Some personal reflections on learning more about mammalian social behavior
I have been curious about the recent studies of mammal social groups. As scientists learn more about mammal social behavior, they gain a more filled-in picture of the animals’ close ties to others in their social group, as well as their allegiance to the group as a unit.
The observations are ones that are commonly known about in the human, but I have been struck by a humbling realization on a deeper level that much of what is known as “human” is actually “mammalian.” People like to think the sky is the limit in terms of what the human can gain in awareness and improved behavior. I have been on a band wagon in regard to differentiation of self, that it offers a way out of the dilemmas of the evolutionary heritage. Like the putting aside of the blank slate delusion, I notice I am more conscious of the limitations of what the human can accomplish, once I read more widely about the same kinds of “human” behaviors in other animals. I see how much our lives and choices are determined by biology.
Mammals form special associations, what are referred to in the literature as friendships, with others within their social group. Recent surprises include rats who are offered a choice of running directly to a treat or of first freeing their friend to share the treat, and who more often than not choose to first free a friend. Giraffes for the first time have been found to form special friendships. The numerous observations of affection and even effort on a friend’s behalf have convinced that the other mammals have feelings that we call love toward others.
I have been appreciating our 16-year-old cat’s purred greetings and thank-you for food in a new way. There is real affection there, not just an effort to please in order to be cared for well. When he is picked up, he stretches out his paw and places it softly on the person’s neck. Perhaps these mammals feel all the love that people feel. Think of the development of the brain, how what makes humans distinctive is the more recent extension of the neocortex. Other mammals have a developed neocortex, too, to a degree. When I took a graduate course in neuroscience at UMass, we dissected a sheep’s brain in order to learn the structures of the human brain. Following along in the text book pictures, the sheep and human brains were nearly identical in structures.
The social mammal tends to uphold the status quo, even when the status quo is harmful to a friend. When faced with taking sides with a special friend or with a dominant animal, individuals usually choose the dominant animal. The bystander effect to conflict includes 1) supporting those in dominant positions, 2) taking further advantage of those who have become vulnerable, and 3) exerting more energy to solidify their own friendships, for instance by increased grooming. Learning about these tendencies in other social mammals has given me a greater appreciation for how difficult it is to go against the status quo—and how one should have a very good reason for doing so. I recall Dr. Bowen advising not to enter into an effort to be different in the family lightly, that once one began, “the family will not appreciate it” if the effort is dropped after stirring things up, if one stirs things up for nothing.
The special-friend phenomenon may be part of the formation of two-against one triangles, and the tendency to uphold the status quo, even at the possibility of harm to others or oneself is evidence of the family functioning as a unit.
I’d like to see the observations of Bowen theory contribute to the studies of other species and suggest questions for further research of them. The emotional systems of other mammal species may resemble our own in ways that haven’t yet been observed.
Lastly, can the human sustain affectionate special friendships without teaming up against a third? Or find a way to support the group without impairing individual functioning?
Just adding a thought about Bowen’s genius to consider what the human has in common with other life forms in order to understand what is fundamental in the human . . .
Laurie,
There is much to think about in your observations of mammalian behavior, and the extent to which humans function on that level. Regarding the idea of how much we are constrained by biology, I think about how that understanding is missed in current American culture. “American exceptionalism”–no limits to our power in the world, no limits to far every hard-working American can rise–is an example of “observational blindness” to the reality of our biological roots. Regarding your interesting observation on how mammals/humans tend to uphold the status quo, I wonder how much that behavior is based on the fear response. Much of the work in developing an I-position is overcoming fear about the real and perceived “danger” of standing up for one’s beliefs, not to mention the work that goes into knowing what one actually believes. Your thoughts take me back to the literature on dominance/submission and how they are tied together.
I, too, am intrigued by the tendency in mammal social groups to uphold the status quo. It has raised questions for me. I recall the young female chimpanzee who began washing her sweet potatoes in the ocean before eating them, and how the older males, who represented the status quo, held out from doing it. There are probably a lot of new ideas, unlike that one, that are not beneficial to the group. I recall Dr. Bowen saying that once a family found its characteristic way of distributing stress in the family, generally toward one family member in particular, it tended to stay with that “solution.” Perhaps we evolved to stick with a “solution” that is preserving the group as a whole. It gives me more respect for the effort to change the status quo. Finding a new solution, even if it will be more beneficial for the group in the long run, is difficult, going against the grain of the automatic emotional reactivity in all.
Dear Laurie,
I need more time to process the richness of your post.
Let me report one anecdote about a cat we had. I was very upset and crying as I lay on my bed. Our cat came up to me and put his front paws around my neck. I could find no other satisfactory explanation, except that he was offering me solace.
Regarding Izzie, our Doberman, she left me a legacy of rich memories. When I was in treatment for breast cancer, I often did not perceive the limits of my fatigue, until I lost self control over some minor event. One time, when quite upset, Izzie turned toward as I, put her paw on my arm in a restraining fashion and kept it there, all the glaring at me until the outburst subsided.
Izzie also monitored the cats’ behavior and, whenever she thought they misbehaved while they were outside, she would bark with a very distinctive bark, until I came out. I would find her pointing, usually at an area of commotion involving birds, and sure enough, at least one of our cats would be involved.
Which reminds me, I do not written a post for this festwg time, but will see if I can post a number of poems I wrote about Izzie and her notworthy life.
Sincerely,
Pat
Pat, I found your post and poems about Izzy to be very moving. My dog Coby is 14 and I’m praying I get another year with him. He is such a dear one to me and as has been mentioned is such a part of our family system. For years I resisted the children’s request that we get a dog. When my oldest left for college, 6 weeks later we had the 8 week old puppy, Coby. He has been dear to the family. I will now think about whether he has brought us wisdom. I know he has brought energy and joy. And love – I’m thinking about the research reported recently on how when we look into the eyes of our dog, the oxytocin in us and in our dog increases.
I meant “noteworthy” not “notworthy” !!!
Thanks for the anecdotes. The behavior of your Doberman reminds me of the descriptions of wolf behavior and show that your dog was very much integrated into and a part of your family. I think how much animals are a respected and appreciated part of the family affects their social growth and behavior, I guess in the same way for humans who are respected and appreciated. It must be that animals, or rather the other animals have so much going on in their thoughts and feelings that we don’t know. There used to be a lot of concern in science about the fear of anthropomorphizing, so much so that Jane Goodall was told to use the pronoun “it” instead of he or she for her chimp studies. Perhaps the error that has been made is the assumption that animals are not like us.
Thanks Laurie:
It brings to light my own tendency to maintain the status quo in my own social/family group. Although I work to move beyond this, it emphasizes the hard wiring in me and others to go with the group. I have been doing a lot of reading about the environmental problems we face and have come to the conclusion that the basic problem is man’s denial of who he is…..Man does not see himself as another instinctive organism on the planet but much of what man does reflects this.
Those last two questions are challenging. Very useful challenges. And I love the Bowen caution about lightly trying to be different in your family.
To me, theory has given the gift of possibility that it is possible to shift one’s behavior in a way that while difficult improves the chances for oneself and and the family both. For me this is a counter to my sense of determinism and fixedness of things in the family I’m unhappy about. Does one see the capacity in mammals in any way of taking actions to contribute something new to the emotional process of their group that furthers the adaptiveness of the group and is not a sacrifice of fitness on their part? I guess this is another question.
Oh my. This is a provocative post, Laurie. To think of our human traits as mammalian really gets my head going. I think of our dogs, Izzy and Dilly, and the relationship – friendship – each member of our household has with these beings, and the relationships the dogs have with each other and our cat, Larry. It also makes me think of the research done that indicates that humans have far, far less free will than we think we do. And finally, it makes me feel a little better about how darn hard it is to make even the smallest changes within me.