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Biology
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Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding
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Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 26002

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shir Atzil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9103401, Israel
Interests: social neuroscience; behavioural neuroscience; affective neuroscience; parental bonding; romantic bonding; allostasis; infant development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Humans cooperate with each other, form long-term pair bonds with selected sexual partners and care for their children over an extended period of time. Social species, such as humans, can be defined as animals that are dependent on conspecifics in order to survive and prosper. Indeed, humans depend on one another to maintain optimal physiological regulation and well-being throughout their lifespan.

The aim of the current Special Issue is to provide a novel and comprehensive view on the mechanisms of human bonding. It will present recent findings within the broad field of bonding research, and bridge across domain-general processes that underlie different kinds of human bonds. The presented evidence may emerge from studies that emphasize neural, physiological or behavioral mechanisms that attach humans together in close bonds. Furthermore, studies may focus on any kind of human bond across the lifespan, including parental and romantic bonding, and on modelling specific cognitive, neural or behavioral abilities that are relevant for social bonding. Finally, studies that include multi-disciplinary approaches involving behavior, neuroscience, physiology, and genetics are welcome.

Authors are invited to submit relevant original research articles, as well as opinion and review papers.

Dr. Shir Atzil
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bonding
  • parenting
  • parenting behaviour
  • parenting brain
  • romantic bonding
  • sexual behaviour
  • social reward
  • social interaction
  • synchrony
  • attunement
  • social biology
  • social neuroscience
  • attachment
  • oxytocin
  • dopamine
  • vasopressin

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 1076 KiB  
Article
Developmental Cascades Link Maternal–Newborn Skin-to-Skin Contact with Young Adults’ Psychological Symptoms, Oxytocin, and Immunity; Charting Mechanisms of Developmental Continuity from Birth to Adulthood
by Adi Ulmer-Yaniv, Karen Yirmiya, Itai Peleg, Orna Zagoory-Sharon and Ruth Feldman
Biology 2023, 12(6), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12060847 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1791
Abstract
Premature birth disrupts the continuity of maternal–newborn bodily contact, which underpins the development of physiological and behavioral support systems. Utilizing a unique cohort of mother–preterm dyads who received skin-to-skin contact (Kangaroo Care, KC) versus controls, and following them to adulthood, we examined how [...] Read more.
Premature birth disrupts the continuity of maternal–newborn bodily contact, which underpins the development of physiological and behavioral support systems. Utilizing a unique cohort of mother–preterm dyads who received skin-to-skin contact (Kangaroo Care, KC) versus controls, and following them to adulthood, we examined how a touch-based neonatal intervention impacts three adult outcomes; anxiety/depressive symptoms, oxytocin, and secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA), a biomarker of the immune system. Consistent with dynamic systems’ theory, we found that links from KC to adult outcomes were indirect, mediated by its effects on maternal mood, child attention and executive functions, and mother–child synchrony across development. These improvements shaped adult outcomes via three mechanisms; (a) “sensitive periods”, where the infancy improvement directly links with an outcome, for instance, infant attention linked with higher oxytocin and lower s-IgA; (b) “step-by-step continuity”, where the infancy improvement triggers iterative changes across development, gradually shaping an outcome; for instance, mother–infant synchrony was stable across development and predicted lower anxiety/depressive symptoms; and (c) “inclusive mutual-influences”, describing cross-time associations between maternal, child, and dyadic factors; for instance, from maternal mood to child executive functions and back. Findings highlight the long-term impact of a birth intervention across development and provide valuable insights on the mechanisms of “developmental continuity”, among the key topics in developmental research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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14 pages, 1134 KiB  
Article
Breastfeeding at Any Cost? Adverse Effects of Breastfeeding Pain on Mother–Infant Behavior
by Maayan Abargil, Merav Irani, Nathalie klein Selle and Shir Atzil
Biology 2023, 12(5), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12050636 - 22 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2185
Abstract
Breast milk is considered the ideal infant nutrition, and medical organizations encourage breastfeeding worldwide. Moreover, breastfeeding is often perceived as a natural and spontaneous socio-biological process and one of the fundamental roles of new mothers. While breastfeeding is beneficial, little scientific consideration has [...] Read more.
Breast milk is considered the ideal infant nutrition, and medical organizations encourage breastfeeding worldwide. Moreover, breastfeeding is often perceived as a natural and spontaneous socio-biological process and one of the fundamental roles of new mothers. While breastfeeding is beneficial, little scientific consideration has been given to its potential psychological challenges. Here, we investigate the phenomenon of breastfeeding pain in mothers and its association with maternal and infant behavioral regulation. During the postpartum weeks, the mother–infant dyad can be considered one allostatic unit directed at infant regulation and development. We hypothesize that pain comprises an allostatic challenge for mothers and will thus impair the capacity for dyadic regulation. To test this, we recruited 71 mothers with varying levels of breastfeeding pain and videotaped them with their infants (2–35 weeks old) during spontaneous face-to-face interactions. We quantified the individual differences in dyadic regulation by behaviorally coding the second-by-second affective expressions for each mother and infant throughout their interactions. We tested the extent to which breastfeeding pain alters affect regulation during mother–infant interactions. We discovered that mothers with severe breastfeeding pain express less affective expressions and less infant-directed gaze during interactive moments of engagement and play than mothers with no or moderate pain. Moreover, infants of mothers experiencing pain during breastfeeding express less affective expressions and more mother-directed gaze while interacting with their mothers than infants of mothers who are not in pain. This demonstrates that the allostatic challenge of maternal pain interferes with the behavioral regulation of both mothers and infants. Since the mother–infant dyad is a codependent allostatic unit, the allostatic challenges of one partner can impact the dyad and thus potentially impact child development, bonding, and mother and infant well-being. The challenges of breastfeeding should be considered in addition to the nutritional advances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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18 pages, 1468 KiB  
Article
Mother–Infant Brain-to-Brain Synchrony Patterns Reflect Caregiving Profiles
by Yaara Endevelt-Shapira and Ruth Feldman
Biology 2023, 12(2), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020284 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4357
Abstract
Biobehavioral synchrony, the coordination of physiological and behavioral signals between mother and infant during social contact, tunes the child’s brain to the social world. Probing this mechanism from a two-brain perspective, we examine the associations between patterns of mother–infant inter-brain synchrony and the [...] Read more.
Biobehavioral synchrony, the coordination of physiological and behavioral signals between mother and infant during social contact, tunes the child’s brain to the social world. Probing this mechanism from a two-brain perspective, we examine the associations between patterns of mother–infant inter-brain synchrony and the two well-studied maternal behavioral orientations—sensitivity and intrusiveness—which have repeatedly been shown to predict positive and negative socio-emotional outcomes, respectively. Using dual-electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, we measure inter-brain connectivity between 60 mothers and their 5- to 12-month-old infants during face-to-face interaction. Thirty inter-brain connections show significantly higher correlations during the real mother–infant face-to-face interaction compared to surrogate data. Brain–behavior correlations indicate that higher maternal sensitivity linked with greater mother–infant neural synchrony, whereas higher maternal intrusiveness is associated with lower inter-brain coordination. Post hoc analysis reveals that the mother-right-frontal–infant-left-temporal connection is particularly sensitive to the mother’s sensitive style, while the mother-left-frontal–infant-right-temporal connection indexes the intrusive style. Our results support the perspective that inter-brain synchrony is a mechanism by which mature brains externally regulate immature brains to social living and suggest that one pathway by which sensitivity and intrusiveness exert their long-term effect may relate to the provision of coordinated inputs to the social brain during its sensitive period of maturation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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Review

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23 pages, 1611 KiB  
Review
The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives
by Sarah A. Blumenthal and Larry J. Young
Biology 2023, 12(6), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12060844 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9289
Abstract
Love is a powerful emotional experience that is rooted in ancient neurobiological processes shared with other species that pair bond. Considerable insights have been gained into the neural mechanisms driving the evolutionary antecedents of love by studies in animal models of pair bonding, [...] Read more.
Love is a powerful emotional experience that is rooted in ancient neurobiological processes shared with other species that pair bond. Considerable insights have been gained into the neural mechanisms driving the evolutionary antecedents of love by studies in animal models of pair bonding, particularly in monogamous species such as prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Here, we provide an overview of the roles of oxytocin, dopamine, and vasopressin in regulating neural circuits responsible for generating bonds in animals and humans alike. We begin with the evolutionary origins of bonding in mother–infant relationships and then examine the neurobiological underpinnings of each stage of bonding. Oxytocin and dopamine interact to link the neural representation of partner stimuli with the social reward of courtship and mating to create a nurturing bond between individuals. Vasopressin facilitates mate-guarding behaviors, potentially related to the human experience of jealousy. We further discuss the psychological and physiological stress following partner separation and their adaptive function, as well as evidence of the positive health outcomes associated with being pair-bonded based on both animal and human studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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Other

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13 pages, 784 KiB  
Perspective
Multimodal Approach for Characterizing the Quality of Parent–Child Interaction: A Single Synchronization Source May Not Tell the Whole Story
by Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus and Carmel Gashri
Biology 2023, 12(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020241 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3031
Abstract
The interaction between the parent and child is essential for the child’s cognitive and emotional development and sets the path for future well-being. These interactions, starting from birth, are necessary for providing the sensory stimulation the child needs in the critical time window [...] Read more.
The interaction between the parent and child is essential for the child’s cognitive and emotional development and sets the path for future well-being. These interactions, starting from birth, are necessary for providing the sensory stimulation the child needs in the critical time window of brain development. The characterization of parent–child interactions is traditionally performed by human decoding. This approach is considered the leading and most accurate way of characterizing the quality of these interactions. However, the development of computational tools and especially the concept of parent–child synchronization opened up an additional source of data characterizing these interactions in an objective, less human-labor manner. Such sources include brain-to-brain, voice/speech, eye contact, motor, and heart-rate synchronization. However, can a single source synchronization dataset accurately represent parent–child interaction? Will attending to the same stimulation, often resulting in a higher brain-to-brain synchronization, be considered an interactive condition? In this perspective, we will try to convey a new concept of the child–parent interaction synchronization (CHIPS) matrix, which includes the different sources of signals generated during an interaction. Such a model may assist in explaining the source of interaction alterations in the case of child/parent developmental/emotional or sensory deficits and may open up new ways of assessing interventions and changes in parent–child interactions along development. We will discuss this interaction during one of the parent–child joint activities providing opportunities for interaction, i.e., storytelling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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13 pages, 589 KiB  
Perspective
From Oxytocin to Compassion: The Saliency of Distress
by Barbora Kucerova, Nava Levit-Binnun, Ilanit Gordon and Yulia Golland
Biology 2023, 12(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020183 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3942
Abstract
Compassion is a warm response of care and concern for those who are suffering, which drives individuals to devote their resources for the sake of others. A prominent neuroevolutionary framework grounds compassion in the neurobiology of the mammalian caregiving system. Accordingly, it has [...] Read more.
Compassion is a warm response of care and concern for those who are suffering, which drives individuals to devote their resources for the sake of others. A prominent neuroevolutionary framework grounds compassion in the neurobiology of the mammalian caregiving system. Accordingly, it has been suggested that the oxytocinergic system, which plays a central role in parental caregiving and bonding, provides the neurobiological foundation for compassion towards strangers. Yet, the specific role of oxytocin in compassion is far from clear. The current paper aims to target this gap and offer a theoretical framework that integrates the state-of-the-art literature on oxytocin with research on compassion. We suggest that oxytocin mediates compassion by enhancing the saliency of cues of pain and distress and discuss the plausible underlying neurobiological substrates. We further demonstrate how the proposed framework can account for individual differences in compassion, focusing on the effects of attachment on caregiving and support. The proposed framework integrates the current scientific understanding of oxytocin function with compassion-related processes. It thus highlights the largely ignored attentional processes in compassion and taps into the vast variability of responses in social contexts involving pain and suffering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural and Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Human Bonding)
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