growing an average of

nearly 8 in in a year the normal growth

of that period is only 2 and2 in so it's

clear that the functioning of the brain

can be altered by behavior and by the

social environment but what about its

very

structure one of the first attempts to

demonstrate permanent alterations in the

structure of the brain came in a series

of studies at the University of

California at Berkeley a research team

led by Mark Rosen swag studied the

effects of raising rats in an enriched

stimulating environment as compared to

ordinary or impoverished environments

not only were the enriched environment

rats Superior Learners in adulthood

their brains were physically Changed by

their

experience the brains of the stimulated

rats grew larger with a thicker cortex

especially the occipital cortex the

region responsible for

vision also there was a greater number

of certain

neurotransmitters and there were more

and larger spines on the dendrites the

branch fibers of neurons which receive

signals from other

neurons these sorts of physical changes

in the brain can have a lifelong

effect Studies have shown for instance

that touching newborn rats not only

stimulates growth as we've seen but also

helps them to cope better with stress

throughout their

lives and this in turn serves to reduce

the normal effects of Aging such as

learning difficulties and diseases of

senility Michael Mei is a developmental

psychologist at McGill

University he's investigating how early

experiences can change an animals brain

and

behavior in particular how the animal is

affected by stress and the release of

hormones called

glucocorticoids when you expose any

Mamon species animal human to a

stressful situation there is an enormous

increase in the secretion of

glucocorticoids these hormones increase

the heart

rate they decrease digestion and in

general allow the organism to better be

able to cope with the challenge

presented by the stressor the problem

with extensive exposure to these

glucocorticoids is that they can

actually literally kill brain cells

specifically the glucocorticoid

sensitive neurons within the hippocampus

the hippocampus is a structure that is

absolutely critical for learning and

memory and the problem that you face is

that with the degeneration of

hippocampal neurons in the Aged animal

is that you begin to see the brain less

capable of processing information and

you see profound deficits in learning

and

memory what we're trying to do in these

experiments is to examine the ability of

the animal to learn and

remember events particularly spatial

events

now rats are proficient but reluctant

swimmers and if you put them in a pool

of water they'll use the first

opportunity they can to get out of the

water when you compare the handled and

non-handled animals the older handled

animals look very much like the younger

animals within a very few number of

Trials the animals are quickly able to

learn where the platform is located and

it takes them very little time to swim

to the platform and get out of the water

when you look at the older non-handled

animals these are the animals that show

you major hippocamp cell loss these

animals are take an awful long time to

learn where the platform is located and

show you very very poor memory for where

the platform's

located what you're looking at presented

here on the monitor is a digitized

version of the position of the Rat and

the position of the platform what this

equipment does is to give us two pieces

of information first of all the amount

of of time that it takes for the animal

to actually find the platform

and the distance swam by the animal

prior to finding the platform both of

these are our measures of exactly how

well the act the animal knows the

location of the platform with respect to

the cues in the

room the question that we're trying to

pose is that could an individual's

ability to cope with

stress be a factor that predicts whether

or not we see intellectual impairment in

individuals and how early it shows up

it's very possible that the individual

differences in intellectual functioning

among elderly people are really related

to their ability to cope with stress and

so that in the individuals who are

showing you intellectual impairments 55

60 years of age that these people might

be like the non-handled rats less

capable of dealing with a stressor more

likely to show you increased

glucocorticoid exposure more likely to

show you loss of hippocampal cells more

likely than to show you the cognitive

impairments that derive from these

hippocampal damage

but perhaps the clearest and most

startling example of the brain altering

its structure and functioning in

response to social situations can be

seen when the brain works together with

Evolution to ensure the survival of the

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fittest with his theory of evolution

Charles Darwin made us aware of what

survival of the fittest really

means that those animals who are best

able to adapt to the challenges of their

environment pass on their genes to their

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offspring Russell fold of Stanford

University is a new breed of

psychological scientists A neuro

ethologist who applies the methodologies

of brain science to the study of animal

behavior in their natural habitats his

work TR atically illustrates the

interaction of brain behavior and

environment when you think about

Behavior the thing that occurs to you

primarily is that it's controlled by the

brain and yet what an animal does in

fact what we do can also change brain

structures and I've chosen to work on a

Model system the African cichlid fish

because we have now discovered that in

their social system the way in which

they interact regulates many aspects of

of their brain structure and even their

body structures fenold has found that

cichlid fish undergo physical change

based on changes in their social

environment this phenomenon offers rare

insight into the mechanics involved in

transforming social information into

physiological

change so when a non-territorial male

recognizes there's a chance for him to

become dominant this male will turn on

his eye bar first slowly the brighter

colors will appear on his body he'll

begin attacking and chasing another male

and occupy a territory through vigorous

defense inside what's happening is a

very interesting set of signals go from

the recognition of this social

opportunity to a region of the brain

called the hypothalamus this

hypothalamic region is conserved across

all vertebrates we have one as the fish

do in the brain region the hypothalamus

cells containing a particular signaling

peptide in this fish get eight times

larger they send out eight times as much

signal that signal goes to the pituitary

gland which then signals the gonads and

the gonads enlarge also by several

orders of magnitude in these dominant

males so this is physiologically getting

ready for their role as a dominant

territorial male who will in fact become

able to spawn with the

females this can happen in a very short

time as short as 5 or 6 days all of

these physiological changes occur the

opposite of course happens when you lose

a territory the first thing you lose are

the bright colorations but then the

cells shrink and the gonads shrink and

many fish who lose their territories

will often go into a shelter turn on all

these signals pretend they're still

dominant it's the nearest thing to

denial we've seen in fish and if they're

successful in pretending they're still

territorial they can hang on to the

gonads for up to 2 or 3 weeks

pho's work with model species such as

cichlid fish has a surprisingly direct

relationship to human

behavior what we've learned is that all

of us share a large amount of genomic

information so for example when this

animal becomes territorially dominant

and turns on a set of genes in the

hypothalamus one of those genes is

regulating a peptide which in this fish

is 90% identical to the the peptide in

humans that's turned on at puberty so we

can look at The Human Condition and find

parallels and in fact interesting ones

uh perhaps the best described now is

something called stress

dwarfism stress dwarfism was thought to

have Afflicted James Barry the famed

author of Peter Pan Barry suffered an

early childhood trauma over the tragic

death of his only brother his mother's

favored son

the mother went to bed in a Victorian

Swoon and spent essentially two years in

bed each time she saw James who would

come in to talk to her she'd say oh dear

it's you James I was hoping Douglas had

returned James ultimately grew up but

was very short and he spent his life

writing books the best known of which is

Peter Pan all of them have the same

theme a very small person comes into a

situation that actually saves the day

and when James Barry died they

discovered that he had immature testes

that is his testicles had never

descended and his small size was

undoubtedly caused by this social stress

now this stress orphism and concomitant

lack of sexual function has to occur

only in extreme conditions so we have in

fact a kind of continuity across many

species that allow us to imagine we can

draw conclusions from these animals that

will help us understand uh different

kinds of conditions in humans both

Normal and abnormal

ongoing research like this typically

begins with observation of the ordinary

behavior of animals in their own natural

habitats there researchers explore how

and why behavioral strategies are

developed to better the odds of survival

then it's into the laboratory to answer

some questions about the relationship

between these changes in Behavior

essential for the survival of the group

and the corresponding changes in the

brain and visual system in this way

research es can discover if the brain is

responsive to social behavior and how

it's Modified by

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experience our final example of the

responsive brain driven by Behavior

comes from another combination of field

study and laboratory research this time

with baboon colonies in East Africa

Robert saoli a Stanford University

neurobiologist is conducting this

ongoing

research probably the most interesting

thing about the social structure of

baboons is just how social they are

basically a baboon makes no sense at all

out of the context of its large social

troop 100 150 animals all living

together years for decades on end and

the critical thing about them is who you

are in the troop who you are in the

dominance hierarchy has everything to do

with your quality of life

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it looks as if you get your high rank

first and then your body starts working

better it looks as if the behavior the

dominant status here among these animals

is what drives the physiological

changes what you wind up wondering then

is what is it about suddenly achieving

high rank that makes your body function

differently that makes especially during

stress every aspect of your body work

differently as far as we can tell on

what people know about stress has a lot

to do with control and predictability

and for a dominant animal they have a

lot more control over what's going on in

their life than a subordinate

animal but sapolsky also found that the

style of dominant Behavior among baboons

not just their rank had a lot to do with

their stress level baboons like humans

will sometimes compete with each other

even when they don't have

to it turns out if you're a high ranking

baboon there's a lot of different ways

of doing it having lots of Cooperative

Partners having none at all having lots

of close affiliative friendships if you

want having none at all and the styles

that involve the most social involvement

seem to have the best

physiology what's pretty clear is if you

study a close relative ours who has a

lot in common with our Behavior you get

a lot in common with the physiology the

Striking thing about the baboons is they

have a pretty stressful life but much

like ours it's not stressed because

they're starving or there famines or

droughts or whatever it's stressful for

them because they're pretty pretty tough

with each other it's a very socially

competitive World much like our own in a

lot of ways very few of us are having

our stress responses because of Axe

fights or crop failures or whatever most

of us because of social reasons what's

pretty clear from the baboons in terms

of getting at the whole issue of why do

some of us get sick why do some of us

get stress related diseases what the

baboons tell us is there's an awful lot

of individual differences there who you

are in a baboon Society has everything

to do with how your body's working

throughout this program we've seen how

research from many disciplines has

highlighted the unique capacity of the

brain to change itself and its

functioning the brain responds

continually to demands from the

environment which force new behavioral

strategies essential for

survival This research has underscored

the basic message of the dynamic IC

responsive quality of the

brain in our next program however we're

going to go back to the beginning to the

start of the human life cycle there

we'll explore another Dynamic responsive

entity the human infant until then I'm

Philip zardo