An international team of researchers has discovered that gentle touch plays a vital role not only in enhancing mental health but also in nurturing cooperation among individuals.
Touch and social connections are essential to help individuals cope with an increasingly stressful world, as indicated by the surge in mental health challenges. Gentle and caring touch is fundamental for establishing strong interpersonal relationships and promoting mental wellness. Commonly referred to as affective or comforting touch, it is associated with various health advantages, including improved social interactions, increased trust, lower stress levels, diminished pain, and overall enhanced mental health. A researcher from Konstanz and his team suggest that this nurturing touch is also important for animals and may contribute to the evolution of cooperative behaviors.
In a newly published study, a team of global researchers led by Michael Griesser from the University of Konstanz and its Cluster of Excellence “Collective Behaviour,” along with Miya Warrington from Oxford Brookes University, gathered evidence from the animal world to highlight the crucial role of touch in building friendships and cooperation among animals.
Griesser and Warrington examined different levels of touch and cooperation in two species of wild birds: Apostlebirds from Australia and Siberian jays from Sweden. They observed that Apostlebirds participate in extensive mutual preening and collaborate in various activities, such as raising their young, while Siberian jays engage in minimal preening and exhibit fewer cooperative behaviors. Collaborating with primatologists Judith Burkart and Natalie Uomini from the University of Zurich and mammal physiologists Nigel Bennett and Daniel Hart from the University of Pretoria, they explored the commonalities of touch, hormones, and cooperation among birds and mammals. Surprisingly, their findings revealed that touch is vital for forming and maintaining social connections, which subsequently influences cooperative behavior in animals.
Warrington clarifies that “cooperation” encompasses a range of behaviors that benefit the individuals involved, but these actions are not always rooted in kindness or strong relationships. Cooperation exists on a spectrum; for instance, impalas engage in mutual grooming to remove parasites they cannot reach, showcasing a more transactional aspect. In contrast, marmosets live in family groups and partake in communal activities without immediate gains, emphasizing their prosocial tendencies.
This continuum of cooperation is not unexpected, as it illustrates the diverse motivations and means by which various species work together. Griesser notes that in both Apostlebirds and Siberian jays, the degree of cooperation corresponds with the level of touch exchanged, their sensitivity to touch, and the nature of their social bonds. This trend is also evident in mole rats, where solitary species have fewer touch receptors and display low sensitivity to touch, unlike social species such as the highly cooperative naked mole rat.
For species that thrive in social settings, the nurturing touch experienced during early life lays a foundation that influences their behaviors as adults. Griesser and Warrington indicate that animals brought up in strong social networks are more inclined to engage in cooperative behaviors not just within their family units but also with other adults, forming friendships, partnerships, and during their own parenting efforts.
Key facts:
- The article titled “The power of caring touch: from survival to prosocial cooperation” was published in Journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
- It explores the connection between nurturing touch—especially during initial caregiving—and social behaviors, highlighting the hormones oxytocin and vasotocin as crucial elements in this dynamic.
- Michael Griesser is associated with the Cluster of Excellence “Collective Behaviour” at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.
- Miyako H. Warrington works as a researcher at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
- Additional contributors include Nigel C. Bennett (University of Pretoria), Judith M. Burkart (University of Zurich), Daniel W. Hart (University of Pretoria), and Natalie Uomini (University of Zurich).
