Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 2010
Department 1
Psychology
Abstract
Most mammals play, but they do so in a dangerous world. The dynamic relationship between the stresses created by their world and the activity of play helps to explain the evolution of play in mammals, as the author demonstrates in evidence garnered from experiments that introduce elements of fear to rats at play. The author describes the resulting fearful behavior and quantifies the fluctuation in play that results, and then he investigates how these are modified by increased maternal care or the use of benzodiazepines. In conclusion, he discusses how such research can help shed light on the neurobiology underlying human anxiety disorders, espeically in children.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Siviy, S. M. (2010). Play and Adversity: How the Playful Mammalian Brain Withstands Threats and Anxieties. American Journal of Play, 2:3, 297-314. http://www.journalofplay.org/sites/www.journalofplay.org/files/pdf-articles/2-3-article-play-and-adversity.pdf
Included in
Behavioral Neurobiology Commons, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons, Psychology Commons