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Behavioral and Brain Functions
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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Research

Uncovering hidden prosocial behaviors underlying aggression motivation in mice and young children

Authors: Chih-Lin Lee, Yu-Shan Su, Chi-Yu Chang, Tzu-Yun Kung, Yu-Kai Ma, Pei-Yun Zeng, Ching-Chuan Cheng, Yu-Jen Chang, Yu-Ju Chou, Tsung-Han Kuo

Published in: Behavioral and Brain Functions | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

Animals exhibit a wide range of social behaviors, including positive actions that promote social cohesion and negative behaviors associated with asserting dominance. While these behaviors are often viewed as opposites, they can also exist independently or coexist in complex ways, necessitating further investigation into their interrelationships.

Results

To study the interplay between these two types of behaviors, we examined mouse social behaviors using resident-intruder assays and revealed a negative correlation between social aggression and prosocial allogrooming. Suppressing aggressive motivation through various manipulations, including social subordination, olfaction ablation, and inhibition of aggressive neural circuits, led to an increased display of allogrooming behavior. The mouse findings prompted us to further explore the relationship between aggression and prosocial behaviors in preschool children. Similarly, we observed a negative association between aggression and prosocial behaviors, which were potentially influenced by their inhibitory control abilities.

Conclusions

Through this cross-species study, we uncovered the inhibitory impact of aggressive neural circuits on mouse allogrooming and established a link between aggression and prosocial behaviors in children. These insights offer valuable implications for understanding and potentially influencing social interactions in both animal and human contexts, with potential applications in preschool education practices.
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Metadata
Title
Uncovering hidden prosocial behaviors underlying aggression motivation in mice and young children
Authors
Chih-Lin Lee
Yu-Shan Su
Chi-Yu Chang
Tzu-Yun Kung
Yu-Kai Ma
Pei-Yun Zeng
Ching-Chuan Cheng
Yu-Jen Chang
Yu-Ju Chou
Tsung-Han Kuo
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Behavioral and Brain Functions / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1744-9081
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12993-024-00260-z

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