Dr. Alexa H. Veenema

Dr. Veenema & Neuropeptides and Play

Dr. Veenema and the students in her lab study the neurobiology of social behavior (such as social play and sociosexual motivation), specifically the effects of vasopressin and oxytocin. She also looks at how these relationships are different for individuals depending on their sex, age, and early life experiences. Why social behavior? On her website, Dr. Veenema outlines her reasons for focusing in this area:

"Understanding the regulation of social behavior is essential to gain insights in normal as well as abnormal social functioning. Abnormal social functioning is observed in various psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, personality disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. Vasopressin and oxytocin are closely related and evolutionarily highly conserved neuropeptides synthesized and released in the brain. Importantly, these neuropeptides play key roles in the regulation of social behavior in a wide variety of species, including humans and rodents."

Unlike many psychology researchers, Dr. Veenema doesn't work directly with humans -- instead, she and her students use rats and mice as model organisms. The information below explores how and why she works with animals: as you're reading, keep what you've learned about biological psychology in mind. What are the costs and benefits of working with animal models? What does it mean for our research findings and their real-world applications?

Reflect on the Research

The video to the left is a recording of an online presentation from Dr. Veenema about her research. Located below are some reflection questions and prompts. As you view the video, keep the reflection questions and our class discussions in mind. Dr. Veenema touches upon many complex ideas very quickly, so we'll try to unpack some of them and get a feel for how these issues impact real researchers and real people.

For each question below, try to respond in 2-5 sentences.

At the 1:00 Minute Mark

Here, Dr. Veenema is talking about two different approaches to research. One is a vulnerability or deficit-based approach that focuses on why people fall victim to a disorder, and the other is a resilience or strengths-based approach that explores how and why people resist falling victim to a disorder. A bit more about these two approaches:

"The basic tenet of any strengths-based approach ... is that every individual, every group and every organization has strengths. Identifying these assets and using them as a starting point for research or practice enables researchers to frame their work within a positive paradigm and build upon the available strengths. The approach was developed as a counterpoint to the more traditional deficit approach wherein professionals, as experts, would observe their subjects and identify their deficits so as to then intervene, address the deficit and solve the problem....

Strengths-based theory and practice do not expect the researcher to ignore deficits and problems but to adopt a perspective that incorporates a new balance when researching and working with individuals, groups and organizations. Deficiencies are not emphasized. While one can acknowledge that a range of challenges exists, at the same time one can use a strengths-based approach to work through any challenges with the individual, group or organization." (Harvey, 2014)

1. If you were the researcher in charge, developing a study to benefit many people as quickly and easily as possible, which approach do you think you would choose?

2. If you were a participant or a member of the population, which approach would you want the researcher to choose?

At the 4:00 Minute Mark

3. What does it mean for a neuropeptide to be evolutionarily conserved? Why is it important for research on social behavior with animal models?

At the 5:00 Minute Mark

4. Based on what you've seen so far: if someone said that Dr. Veenema's research shows that men and women have different brains, would you agree? Why or why not?

At the 7:30 Minute Mark

5. How do you think juvenile play behavior contributes to social competence? What about something like depression or aggression?

At the 10:00 Minute Mark

6. Research shows that there are sex differences in AVP fibers (structures of the brain that carry information, where more fibers = more information) and that there are sex differences in the sensitivity of AVP receptors (structures that respond to neuropeptides, where more sensitive receptors = stronger effect of AVP). After looking at the graphs in the video, which interpretation of the research do you think is most correct? What does this conclusion mean for the effects of AVP on men and women?

a. Males have more AVP fibers in the lateral septum, and their receptors are more sensitive to AVP. This means that males' brains are more sensitive to AVP and can transmit more information about when and how it is activated.

b. Males have more AVP fibers in the lateral septum, but their receptors are less sensitive to AVP. This means that males' brains are less sensitive to AVP but can transmit more information about when and how it is activated.

Feel free to keep watching if you're interested, but this is the final reflection question. As you can see, even in the first ten minutes, Dr. Veenema has touched on many ideas -- her research approach, evolution and the brain, social functioning for juveniles and adults, and sex differences in the brain. She hasn't even had a chance to start talking about her own findings yet! Does this change how you view what you've learned about biological psychology? Why or why not?

Harvey, M. (2014). "Strengths-Based Approach". In Coghlan, D & Brydon-Miller, M (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research. London: SAGE Publications LTD.

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