SLX Trial
Abstract
While there are many explanations for prosocial behavior on the ultimate level, proximate motivations are harder to establish. Here, the motivational factors of stress level and social contact were tested for eight groups of rats; there were four injection types (saline, low midazolam, high midazolam, and no injection), and the rats could either have had a partner or been alone. The focal rats were trapped in restrainers and monitored to see if they learned how to free themselves and how fast they did so. Drug dosage (to control stress levels) alone did not significantly impact the opening rates, opening latency, or opener status of the rats. The biggest difference between conditions was due to the absence or presence of a partner. Another significant finding in this study was that the rats only displayed midazolam’s effects when with a partner. In this test, the stronger motivational force for the rats was social contact. This study was then compared to other studies to evaluate the opening rates based on self-concern (social, stress or food) or other-concern (prosocial). The opening rates of trapped rats were much faster than free rats opening for trapped conspecifics, meaning the free rats were not motivated by self-concern.
SLX Trial
While there are many explanations for prosocial behavior on the ultimate level, proximate motivations are harder to establish. Here, the motivational factors of stress level and social contact were tested for eight groups of rats; there were four injection types (saline, low midazolam, high midazolam, and no injection), and the rats could either have had a partner or been alone. The focal rats were trapped in restrainers and monitored to see if they learned how to free themselves and how fast they did so. Drug dosage (to control stress levels) alone did not significantly impact the opening rates, opening latency, or opener status of the rats. The biggest difference between conditions was due to the absence or presence of a partner. Another significant finding in this study was that the rats only displayed midazolam’s effects when with a partner. In this test, the stronger motivational force for the rats was social contact. This study was then compared to other studies to evaluate the opening rates based on self-concern (social, stress or food) or other-concern (prosocial). The opening rates of trapped rats were much faster than free rats opening for trapped conspecifics, meaning the free rats were not motivated by self-concern.