Empirical studies on physiological and biological factors of the helping behavior by autistic individuals and autistic-like monkeys

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H02058
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAI Nobuyuki 名古屋大学, 情報学研究科, 教授 (30335062)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 神尾 陽子 国立研究開発法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 精神保健研究所 児童・予防精神医学研究部, 客員研究員 (00252445) ; 香田 啓貴 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 助教 (70418763)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉症 / 援助行動 / マーモセット / オキシトシン / 自閉症モデル動物 / 不公平忌避

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explores the helping behaviors of autistic individuals and autistic-like common marmosets, as marmosets are a rare species that help non-kin conspecifics. An initial study revealed that marmosets do not respond when other marmosets could receive food while they did not. This behavior is considered as exemplifying inequity aversion, which is the preference for fairness and resistance to inequalities. We investigate inequity aversion in marmosets who were prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA) in the womb and unexposed marmosets. We found that the latter show inequity aversion while the former do not. As prenatal exposure to VPA is a well-known procedure in inducing ASD-like behaviors in rodents, the lack of inequity aversion in the VPA marmosets could be attributed to weak social motivations or interest towards others.
Social skill training, including helping behaviors, lead to desirable behaviors by elementary school children, including high risk children with autism

Free Research Field

社会科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

援助行動は嫉妬や不公平感の裏返しであることが、霊長類の研究で示された。援助を促進するためには、これらのネガティブな気持ちを取り除くことが重要であることが示唆される。