Not just for fun! Social play as a springboard for adult social competence in human and non-human primates

Abstract

Play is one of the most difficult behaviours to quantify and for this reason its study has had a very rocky history. Social play is ephemeral, difficult to distinguish from the other so called "serious" behaviours, not so frequent (especially in sexually mature subjects), fast and complex to describe.Due to its multifaceted nature, it has often been considered as a wastebasket category that has included all kinds of the behaviours not showing any immediate, obvious goal. Yet, play is widespread across the whole primate order and can have a strong impact on the development of cognitive, psychological and social skills of many species, including humans. Unlike functional behaviours that are specifically and economically performed to reduce uncertainty and to increase the opportunity to gain resources, play seems to introduce and increase uncertainty, creating new challenges for the animals. For this reason, social play has been hypothesized to be the engine of behavioural innovation in ontogeny.From the first mild and gentle interactions with the mother to the most sophisticated play fighting sessions and acrobatic action sequences with peers, play represents for juveniles (and not only for them!) a window onto the social and physical environment. In this review, I focus on social play and its relation to adult social competence. By playing, juveniles acquire competence to manage interactions with conspecifics, enlarge their social networks, and test their physical power and motor skills (i.e., long-term benefits). At the same time, I propose the view that play -due to its plastic and versatile nature -can be used in an opportunistic way, as a joker behaviour, throughout life to strategically obtain short-term or immediate benefits. I put forward the hypothesis that, during ontogeny, the joker function of play can be modulated according to the differing inter-individual relationships present in the diverse societies characterizing the primate order.

Embracing in a female-bonded monkey species (Theropithecus gelada).

“…In mammals, the endocrine changes occurring during the first phase of lactation seem to be one of the proximate factors influencing females' responsiveness towards their infants (Maestripieri, 2001). Human and non-human mothers interact emotionally with their newborns through mutual gaze (Ferrari, Paukner, Jonica & Suomi, 2009;Stern, 1985;Trevarthen, 1974Trevarthen, , 1980Tronick, 1989) and touch stimulation (Palagi, 2018). This positive affective process can then encompass different types of social interactions, from the mother-infant one to adult-adult interactions (either with kin or non-kin individuals), thus expanding such affective exchanges to other social domains.…”

Association between adolescent rough‐and‐tumble play and conduct problems, substance use, and risk‐taking behaviors: Findings from a school‐based sample

“…It is indeed necessary to remain measured and nuanced as to the results obtained and the conclusions that can be drawn from them. Especially since some of the more recent data on postpubescent RTP in nonhuman animals (Palagi, ; Pellis & Pellis, ; Vanderschuren & Trezza, ) show that this form of play can be used for affinitive purposes in some species and in some contexts. The potentially affiliative role of RTP should not be underestimated, as is the possibility that some adolescents may engage in gentler forms of RTP that are not associated with psychopathology, but rather, reflect a robust ability to gain and maintain friendships.…”

Understanding the links between social ties and fitness over the life cycle in primates

“…Ties that occur in the context of social play may serve a particularly important role in developing competence, as it provides opportunities for both social learning and physical maturation. Play predominantly occurs during immaturity and among peers, and is hypothesized to develop competence by providing 'practice for the unexpected' and 'self-assessment' (Spinka et al, 2001;Blumstein et al, 2013;Palagi, 2018). Social play consists of affiliative interactions that nevertheless involve acute social and physical challenges that are easily overcome and typically low risk.…”