scholarly journals The developmental support hypothesis: adaptive plasticity in neural development in response to cues of social support

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1803) ◽  
pp. 20190491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Snell-Rood ◽  
Claire Snell-Rood
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Adaptive Plasticity ◽  
Early Life Programming ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Cognition And Culture ◽  
New Research ◽  
Developmental Support

Across mammals, cues of developmental support, such as touching, licking or attentiveness, stimulate neural development, behavioural exploration and even overall body growth. Why should such fitness-related traits be so sensitive to developmental conditions? Here, we review what we term the ‘developmental support hypothesis’, a potential adaptive explanation of this plasticity. Neural development can be a costly process, in terms of time, energy and exposure. However, environmental variability may sometimes compromise parental care during this costly developmental period. We propose this environmental variation has led to the evolution of adaptive plasticity of neural and behavioural development in response to cues of developmental support, where neural development is stimulated in conditions that support associated costs. When parental care is compromised, offspring grow less and adopt a more resilient and stress-responsive strategy, improving their chances of survival in difficult conditions, similar to existing ideas on the adaptive value of early-life programming of stress. The developmental support hypothesis suggests new research directions, such as testing the adaptive value of reduced neural growth and metabolism in stressful conditions, and expanding the range of potential cues animals may attend to as indicators of developmental support. Considering evolutionary and ecologically appropriate cues of social support also has implications for promoting healthy neural development in humans. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.

scholarly journals Parental effects alter the adaptive value of an adult behavioural trait

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M Kilner ◽  
Giuseppe Boncoraglio ◽  
Jonathan M Henshaw ◽  
Benjamin JM Jarrett ◽  
Ornela De Gasperin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Parental Effects ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Nicrophorus Vespilloides ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Behavioural Trait ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences ◽  
Benefits And Costs

The parents' phenotype, or the environment they create for their young, can have long-lasting effects on their offspring, with profound evolutionary consequences. Yet, virtually no work has considered how such parental effects might change the adaptive value of behavioural traits expressed by offspring upon reaching adulthood. To address this problem, we combined experiments on burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) with theoretical modelling and focussed on one adult behavioural trait in particular: the supply of parental care. We manipulated the early-life environment and measured the fitness payoffs associated with the supply of parental care when larvae reached maturity. We found that (1) adults that received low levels of care as larvae were less successful at raising larger broods and suffered greater mortality as a result: they were low-quality parents. Furthermore, (2) high-quality males that raised offspring with low-quality females subsequently suffered greater mortality than brothers of equivalent quality, which reared larvae with higher quality females. Our analyses identify three general ways in which parental effects can change the adaptive value of an adult behavioural trait: by influencing the associated fitness benefits and costs; by consequently changing the evolutionary outcome of social interactions; and by modifying the evolutionarily stable expression of behavioural traits that are themselves parental effects.

Problems of social support for graduates of orphanages in a pandemic (regional aspect)

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 118-127
Author(s):  
M. A. Cherevko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Social Adaptation ◽  
Difficult Situation ◽  
Regional Aspect ◽  
The One

The article is devoted to the issues related to the study of problems of orphans and children left without parental care in the context of a pandemic (COVID-19). Analysis of the existing situation in this problem field testifies to the exacerbation of traditional contradictions, on the one hand, and the emergence of completely new ones, complicating the difficult situation with this category of the population, on the other. The article analyzes the problems faced by graduates of orphanages, generated by the conditions of the pandemic and aspects of social policy in this direction (problems of social adaptation in society, violation of the basic rights of graduates, problems of legal nihilism, the lack of a fundamental federal and regional legal framework on this issue, the lack of technical capabilities of graduates in receiving remote social support). The article highlights the need to develop mechanisms for interdepartmental interaction for post-boarding support on the territory of the Khabarovsk territory. The empirical data obtained as a result of the conducted expert survey actualizes the need for a radical change in the vector of solving problems in relation to graduates of orphanages and social support for this category of persons in the short term. The revealed contradictions in legal regulation indicate the absence of unified approach to the concept of post-boarding support as a type of social support. It was found that the organization of post-boarding support belongs to the powers of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which, in turn, differently carry out the legal regulation of social relations in the field of post-boarding support of orphans. The article draws the main conclusions and proposals for improving the activities of subjects on post-boarding support for orphans and children left without parental care.

scholarly journals Tricking Parents: A Review of Mechanisms and Signals of Host Manipulation by Brood-Parasitic Young

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Rojas Ripari ◽  
Cynthia A. Ursino ◽  
Juan C. Reboreda ◽  
María C. De Mársico
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Parental Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Host Manipulation ◽  
Sensory Exploitation ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
The Past ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Parental Feeding

Obligate avian brood parasites depend entirely on heterospecific hosts for rearing their offspring. From hatching until independence, the young parasites must deal with the challenge of obtaining sufficient parental care from foster parents that are attuned to provisioning their own offspring. Parent-offspring communication is mediated by complex begging displays in which nestlings and fledglings exhibit visual (e.g., gaping and postures) and vocal (e.g., begging calls) traits that serve as signals to parents to adjust and allocate parental effort. Parasites can manipulate host parental behavior by exploiting these stable parent-offspring communication systems in their favor. During the past 30 years, the study of host exploitation by parasitic chicks has yielded important insights into the function and evolution of manipulative signals in brood parasites. However, despite these major advances, there are still important gaps in our knowledge about how parasitic nestling and fledglings tune into the host’s communication channels and the adaptive value of the visual and acoustic signals they exhibit. Here we review the literature pertaining to host manipulation by parasitic young, focusing on four non-mutually exclusive mechanisms (i.e., host chick mimicry, begging exaggeration, host-attuned begging calls, and sensory exploitation) and the function and evolution of the signals involved, with the aim to summarize and discuss putative adaptations for stimulating parental feeding and escaping host discrimination. Finally, we bring some concluding remarks and suggest directions for future research on the ways in which brood parasites adapt to the communication systems of other birds to exploit the necessary parental care.

scholarly journals International Experience of Providing Housing for Orphans and Children Left Without Parental Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 95-102
Author(s):  
E.Yu. Vasilieva ◽  
◽  
E.V. Frolova ◽  
O.V. Rogach ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
International Experience ◽  
Market Development ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Educational Trajectories ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Right

the article presents an analysis of international experience in solving the housing problems of orphans and children left without parental care. These practices create certain opportunities for their adaptation in the conditions of the Russian Federation, taking into account the existing restrictions and socioeconomic risks. Among the promising opportunities for adapting international experience, the following can be distinguished: support of educational trajectories of orphans, ensuring their effective entry into the labor market, development of the institution of mentoring in the form of both state support and public charitable initiatives, development of the practice of social renting of housing from the municipal fund without the right to transfer it into the ownership of another person, expanding the representation of non-profit organizations in the field of social support for orphans and children left without parental care.

The Scientific Pursuit of Happiness

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Myers ◽  
Ed Diener
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Pursuit Of Happiness ◽  
Personal Traits ◽  
Happiness Research ◽  
Religious Engagement ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Research

We review the history of happiness research that gave rise to our 1995 review. We then summarize—and update with a quick synopsis of more recent research—each of our conclusions regarding the associations of subjective well-being with age, gender, income, personal traits, social support, and religious engagement. Finally, we briefly review new research on the benefits of happiness, and of happiness interventions at both individual and national levels.

scholarly journals PSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION AND FUNCTIONING OF A FOSTER FAMILY

2021 ◽  
pp. 182-186
Author(s):  
Vira Syniakova 
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Psychological Climate ◽  
Foster Family ◽  
Component Structure ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Creation

The urgency of the problem of social and biological orphanhood in modern Ukraine is determined by constant growth and is determined by socio-economic, moral and ethical, psychological difficulties of functioning. Most children deprived of parental care are in state educational institutions, which unfortunately are not able to exercise individual educational influence on each child. Accordingly, the priority form of placement of orphans of family education. The success of the functioning of these forms is possible under the conditions of the effectiveness of their social support. The purpose of the article is to analyze the leading areas of social support of foster families and to determine the psychological basis of social support for the creation and functioning of a foster family. To achieve this goal, the following research methods were applied: at the first stage, we conducted a theoretical analysis, in particular, analysis of the scientific literature and semantic analysis of concepts to identify the component structure of social support; the second stage is the stage of expert evaluation using the method of focal objects (model of the psychological climate of the foster family). The article proves that the condition for successful socialization of a child in a foster family is a favorable psychological climate, which is realized through the following components: (i) Cognitive (intellectual) − objective ideas and knowledge about the specific psychological characteristics and needs of a child left without parental care; taking into account the individual characteristics of the child's development; understanding of its interests and values; (ii) Personal − motivation of potential parents, their expectations and attitudes towards the unborn child, personal characteristics (empathy, flexibility, resistance to stress); conducting pathocharacterological diagnosis; (iii) Activity − the presence of experience in raising children, the peculiarities of existing educational skills, taking into account their own children's experience; (iv) Family − the functioning of the family as a system, the peculiarities of relations in the family, in its subsystems (child-parent, marital), the involvement of the family in social life, the willingness to cooperate with professionals. Improving each component is a prerequisite for the successful functioning of the foster family.

scholarly journals Social support for orphans and children deprived of parental care: Ukrainian innovations

2019 ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Iryna Albul
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
The State ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
The Family ◽  
State And Local

Modern European integration of Ukraine provides for the revision of the main guidelines in the state policy for creating conditions for satisfying the needs and interests of children, and realization of their rights. In particular, the main factor in the field of childhood protection is the focus on the upbringing of the child in the family environment, in support of the family; as an alternative, in the absence of parental care, to create a child-friendly environment. This orientation requires changes in the social support of orphans and children deprived of parental care. The purpose of the research. The aim of the study is to highlight and analyze certain aspects of Ukraine’s innovation activities regarding social support for orphans and children deprived of parental care; determine innovative features of social protection of Ukrainian children in terms of parental care absence. Methodology. The use of methods of analysis, synthesis and generalization revealed the main tendencies of innovative activity of the state authorities regarding orphans and children deprived of parental care. Results and practical meaning. It has been found out that the innovative development of the Ukrainian social support system for orphans and children deprived of parental care is due to positive world experience and focused on the protection of the best interests of the child and the satisfaction of their vital needs; reforming social protection system requires active involvement of the state and civil society institutions, aimed at the deinstitutionalization of placement of orphans and children deprived of parental care, and reorientation of the principles of financial support for families with adopted children; special attention is paid to cooperation with business representatives and international donors. The following basic vectors of social support for orphans and children deprived of parental care have been stated: modernization of algorithms for financing establishments of institutional type, approval of co-financing mechanisms from state and local budgets, and approval of state standards for social care for families with specified category of children. Prospects for further research. The study and analysis of regional programs of social support for orphans and children deprived of parental care in terms of decentralization and funding have been identified as promising.

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