Physiological Sociology. Endocrine Correlates of Status Behaviors

摘要

he physiological responses with which we are concerned in relation to status behaviors emphasize hormonal patterns involving the adrenal cortical steroids, adrenal medullary hormones, and gonadal hormones, and brain neuroregulators. Each of these endocrine or neuroregulatory systems is activated or depressed under differing stimulus conditions, remains in effect for differing lengths of time, and influences other systems of response differentially. Individual variation is great, and, the data to date can in no way be applied as an explanation to any given single event. We present a general description of the concept of role and status, and then proceed to a more detailed description of status behavior in a variety of human and nonhuman primate studies which suggest powerful evolutionary aspects of this behavior. Some of the literature relating status behaviors to endocrine function is presented. Finally, we consider aspects of the study of physiological sociology in terms of the relation of the physiological and behavioral events and the manner in which they may interact, and some of the possible relations of these materials to psychiatric illness.