scholarly journals Social status and personality: stability in social state can promote consistency of behavioural responses

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1774) ◽  
pp. 20132531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Favati ◽  
Olof Leimar ◽  
Tommy Radesäter ◽  
Hanne Løvlie
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Gallus Gallus Domesticus ◽  
Individual Property ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Underlying Factor ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Personality Stability

Stability of ‘state’ has been suggested as an underlying factor explaining behavioural stability and animal personality (i.e. variation among, and consistency within individuals in behavioural responses), but the possibility that stable social relationships represent such states remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the influence of social status on the expression and consistency of behaviours by experimentally changing social status between repeated personality assays. We used male domestic fowl ( Gallus gallus domesticus ), a social species that forms relatively stable dominance hierarchies, and showed that behavioural responses were strongly affected by social status, but also by individual characteristics. The level of vigilance, activity and exploration changed with social status, whereas boldness appeared as a stable individual property, independent of status. Furthermore, variation in vocalization predicted future social status, indicating that individual behaviours can both be a predictor and a consequence of social status, depending on the aspect in focus. Our results illustrate that social states contribute to both variation and stability in behavioural responses, and should therefore be taken into account when investigating and interpreting variation in personality.

scholarly journals Cues of Social Status: Associations Between Attractiveness, Dominance, and Status

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 147470492110561
Author(s):  
Danny Rahal ◽  
Melissa R. Fales ◽  
Martie G. Haselton ◽  
George M. Slavich ◽  
Theodore F. Robles
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Transition To College ◽  
First Year ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Physical Cues

Hierarchies naturally emerge in social species, and judgments of status in these hierarchies have consequences for social relationships and health. Although judgments of social status are shaped by appearance, the physical cues that inform judgments of status remain unclear. The transition to college presents an opportunity to examine judgments of social status in a newly developing social hierarchy. We examined whether appearances—as measured by raters’ judgments of photographs and videos—provide information about undergraduate students’ social status at their university and in society in Study 1. Exploratory analyses investigated whether associations differed by participants’ sex. Eighty-one first-year undergraduate students ( Mage   =  18.20, SD  =  0.50; 64.2% female) provided photographs and videos and reported their social status relative to university peers and relative to other people in society. As hypothesized, when participants were judged to be more attractive and dominant they were also judged to have higher status. These associations were replicated in two additional samples of raters who evaluated smiling and neutral photographs from the Chicago Faces Database in Study 2. Multilevel models also revealed that college students with higher self-reported university social status were judged to have higher status, attractiveness, and dominance, although judgments were not related to self-reported society social status. Findings highlight that there is agreement between self-reports of university status and observer-perceptions of status based solely on photographs and videos, and suggest that appearance may shape newly developing social hierarchies, such as those that emerge during the transition to college.

Subjective social class, perceived quality of social relationships, and happiness: A case of mediation and moderation across gender

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-335
Author(s):  
Jae-Woo Kim ◽  
Chaeyoon Lim ◽  
Christina Falci
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Subjective Social Class

This study investigates the link between social relationship and subjective well-being in the context of social stratification. The authors examine how perceived quality of social relationships and subjective social class are linked to self-reported happiness among men and women in South Korea. The study finds that one’s perception of relative social standing is positively associated with happiness independently of objective indicators of socioeconomic status, while social relationship quality strongly predicts the happiness among both men and women. However, the mediation pathway and moderating effects vary by gender. For men, the nexus between subjective social class and happiness is partially mediated by the quality of interpersonal relationships. No similar mediating effect is found among women. The study also finds gender difference in whether the link between social relationship quality and happiness varies by subjective social class. The happiness return to positive social relationships increases as men’s subjective social status becomes higher, which is consistent with the resource multiplication hypothesis. No similar moderation effect is found among women. Combined, these results reveal potentially different pathways to happiness across gender in Korea, where social status competition, collectivistic culture, and patriarchal gender relations are salient in daily life.

Are aggressiveness and social status of group housed sows predictable from observations of earlier behaviour?

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 87-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mendl
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Time Consistency ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Individual Characteristic ◽  
Group Housing ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Induced Stress ◽  
General Decrease ◽  
Fundamental Understanding

The forthcoming UK ban on stall and tether housing for sows will result in an increase in the use of group housing for these animals. In group housing systems, certain individuals may be particularly aggressive or bullied by others, and this may result in injury or socially induced stress. To attempt to overcome these problems we need to know the answers to questions such as whether removal of a particularly aggressive animal from a group will result in a general decrease in aggression, or whether it will simply result in other animals becoming more aggressive. Answers to these sorts of question require a fundamental understanding of pig social behaviour and individual characteristics. For example, is aggressivness a stable individual characteristic across time and situation? This research addressed these issues by examining the cross-time consistency of individual aggressiveness and social status in groups of pigs.

scholarly journals Understanding testosterone variation in a tropical lek-breeding bird

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Ryder ◽  
Brent M. Horton ◽  
Ignacio T. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Male Display ◽  
Pipra Filicauda

Male reproductive coalitions, in which males cooperate to attract females, are a rare strategy among vertebrates. While some studies have investigated ultimate aspects of these relationships, little is known about the mechanistic role that hormones play in modulating cooperative behaviours. Here, we examined male testosterone variation in a tropical lekking bird, the wire-tailed manakin ( Pipra filicauda ), which exhibits cooperative male–male display coalitions. We found that testosterone levels in territorial males were comparable to those of temperate breeding birds, a surprising result given their environmental, social and reproductive dynamics. In addition, social status rather than plumage was a strong predictor of testosterone variation. Territorial males had significantly higher testosterone levels than did two other plumage classes of floater males, who do not hold territories. We hypothesize that testosterone variation plays an important role in the establishment of male dominance hierarchies (competition), while concurrently facilitating stable display partnerships (cooperation).

scholarly journals Evolutionary significance of maternal kinship in a long-lived mammal

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1780) ◽  
pp. 20180067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Lynch ◽  
Virpi Lummaa ◽  
Win Htut ◽  
Mirkka Lahdenperä
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Evolution Of Cooperation ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Preferential Treatment ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Life History Data ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Fitness Benefits

Preferential treatment of kin is widespread across social species and is considered a central prerequisite to the evolution of cooperation through kin selection. Though it is well known that, among most social mammals, females will remain within their natal group and often bias social behaviour towards female maternal kin, less is known about the fitness consequences of these relationships. We test the fitness benefits of living with maternal sisters, measured by age-specific female reproduction, using an unusually large database of a semi-captive Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) population. This study system is particularly valuable to an exploration of reproductive trends in a long-lived mammal, because it includes life-history data that span multiple generations, enabling a study of the effects of kinship across a female's lifespan. We find that living near a sister significantly increased the likelihood of annual reproduction among young female elephants, and this effect was strongest when living near a sister 0–5 years younger. Our results show that fitness benefits gained from relationships with kin are age-specific, establish the basis necessary for the formation and maintenance of close social relationships with female kin, and highlight the adaptive importance of matriliny in a long-lived mammal. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.

Social relationships, neighbourhood poverty and cumulative biological risk: findings from a multi-racial US urban community

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-816
Author(s):  
Alana M. W. LeBrón ◽  
Amy J. Schulz ◽  
Graciela B. Mentz ◽  
Barbara A. Israel ◽  
Carmen A. Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Biological Risk ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Neighbourhood Satisfaction ◽  
Neighbourhood Level

AbstractPrior research has established associations between neighbourhood poverty and cumulative biological risk (CBR). CBR is conceptualized as indicative of the effects of stress on biological functioning, and is linked with increased morbidity and mortality. Studies suggest that supportive social relationships may be health protective, and may erode under conditions of poverty. This study examines whether social relationships are inversely associated with CBR and whether associations between neighbourhood poverty and CBR are mediated through social relationships. Data were from a stratified probability sample community survey (n=919) of residents of Detroit, Michigan, USA (2002–2003) and from the 2000 US Census. The outcome variable, CBR, included anthropometric and clinical measures. Independent variables included four indicators of social relationships: social support, neighbourhood satisfaction, social cohesion and neighbourhood participation. Multilevel models were used to test both research questions, with neighbourhood poverty and social relationships included at the block group level, and social relationships also included at the individual level, to disentangle individual from neighbourhood effects. Findings suggest some associations between social relationships and CBR after accounting for neighbourhood poverty and individual characteristics. In models that accounted for all indicators of social relationships, individual-level social support was associated with greater CBR (β=0.12, p=0.04), while neighbourhood-level social support was marginally significantly protective of CBR (within-neighbourhood: β=−0.36, p=0.06; between-neighbourhood: β=−0.24, p=0.06). In contrast, individual-level neighbourhood satisfaction was protective of CBR (β=−0.10, p=0.02), with no within-neighbourhood (β=0.06, p=0.54) or between-neighbourhood association (β=−0.04, p=0.38). Results indicate no significant association between either social cohesion or neighbourhood participation and CBR. Associations between neighbourhood poverty and CBR were not mediated by social relationships. These findings suggest that neighbourhood-level social support and individual-level neighbourhood satisfaction may be health protective and that neighbourhood poverty, social support and neighbourhood satisfaction are associated with CBR through independent pathways.

Why Do Narcissists Care So Much About Intelligence?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Zajenkowski ◽  
Michael Dufner
Keyword(s):  
Social Behavior ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Life Domains ◽  
Grandiose Narcissism ◽  
Important Resource ◽  
High Intelligence

Grandiose narcissists typically pursue agentic goals, such as social status, competence, and autonomy. We argue that because high intelligence is a key asset for the attainment of such agentic goals, the concept of intelligence should play a prominent role in grandiose narcissists’ self-regulation and social behavior. We review the relevant literature and report evidence in support of this claim. Grandiose narcissists consider intelligence to be an important resource that leads to benefits across life domains, they tend to maintain and defend illusory positive intellectual self-views, and they are extremely motivated to appear intelligent to other people. Thus, even though grandiose narcissism is essentially unrelated to objectively assessed intelligence, intelligence nevertheless plays an important role in the way grandiose narcissists think, feel, and behave. We discuss potential implications for social relationships and point toward avenues for future research.

scholarly journals Social status drives social relationships in groups of unrelated female rhesus macaques

2016 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 307-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noah Snyder-Mackler ◽  
Jordan N. Kohn ◽  
Luis B. Barreiro ◽  
Zachary P. Johnson ◽  
Mark E. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Female Rhesus ◽  
Female Rhesus Macaques

scholarly journals Female-mediated causes and consequences of status change in a social fish

2008 ◽  
Vol 275 (1637) ◽  
pp. 929-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L Fitzpatrick ◽  
J.K Desjardins ◽  
N Milligan ◽  
K.A Stiver ◽  
R Montgomerie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Somatic Growth ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Status Change ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
Reproductive Anatomy

In highly social species, dominant individuals often monopolize reproduction, resulting in reproductive investment that is status dependent. Yet, for subordinates, who typically invest less in reproduction, social status can change and opportunities to ascend to dominant social positions are presented suddenly, requiring abrupt changes in behaviour and physiology. In this study, we examined male reproductive anatomy, physiology and behaviour following experimental manipulations of social status in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher . This unusual fish species lives in permanent social groups composed of a dominant breeding pair and 1–20 subordinates that form a linear social dominance hierarchy. By removing male breeders, we created 18 breeding vacancies and thus provided an opportunity for subordinate males to ascend in status. Dominant females play an important role in regulating status change, as males successfully ascended to breeder status only when they were slightly larger than the female breeder in their social group. Ascending males rapidly assumed behavioural dominance, demonstrated elevated gonadal investment and androgen concentrations compared with males remaining socially subordinate. Interestingly, to increase gonadal investment ascending males appeared to temporarily restrain somatic growth. These results highlight the complex interactions between social status, reproductive physiology and group dynamics, and underscore a convergent pattern of reproductive investment among highly social, cooperative species.

Cultural and reproductive success in industrial societies: Testing the relationship at the proximate and ultimate levels

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Pérusse
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Industrial Society ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Traditional Societies ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The One

AbstractIn most social species, position in the male social hierarchy and reproductive success are positively correlated; in humans, however, this relationship is less clear, with studies of traditional societies yielding mixed results. In the most economically advanced human populations, the adaptiveness of status vanishes altogether; social status and fertility are uncorrelated. These findings have been interpreted to suggest that evolutionary principles may not be appropriate for the explanation of human behavior, especially in modern environments. The present study tests the adaptiveness of social status with actual mating and reproductive data in a representative sample of males from an industrial society. Reproductive success, even when assessed by a more reliable measure ofactualmale fertility than the one commonly used, fails to correlate with social status. In striking contrast, however, status is found to be highly correlated withpotentialfertility, as estimated from copulation frequency. Status thus accounts for as much as 62% of the variance in thisproximatecomponent of fitness. This pattern is remarkably similar to what is found in many traditional societies and would result in a substantial positive relationship between cultural and reproductive success in industrial populations were it not for the novel conditions imposed by contraception and monogamy. Various underlying mechanisms are suggested for these findings, illustrating the value of current behavioral and reproductive data in the study of adaptation. It is concluded that evolutionary explanations of human behavior remain entirely relevant in modern societies.

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