Understanding social attachment as a window into the neural basis of prosocial behavior

Abstract

The representation and demonstration of human values are intimately tied to our status as a social species. Humans are relatively unique in our ability to form enduring social attachments, characterized by the development of a selective bond that persists over time. Such relationships include the bonds between parents and offspring, pair bonds between partners and other affiliative contacts, in addition to group relationships to which we may form direct and symbolic affiliations. Many of the cognitive and behavioral processes thought to be linked to our capacity for social attachment—including consolation, empathy, and social motivation, and the implicated neural circuits mediating these constructs, are shared with those thought to be important for the representation of prosocial values. This perspective piece will examine the hypothesis that our ability to form such long-term bonds may play an essential role in the construction of human values and ethical systems, and that components of prosocial behaviors are shared across species. Humans are one of a few species that form such long-term and exclusive attachments and our understanding of the neurobiology underlying attachment behavior has been advanced by studying behavior in non-human animals. The overlap in behavioral and affective constructs underlying attachment behavior and value representation is discussed, followed by evidence from other species that demonstrate attachment behavior that supports the overlapping neurobiological basis for social bonds and prosocial behavior. The understanding of attachment biology has broad implications for human health as well as for understanding the basis for and variations in prosocial behavior.

Pet attachment and prosocial attitude toward humans: the mediating role of empathy to animals

“…Numerous studies demonstrate a positive association between attachment and prosocial tendencies in both human-human and human-animal interactions ( Thompson and Gullone, 2008 ; Langston, 2014 ; Hawkins and Williams, 2017 ; Malonda et al, 2019 ; Costa Martins et al, 2022 ; Berendzen, 2023 ; Deneault et al, 2023 ). Drawing from Bowlby’s attachment theory, which underscores the importance of emotional bonds, particularly between infants and caregivers, this paper delves into the foundational role of attachment in influencing prosocial tendencies.…”

“…These studies, conducted across various populations including Chinese, American, and Spanish adolescents, reveal a pattern wherein stronger attachments correlate with higher levels of empathy, subsequently leading to increased engagement in prosocial acts. With the growing recognition of pets as attachment figures ( Kurdek, 2009 ; Zilcha-Mano et al, 2012 ; Rockett and Carr, 2014 ; Meehan et al, 2017 ) and their positive correlation with prosocial behaviors ( Thompson and Gullone, 2008 ; Langston, 2014 ; Hawkins and Williams, 2017 ; Berendzen, 2023 ), coupled with an understanding of empathy’s pivotal role in linking attachment and prosocial tendencies observed in human-to-human interactions, this study aims to investigate whether empathy similarly acts as a mediator in the context of human-animal interactions.…”