Raleigh et al (1984)

#stu

Aim

Understand the relationship between serotonin levels and a person's social status.

Method

Natural experiment, test on Vervet Monkeys

Procedure

Divided the Vervet monkeys into groups containing three males, three females, and their offspring. After 5 months of captivity, the monkeys were categorized as either dominant(Leader) or submissive(followed by the leader). To make sure their results were accurate, they removed the dominant monkeys from their groups.

Findings

The monkeys that became dominant had a 60% increase in serotonin levels, while the ones that became submissive had a 40% decrease in serotonin levels.

Conclusion

Natural Selection would have helped the submissive ancestors to avoid fights with stronger opponents and, therefore survive to pass down that beneficial gene(Evolutional Psy)

Strength

• the use of a pre-test/post-test design, they measured the serotonin levels of the male monkeys before the changes in the social hierarchy occurred
• demonstrates that changes in the hierarchical position as opposed to the monkey's losing one's rank due to a drop in serotonin
• add validity to the claim that depressive behaviors may be rooted in the loss of social status (eliminates the problem of bidirectional ambiguity)

Limitations

• based on the assumptions that serotonin is the cause of depression in humans
• serotonin hypothesis is highly contested
• research does not look at the role of other neurotransmitters or hormones in depressive behaviour
• link to human depression may be limited
• does not consider the social lies of humans are far more complex that those of monkeys, suggesting the need for caution when generalizing findings to human behaviour
• does not address cognitive factors role when faced with loss of position (important point as humans are capable of reframing a social loss as gain)