The Neurobiology of Parental Behavior

In addition to filling a need within the field of parental behavior,
this book contributes importantly to the growing area of emotional and
motivational neuroscience. A major part of neuroscience research at
the whole organism level has been focused on cognitive neuroscience,
with an emphasis on the neurobiology of learning and memory, but there
has been a recent upsurge in research which is attempting to define
the neural basis of basic motivational and emotional systems which
regulate such behaviors as food intake, aggression, reproduction,
reward-seeking behaviors, and anxiety-related behaviors.
In this book the emphasis is on the research findings obtained from
rodents, sheep and primates. The authors' goal, of course, was to
provide a foundation that may help us understand the neurobiology of
human parental behavior. Indeed, the last chapter attempts to
integrate the non-human research data with some human data in order to
make some inroads toward an understanding of postpartum depression,
child abuse, and child neglect. Clearly, motivational and emotional
neuroscience has close ties to psychiatry, and this connection will be
very evident in the final chapter. By understanding the neurobiology
of parental behavior we are also delving into neurobiological factors
which may have an impact on core human characteristics involved in
sociality, social attachment, nurturing behavior, and love. In this
very violent world, it is hard to conceive of a group of
characteristics that are more worthy of study.