Lezing
SG - The Playful Brain
What makes social play so rewarding? How does it contribute to our development? Learn what we playfully share with other mammals, like rats.
About The Playful Brain
We humans share our playfulness with other mammals, like rats. Frequently we play together, and especially the young energetically play a lot. Playing gives pleasure, for sure, and it’s thought to be important for social, emotional and cognitive development.How does a behavioural scientist determine which collective behaviour is social play, and which is not? What are the brain mechanisms of social play, in particular its pleasurable properties? And how does social play contribute to the development of brain and behaviour? Professor Louk Vanderschuren digs into those questions, basing himself on the study of the social play of rats.
About lecture series Play
Through play we learn how to live. Living, to play is one of our greatest joys. What do a social and a behavioural scientist have to say about the nature and potential of play? How can we use this great capacity to improve the lives of ourselves and others?
About prof. dr. Louk Vanderschuren
Louk Vanderschuren is Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University. He obtained his PhD degree at Utrecht University, on opioid neurotransmission and social play behaviour in rats. Subsequently, he investigated the neurobiology of drug addiction at the VU University Amsterdam and the University of Cambridge. He was appointed staff member at the UMC Utrecht in 2004, and in 2010 he was appointed Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He is Past-President of the European Behavioural Pharmacology Society and Editor-in-Chief of Behavioural Pharmacology. He has published over175 articles in international peer-reviewed journals.