scholarly journals Social niche specialization under constraints: personality, social interactions and environmental heterogeneity

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1618) ◽  
pp. 20120343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Olivier Montiglio ◽  
Caterina Ferrari ◽  
Denis Réale
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Environmental Heterogeneity ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Social Mechanisms ◽  
Personality Differences ◽  
Niche Specialization ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Niche

Several personality traits are mainly expressed in a social context, and others, which are not restricted to a social context, can be affected by the social interactions with conspecifics. In this paper, we focus on the recently proposed hypothesis that social niche specialization (i.e. individuals in a population occupy different social roles) can explain the maintenance of individual differences in personality. We first present ecological and social niche specialization hypotheses. In particular, we show how niche specialization can be quantified and highlight the link between personality differences and social niche specialization. We then review some ecological factors (e.g. competition and environmental heterogeneity) and the social mechanisms (e.g. frequency-dependent, state-dependent and social awareness) that may be associated with the evolution of social niche specialization and personality differences. Finally, we present a conceptual model and methods to quantify the contribution of ecological factors and social mechanisms to the dynamics between personality and social roles. In doing so, we suggest a series of research objectives to help empirical advances in this research area. Throughout this paper, we highlight empirical studies of social niche specialization in mammals, where available.

scholarly journals Persistent social interactions beget more pronounced personalities in a desert-dwelling social spider

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 20140419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas P. Modlmeier ◽  
Kate L. Laskowski ◽  
Alex E. DeMarco ◽  
Anna Coleman ◽  
Katherine Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Social Spider ◽  
Niche Specialization ◽  
The Social ◽  
Animal Personalities ◽  
Social Niche

The social niche specialization hypothesis predicts that repeated social interactions will generate social niches within groups, thereby promoting consistent individual differences in behaviour. Current support for this hypothesis is mixed, probably because the importance of social niches is dependent upon the ecology of the species. We test whether repeated interactions among group mates generate consistent individual differences in boldness in the social spider, Stegodyphus dumicola. In support of the social niche specialization hypothesis, we found that consistent individual differences in boldness increased with longer group tenure. Interestingly, these differences took longer to appear than in previous work suggesting this species needs more persistent social interactions to shape its behaviour. Recently disturbed colonies were shyer than older colonies, possibly reflecting differences in predation risk. Our study emphasizes the importance of the social environment in generating animal personalities, but also suggests that the pattern of personality development can depend on subtle differences in species' ecologies.

scholarly journals Evidence of social niche construction: persistent and repeated social interactions generate stronger personalities in a social spider

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1783) ◽  
pp. 20133166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate L. Laskowski ◽  
Jonathan N. Pruitt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
General Mechanism ◽  
Social Spider ◽  
Niche Specialization ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Niche

While there are now a number of theoretical models predicting how consistent individual differences in behaviour may be generated and maintained, so far, there are few empirical tests. The social niche specialization hypothesis predicts that repeated social interactions among individuals may generate among-individual differences and reinforce within-individual consistency through positive feedback mechanisms. Here, we test this hypothesis using groups of the social spider Stegodyphus mimosarum that differ in their level of familiarity. In support of the social niche specialization hypothesis, individuals in groups of spiders that were more familiar with each other showed greater repeatable among-individual variation in behaviour. Additionally, individuals that were more familiar with each other exhibited lower within-individual variation in behaviour, providing one of the first examples of how the social environment can influence behavioural consistency. Our study demonstrates the potential for the social environment to generate and reinforce consistent individual differences in behaviour and provides a potentially general mechanism to explain this type of behavioural variation in animals with stable social groups.

Negotiating Boundaries Between Gender and Social Identities in the Principality of Samos: The Case of Divorces (1902–1911)

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Vasilios Gialamas ◽  
Sofia Iliadou Tachou ◽  
Alexia Orfanou
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Cultural Construction ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Gender Ratio ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Qualitative Characteristics

This study focuses on divorces in the Principality of Samos, which existed from 1834 to 1912. The process of divorce is described according to the laws of the rincipality, and divorces are examined among those published in the Newspaper of the Government of the Principality of Samos from the last decade of the Principality from 1902 to 1911. Issues linked to divorce are investigated, like the differences between husbands and wives regarding the initiation and reasons for requesting a divorce. These differences are integrated in the specific social context of the Principality, and the qualitative characteristics are determined in regard to the gender ratio of women and men that is articulated by the invocation of divorce. The aim is to determine the boundaries of social identities of gender with focus on the prevailing perceptions of the social roles of men and women. Gender is used as a social and cultural construction. It is argued that the social gender identity is formed through a process of “performativity”, that is, through adaptation to the dominant social ideals.

scholarly journals The switching mechanisms of social network densification

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teruyoshi Kobayashi ◽  
Mathieu Génois
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Regime Switching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Switching Property ◽  
Distinctive Type ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractDensification and sparsification of social networks are attributed to two fundamental mechanisms: a change in the population in the system, and/or a change in the chances that people in the system are connected. In theory, each of these mechanisms generates a distinctive type of densification scaling, but in reality both types are generally mixed. Here, we develop a Bayesian statistical method to identify the extent to which each of these mechanisms is at play at a given point in time, taking the mixed densification scaling as input. We apply the method to networks of face-to-face interactions of individuals and reveal that the main mechanism that causes densification and sparsification occasionally switches, the frequency of which depending on the social context. The proposed method uncovers an inherent regime-switching property of network dynamics, which will provide a new insight into the mechanics behind evolving social interactions.

scholarly journals Stress response, gut microbial diversity and sexual signals correlate with social interactions

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 20160352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris I. Levin ◽  
David M. Zonana ◽  
Bailey K. Fosdick ◽  
Se Jin Song ◽  
Rob Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Sexual Signals ◽  
Body Contact ◽  
The Social ◽  
Barn Swallows

Theory predicts that social interactions are dynamically linked to phenotype. Yet because social interactions are difficult to quantify, little is known about the precise details on how interactivity is linked to phenotype. Here, we deployed proximity loggers on North American barn swallows ( Hirundo rustica erythrogaster ) to examine intercorrelations among social interactions, morphology and features of the phenotype that are sensitive to the social context: stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) and gut microbial diversity. We analysed relationships at two spatial scales of interaction: (i) body contact and (ii) social interactions occurring between 0.1 and 5 m. Network analysis revealed that relationships between social interactions, morphology, CORT and gut microbial diversity varied depending on the sexes of the individuals interacting and the spatial scale of interaction proximity. We found evidence that body contact interactions were related to diversity of socially transmitted microbes and that looser social interactions were related to signalling traits and CORT.

scholarly journals Social niche construction in captive Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) Flocks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory M Kohn ◽  
M. Ryan Nugent ◽  
Xzavier Dail ◽  
Taylor R Orlandi
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Niche Construction ◽  
Sibling Interactions ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
The Social ◽  
Unexplored Area ◽  
Gouldian Finch ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Social Niche

The organization of animal groups is both a cause of, and consequence of, patterns of interactions among individuals. The stability of animal social organization reflects how individuals construct and maintain resilient patterns of interactions across changes in group size and membership. In this study we describe patterns of social interactions in captive flocks of Gouldian Finches (Erythrura gouldiae) that were exposed to changing social conditions. A flock of adult Gouldian Finches was exposed to two changing conditions, an introduction condition where juveniles were introduced to the flock, and a fission-fusion condition where the flock was split into two smaller flocks and a new group of juveniles introduced to each. We show that the social organization of captive Gouldian finch flocks is characterized by stable homophilic communities of adult females and juveniles. Females showed higher rates of approaches to other adult females, while juveniles maintined higher rates of approaches towards other juveniles. These findings highlight how the stable interactive decisions made by individuals contribute to higher-order patterns of organization in bird flocks. Furthermore, this study is one of the few to demonstrate self-assortment of juveniles in passerine flocks and suggests that peer and sibling interactions are an unexplored area in avian social development.

scholarly journals Social experiences shape behavioral individuality and within-individual stability

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Y Jäger ◽  
Chang S Han ◽  
Niels J Dingemanse
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Field Cricket ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Niche Specialization ◽  
Daily Rate ◽  
Social Treatment ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Individual Differentiation ◽  
Social Niche

Abstract Individual repeatability characterizes many behaviors. Repeatable behavior may result from repeated social interactions among familiar group members, owing to adaptive social niche specialization. In the context of aggression, in species like field crickets, social niche specialization should also occur when individuals repeatedly interact with unfamiliar individuals. This would require the outcome of social interactions to have carry-over effects on fighting ability and aggressiveness in subsequent interactions, leading to long-term among-individual differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we randomly assigned freshly emerged adult males of the southern field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus to either a solitary or social treatment. In social treatment, males interacted with a same-sex partner but experienced a new partner every 3 days. After 3 weeks of treatment, we repeatedly subjected treated males to dyadic interactions to measure aggression. During this time, we also continuously measured the 3-daily rate of carbohydrate and protein consumption. Individual differentiation was considerably higher among males reared in the social versus solitary environment for aggressiveness but not for nutrient intake. Simultaneously, social experience led to lower within-individual stability (i.e., increased within-individual variance) in carbohydrate intake. Past social experiences, thus, shaped both behavioral individuality and stability. While previous research has emphasized behavioral individuality resulting from repeated interactions among familiar individuals, our study implies that behavioral individuality, in the context of aggression, may generally result from social interactions, whether with familiar or unfamiliar individuals. Our findings thus imply that social interactions may have a stronger effect on individual differentiation than previously appreciated.

Demonstration of the Model, Part I

2020 ◽  
pp. 123-158
Author(s):  
Brad Vermurlen
Keyword(s):  
Social System ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Theoretic Model ◽  
Social Mechanisms ◽  
Precipitating Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
American Evangelicalism ◽  
Rules Of The Game

Chapter 5 presents Part I of a field-theoretic model of religious strength, focusing on the most powerful social mechanisms and ecological factors that precipitated the rise of the New Calvinist movement. The author describes three aspects of the American cultural backdrop along with three discursive opportunities, which together facilitated the onset of contention in the American Evangelical field. The chapter maps the correspondence between Evangelical leaders’ positions in the field and their corresponding religious dispositions. Additional precipitating factors are identified. The chapter ends by empirically establishing the “rules of the game,” which are the elements of the Bebbington Quadrilateral (i.e., crucicentrism, biblicism, activism, and conversionism), to which is added the more all-encompassing field rule of “the Gospel,” broadly defined. These rules are understood as endogenous to the social system such that the battle over American Evangelicalism is a battle with and over these rules.

Beyond our origin: Adding social context to an explanation of sex differences in emotion expression

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 393-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agneta H. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Emotion Expression ◽  
Emotional Expressiveness ◽  
Emotional Responding ◽  
The Social ◽  
Emotion Displays ◽  
Relational Framework

AbstractVigil's socio-relational framework of sex differences in emotional expressiveness emphasizes general sex differences in emotional responding, but largely ignores the social context in which emotions are expressed. There is much empirical evidence showing that sex differences in emotion displays are flexible and a function of specific social roles and demands, rather than a reflection of evolutionary-based social adjustments.

scholarly journals Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Versace ◽  
Matteo Caffini ◽  
Zach Werkhoven ◽  
Benjamin L. de Bivort
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Position And Orientation ◽  
Female Male Female

AbstractTheory predicts that social interactions can induce an alignment of behavioral asymmetries between individuals (i.e., population-level lateralization), but evidence for this effect is mixed. To understand how interaction with other individuals affects behavioral asymmetries, we systematically manipulated the social environment of Drosophila melanogaster, testing individual flies and dyads (female-male, female-female and male-male pairs). In these social contexts we measured individual and population asymmetries in individual behaviors (circling asymmetry, wing use) and dyadic behaviors (relative position and orientation between two flies) in five different genotypes. We reasoned that if coordination between individuals drives alignment of behavioral asymmetries, greater alignment at the population-level should be observed in social contexts compared to solitary individuals. We observed that the presence of other individuals influenced the behavior and position of flies but had unexpected effects with respect to individual and population asymmetries: individual-level asymmetries were strong and modulated by the social context but population-level asymmetries were mild or absent. Moreover, the strength of individual-level asymmetries differed between strains, but this was not the case for population-level asymmetries. These findings suggest that the degree of social interaction found in Drosophila is insufficient to drive population-level behavioral asymmetries.

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