User:Versteegv/sandbox

Play (Activity): Play and Animals

Ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior, defines play as a wide variety of voluntary and intrinsically motivated behaviors generally associated with the entertainment and pleasure of the player. While play is often seen as a fun but rather meaningless pastime activity for juveniles, it actually has the potential to serve as an important tool in numerous aspects of daily life for adolescents, adults, and high-functioning non-human species (in addition to juveniles). Not only does play promote and aid in physical development (coordination, depth-perception, etc.), it also aids in cognitive development, social skills, and can even act as a stepping stone into the world of integration (for non-human species), which can be a very lengthy and dangerous process.

Playing in non-human species take on numerous forms; the specific play behaviors observed from each species can tell us a lot about the player’s environment, personal needs, and the norms of the group. Play behaviors (various actions and signals) often serve as tools for communication and expression. Through mimicry, chasing, jumping, biting, thrill-seeking, and self-entertainment, we’re able to deduce what the player may be acting out or communicating to or with another player. When play behavior was observed in Tonkean macaques, it was discovered that play signals weren’t always used to initiate play; rather, these signals were viewed purely as methods of communication. Play behavior was used to directly inform one another of their intentions, mood, state of their environment (threat displays, alert calls, etc. through play-like movements and actions). Play is not only a way for animals to become familiar and comfortable with each other, but a way to become confident with alerting each other, confronting each other, and keeping the group safe and aware at all times.

Depending on the cognitive complexity of the non-human species, differences in play behavior can indicate social rank within the group, relationships among the group, and can even serve as a management system for the social norms of the group; this is most often achieved and observed through interactive play. In humans and non-humans alike, interactive play is the most important and beneficial; aside from physical and cognitive development, play is an important tool for securing bonds and relationships amongst immediate family. Securing the bond between mother and baby, for example, is vital for survival of the baby. The mother and siblings (if any) are often the first playmates a baby has; this is where the baby learns the social norms, gestures and signals of communication, attention, expression, etc. that are frequently seen and observed from members of the group. Once these relationships have become secure and familiar, the juvenile will move onto playing with other members of the group and transition into the open and social world that surrounds them.