scholarly journals Sexual segregation in human conversations

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.I.M. Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Characteristic Size ◽  
Sexual Segregation ◽  
Fractal Pattern ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
Conversational Style

Human conversation groups have a characteristic size limit at around four individuals. Although mixed-sex social groups can be significantly larger than this, census data on casual social groups suggest that there is a fractal pattern of fission in conversations when social group size is a multiple of this value. This study suggests that, as social group size increases beyond four, there is a tendency for sexual segregation to occur resulting in an increasing frequency of single-sex conversational subgroups. It is not clear why conversations fragment in this way, but a likely explanation is that sex differences in conversational style result in women (in particular) preferring to join all-female conversations when a social group is large enough to allow this.

scholarly journals Host anemone size as a determinant of social group size and structure in the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula)

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette Chausson ◽  
Maya Srinivasan ◽  
Geoffrey P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Path Analysis ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Behavioral Interactions ◽  
Amphiprion Percula ◽  
Size And Structure

The size and structure of social groups of animals can be governed by a range of ecological factors and behavioral interactions. In small, highly site-attached coral reef fishes, group size is often constrained by the size of the habitat patch they are restricted to. However, group size may also be influenced by changes in abundance along important environmental gradients, such as depth or distance offshore. In addition, the body size and sex structure within social groups can be determined by the size of the habitat patch and the dominance relationships among group members. Here we examined the roles of ecological factors and behavioral interactions in governing group size and structure in the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, on inshore reefs in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. We quantified relationships between ecological variables (anemone size, depth, and distance from shore) and social group variables (group size, and total body length of the three largest individuals (ranks 1, 2, and 3)). Anemone size explained the greatest amount of variation in group variables, with strong, positive relationships between anemone surface area and group size, and total length of individuals ranked 1, 2, and 3. Group structure was also weakly correlated with increasing depth and distance from shore, most likely through the indirect effects of these environmental gradients on anemone size. Variation in group size and the lengths of ranks 2 and 3 were all closely related to the length of rank 1. Path analysis indicated that anemone size has a strong direct effect on the length of rank 1. In turn, the length of rank 1 directly affects the size of the subordinate individuals and indirectly affects the group size through its influence on subordinates. Hence, anemone size directly and indirectly controls social group size and structure in this space-limited fish species. It is also likely that anemonefish have feedback effects on anemone size, although this could not be differentiated in the path analysis.

Sex differences in exclusion and aggression on single-sex sports teams.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O. Deaner ◽  
Amanda McClellan ◽  
Virgil Zeigler-Hill ◽  
Joyce F. Benenson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sports Teams ◽  
Single Sex

Towards a computational theory of social groups: A finite set of cognitive primitives for representing any and all social groups in the context of conflict

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-62
Author(s):  
David Pietraszewski
Keyword(s):  
Social Group ◽  
Group Representation ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Computational Theory ◽  
Mistaken Belief ◽  
Finite Set ◽  
The One ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract We don't yet have adequate theories of what the human mind is representing when it represents a social group. Worse still, many people think we do. This mistaken belief is a consequence of the state of play: Until now, researchers have relied on their own intuitions to link up the concept social group on the one hand, and the results of particular studies or models on the other. While necessary, this reliance on intuition has been purchased at considerable cost. When looked at soberly, existing theories of social groups are either (i) literal, but not remotely adequate (such as models built atop economic games), or (ii) simply metaphorical (typically a subsumption or containment metaphor). Intuition is filling in the gaps of an explicit theory. This paper presents a computational theory of what, literally, a group representation is in the context of conflict: it is the assignment of agents to specific roles within a small number of triadic interaction types. This “mental definition” of a group paves the way for a computational theory of social groups—in that it provides a theory of what exactly the information-processing problem of representing and reasoning about a group is. For psychologists, this paper offers a different way to conceptualize and study groups, and suggests that a non-tautological definition of a social group is possible. For cognitive scientists, this paper provides a computational benchmark against which natural and artificial intelligences can be held.

scholarly journals Male group size, female distribution and changes in sexual segregation by Roosevelt elk

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. e0187829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah M. Peterson ◽  
Floyd W. Weckerly
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Sexual Segregation ◽  
Male Group

Time budgets of group-housed pigs in relation to social aggression and production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carly I O’Malley ◽  
Juan P Steibel ◽  
Ronald O Bates ◽  
Catherine W Ernst ◽  
Janice M Siegford
Keyword(s):  
Social Group ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Social Aggression ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Aggressive Behaviors ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
Production Parameters ◽  
Use Of Resources

Abstract Commercial producers house growing pigs by sex and weight to allow for efficient use of resources and provide pigs the welfare benefits of interacting with their conspecifics and more freedom of movement. However, introduction of unfamiliar pigs can cause increased aggression for 24-48 h as pigs establish social relationships. To address this issue, a better understanding of pig behavior is needed. The objectives of this study were to quantify time budgets of pigs following introduction into a new social group and how these changed over time, and to investigate how social aggression influences overall time budgets and production parameters. A total of 257 grow-finish Yorkshire barrows across 20 pens were introduced into new social groups at 10 wk of age (~23 kg) and observed for aggression and time budgets of behavior at 4 periods: immediately after introduction, 3, 6, and 9 wk later. Pigs were observed for duration of total aggression and initiated aggression (s) for 9 h after introduction and for 4 h at 3, 6, and 9 wk later. Time budgets were created by scan-sampling inactive, movement, ingestion, social, and exploration behaviors every 2 min for 4 h in the afternoon and summarizing proportion of time each behavior was performed by period. Least square means of each behavior were compared across time points. Pigs spent most of their time inactive. In general, the greatest change in pig behavior was observed between introduction and wk 3 (P<0.003), with gradual changes throughout the study period as pigs became more inactive (wk 3 vs. wk 6: P=0.209; wk 6 vs. wk 9: P=0.007) and spent less time on other behaviors. Pigs’ non-aggressive behavior and production parameters were compared to aggression using generalized linear mixed models. The time pigs spent on non-aggressive behaviors were negatively related to aggression (P<0.045) with few exceptions. Initiated aggression after introduction was negatively related to loin muscle area (P=0.003). These results show how finishing pigs spend their time in commercial facilities and indicate that behavior continues to change for up to 9 wk after introduction to a new social group. Efforts to reduce chronic levels of aggression should focus on promoting non-aggressive behaviors, such as exploration and movement, after the initial fighting that occurs immediately after introduction has waned and should be implemented for up at 9 wk after introduction into new social groups.

Habitat patch size and mating system as determinants of social group size in coral-dwelling fishes

Coral Reefs ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. J. Thompson ◽  
P. L. Munday ◽  
G. P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Habitat Patch Size

Effect of social group size on aggressive behaviour between unacquainted domestic pigs

2001 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon P Turner ◽  
Graham W Horgan ◽  
Sandra A Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Domestic Pigs

Effects of social group size on information transfer and task allocation

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Pacala ◽  
Deborah M. Gordon ◽  
H. C. J. Godfray
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
And Task

scholarly journals Social Group Size and Shelter Availability Influence Individual Metabolic Traits in a Social Fish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Chrétien ◽  
Daniel Boisclair ◽  
Steven J Cooke ◽  
Shaun S Killen
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Physiological Traits ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Night Time ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Social Treatment ◽  
Shelter Availability

Abstract Group living is widespread among animal species and yields both costs and benefits. Presence of conspecifics can restrict or enhance the expression of individual behaviour, and the recent social environment is thought to affect behavioural responses in later contexts, even when individuals are alone. However, little is known about how social group size influences the expression of individual physiological traits, including metabolic rates. There is some evidence that shoaling can reduce fish metabolic rates but this variable may be affected by habitat conditions such as shelter availability via density-dependent processes. We investigated how social group size and shelter availability influence Eurasian minnow Phoxinus phoxinus metabolic rates estimated by respirometry. Respirometry trials were conducted on fish in isolation before and after they were housed for three weeks in a social treatment consisting in a specific group size (n = 4 or 8) and shelter availability (presence or absence of plant shelter in the experimental tank). Plant shelter was placed over respirometers for half of the duration of the respirometry trials, allowing estimation of minimum day-time and night-time metabolic rates in both conditions (in the presence or absence of plant shelter). Standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), and aerobic scope (AS) were also estimated over the entire trial. Minimum day-time and night-time metabolic rates estimated while in presence of plant shelter were lower than when estimated in absence of plant shelter, both before and after individuals were housed in their social treatment. After the social treatment, SMR were higher for fish that were held in groups of four as compared to that of fish held in groups of eight while MMR showed no difference. Plant shelter availability during the social treatments did not influence SMR or MMR. Our results suggest that social group size may directly influence energy demands of individuals, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of group size on variations in physiological traits associated with energy expenditure.

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