Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA23640 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 21 Aug 2001 15:28:12 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101746019@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Spoiled Reward-Pathway Hypothesis Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 12:23:14 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
I'm prepared to be laughed at here, but what about the Giant Panda? It's
not exactly adapted for a bamboo only diet, isn't this addictive behaviour?
One problem, I suppose, is how one might define addictive behaviour in
animals in their natural environments, given that they largley do not have
the "free" time as it were, to indulge behaviours as humans can thanks to
our (in the developed parts of the world at any rate) having taken away the
time spent gathering food etc. Surely the lab experiments demonstrate the
principle that animals are capable of addictive behaviour given the "right"
circumstances?
There's a rboader problem around defining things as evidence of addictive
behaviour when they're not related to physiology- e.g. some drug use can be
addictive, but is say, gambling genuinely addictive in the same way? I
believe the psychology community (and policymakers) largely think so. But
then, what do I know...
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Philip Jonkers
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2001 1:44 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Spoiled Reward-Pathway Hypothesis
>
> Philip wrote:
> > > Consistent with the ideas presented above, addiction in animals
> > living
> > > in a natural environment is very improbable. Does anybody know of
> > > cases reporting animal addictive behavior?
> > >
> Joe wrote:
> > In studies of addiction performed upon chimpanzees, 'junkie
> > monkeys' eagerly extende their arms for their daily fix; rats would
> > push a lever which electrostimulated the pleasure centers in their
> > brains rather than other levers that fed them, to the point of
> > starvation, and other such results were reported with the
> > dispensation of cocaine to rats.
>
> I already knew that animals can be tempted into addictive behavior
> in a lab-environment. My question was actually about possible cases
> of animal addiction in non-lab environment, i.e. in their natural
> habitat. Do you know of any?
>
> Philip.
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
>
-- The University of Stirling is a university established in Scotland by charter at Stirling, FK9 4LA. Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not disclose, copy or deliver this message to anyone and any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of the University of Stirling shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.=============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Aug 21 2001 - 15:32:40 BST