A Review of Effects of Environment on Brain Size in Insects

Brain size fascinates society as well as researchers since it is a measure often associated with intelligence and was used to define species with high “intellectual capabilities”. In general, brain size is correlated with body size. However, there are disparities in terms of relative brain size between species that may be explained by several factors such as the complexity of social behaviour, the ‘social brain hypothesis’, or learning and memory capabilities. These disparities are used to classify species according to an ‘encephalization quotient’. However, environment also has an important role on the development and evolution of brain size. In this review, I summarise the recent studies looking at the effects of environment on brain size in insects, and introduce the idea that the role of environment might be mediated through the relationship between olfaction and vision. I also discussed this idea with studies that contradict this way of thinking.

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Absolute, not relative brain size correlates with sociality in ground squirrels

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2015.2725 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 283 (1827) ◽

pp. 20152725 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jan Matějů ◽

Lukáš Kratochvíl ◽

Zuzana Pavelková ◽

Věra Pavelková Řičánková ◽

Vladimír Vohralík ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Brain Size ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Ground Squirrels ◽

Single Family ◽

Social Brain ◽

The Social ◽

Tightly Coupled ◽

Relative Brain Size

The social brain hypothesis (SBH) contends that cognitive demands associated with living in cohesive social groups favour the evolution of large brains. Although the correlation between relative brain size and sociality reported in various groups of birds and mammals provides broad empirical support for this hypothesis, it has never been tested in rodents, the largest mammalian order. Here, we test the predictions of the SBH in the ground squirrels from the tribe Marmotini. These rodents exhibit levels of sociality ranging from solitary and single-family female kin groups to egalitarian polygynous harems but feature similar ecologies and life-history traits. We found little support for the association between increase in sociality and increase in relative brain size. Thus, sociality does not drive the evolution of encephalization in this group of rodents, a finding inconsistent with the SBH. However, body mass and absolute brain size increase with sociality. These findings suggest that increased social complexity in the ground squirrels goes hand in hand with larger body mass and brain size, which are tightly coupled to each other.

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Brain-Adjusted Relational Leadership: A Social-Constructed Consciousness Approach to Leader-Follower Interaction

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.672217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandros Psychogios ◽

Nikolaos Dimitriadis

Keyword(s):

Social Process ◽

Relational Leadership ◽

Social Brain ◽

Socially Constructed ◽

Person Following ◽

The Social ◽

Leaders And Followers ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Way

Relationship-based approaches to leadership represent one of the fastest-growing leadership fields and help us to understand better organizational leadership. Relation-based approaches emphasize the relationship and interaction between the leader and the follower. The emphasis is placed on the way that they interact and influence each other at attaining mutual goals. It is known that leaders are linked to followers and vice versa in a sense of responding to other's needs toward the achievement of mutual goals. Leaders and followers are an essential part of this social process implying that they are losing their traditional identity rooted in the formal organizational structure (manager-subordinate) and become inseparable actors of a co-constructing process of leadership. What is less known though is the way that leadership actors are linked to each other and in particular how they try to understand how to do that in the workplace. What is even less understood is the importance and role of consciousness in this relationship. Especially since consciousness appears to be both a fundamental and a very elusive element in human relations. Therefore, this paper conceptually explores the concept of consciousness within the context of the social brain theory to argue that leadership actors need to rethink their approach to individuality and focus on mutually dependent relations with each other. This paper contributes to the field of Neuro-management by introducing the concept of Homo Relationalis. In this respect, we suggest that leadership is not just a socially constructed element but also a social brain constructed phenomenon that requires an understanding of the human brain as a social organ. We further recommend a new approach of applying cognitive style analysis to capture the duality of leader/follower in the same person, following the self-illusion theory. Finally, we conclude that we need to further emphasize a social brain-adjusted relational leadership approach and we introduce two new cognitive styles that can help capture the essence of it.

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The Social Brain

Neuro ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691149608.003.0006 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Nikolas Rose ◽

Joelle M. Abi-Rached

Keyword(s):

Brain Size ◽

Social Groups ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Mental Life ◽

Orbital Frontal Cortex ◽

Social Brain ◽

Form Of Life ◽

The Social

This chapter looks at the social brain hypothesis. The term social brain has come to stand for the argument that the human brain, and indeed that of some other animals, is specialized for a collective form of life. One part of this argument is evolutionary: that the size and complexity of the brains of primates, including humans, are related to the size and complexity of their characteristic social groups. However, the social brain hypothesis is more than a general account of the role of brain size: for in this thesis, the capacities for sociality are neurally located in a specific set of brain regions shaped by evolution, notably the amygdala, orbital frontal cortex, and temporal cortex—regions that have the function of facilitating an understanding of what one might call the “mental life” of others.

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Mediasi Kepuasan Kerja dan Stres Kerja pada Hubungan antara Program Jamsostek dan Kinerja Karyawan Studi Kasus pada Perusahaan Swasta di DIY dan Solo

Jurnal Maksipreneur Manajemen Koperasi dan Entrepreneurship ◽

10.30588/jmp.v3i1.89 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 75

Author(s):

Eny Sulistyowati ◽

Totok Danangdjojo

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Social Security ◽

Job Stress ◽

Work Stress ◽

Program Performance ◽

Social Security Program ◽

Mediating Role ◽

The Social ◽

The Relationship

This study aims to explain the influence of the Social Security program on performance and job satisfaction and job stress as a mediating variable. In addition, this study also describes the effect of job satisfaction on the performance and the effect of work stress on performance. The relationship of each variable in this research is to be measured by conducting a survey on 145 employees of private companies that included in Social Security program on DIY and Solo. Then the path analisys used to test the effect of social security program performance in mediation by job satisfaction, performance and job stress, job satisfaction, and examines the effect on the performance and the effect of work stress on performance. The results showed that the social security program significant positively affects job satisfaction and performance. Job satisfaction was also positively and significantly affect performance. Even though mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between social security program performance partial. Because merely direct relationship between social security program with greater performance than the mediating role of job satisfaction. Social Security program did not significantly affect the stress of work, as well as job stress did not significantly affect performance. Therefore, the mediating role of work stress on the relationship between social security program with the performance did not occur. Individual differences and work experience may be a factor that causes no significant relationship between the two variables.

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A Farewell to the Encephalization Quotient: A New Brain Size Measure for Comparative Primate Cognition

Brain Behavior and Evolution ◽

10.1159/000517013 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Carel P. van Schaik ◽

Zegni Triki ◽

Redouan Bshary ◽

Sandra A. Heldstab

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Brain Size ◽

Estimation Error ◽

Primate Species ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Mean Values ◽

Encephalization Quotient ◽

Body Sizes ◽

Size Measure

Both absolute and relative brain sizes vary greatly among and within the major vertebrate lineages. Scientists have long debated how larger brains in primates and hominins translate into greater cognitive performance, and in particular how to control for the relationship between the noncognitive functions of the brain and body size. One solution to this problem is to establish the slope of cognitive equivalence, i.e., the line connecting organisms with an identical bauplan but different body sizes. The original approach to estimate this slope through intraspecific regressions was abandoned after it became clear that it generated slopes that were too low by an unknown margin due to estimation error. Here, we revisit this method. We control for the error problem by focusing on highly dimorphic primate species with large sample sizes and fitting a line through the mean values for adult females and males. We obtain the best estimate for the slope of circa 0.27, a value much lower than those constructed using all mammal species and close to the value expected based on the genetic correlation between brain size and body size. We also find that the estimate of cognitive brain size based on cognitive equivalence fits empirical cognitive studies better than the encephalization quotient, which should therefore be avoided in future studies on primates and presumably mammals and birds in general. The use of residuals from the line of cognitive equivalence may change conclusions concerning the cognitive abilities of extant and extinct primate species, including hominins.

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The Failure of Functional Theologies of Ministry and the Promise of a Relational Alternative

Ecclesiology ◽

10.1177/1744136605052778 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 27-43

Author(s):

Graham Buxton

Keyword(s):

Pastoral Theology ◽

Pastoral Ministry ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Theological Method ◽

Systematic Theology ◽

The Social ◽

Practical Ministry ◽

Pastoral Theory ◽

The Relationship

AbstractThe author critiques inductive approaches to pastoral theology that rely on the empirical methodology of the social and human sciences, and presents an alternative Christocentric praxis model of pastoral ministry. The result is an attempt to integrate pastoral theory and practice that shifts the perspective away from functionally-determined theologies of ministry to a relationally oriented and hermeneutically coherent model of orthopraxis in which theory and practice interact in a way that is intended to both deepen faith and transform lives. Some of the key themes that inform the discussion are the importance of theological method, the role of the community as the context for care, the relationship between practical ministry and systematic theology, and the notion of praxis in articulating the nature and scope of practical theology today.

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Study of Consumer Brand Following Intention on Instagram

International Journal of Online Marketing ◽

10.4018/ijom.2021040103 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 32-51

Author(s):

Simran Kaur Madan ◽

Payal S. Kapoor

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Consumer Motivation ◽

Media Usage ◽

Consumer Skepticism ◽

Consumption Decisions ◽

The Social ◽

Media Platform ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

The research, based on uses and gratifications theory, identifies consumer motivation and factors that influence consumers' intention to follow brands on the social media platform of Instagram. Accordingly, this study empirically examines the role of need for self-enhancement, the need for entertainment, and deal-seeking behaviour on the intention to follow brands on Instagram. Further, the study investigates the mediation of social media usage behaviour for consumption decisions on eliciting brand following behaviour. Moderation of consumer skepticism on the relationship of deal-seeking behaviour, and intention to follow brands is also investigated. Findings reveal a significant direct effect of need for self-enhancement, need for entertainment, and deal-seeking behaviour on intention to follow brands. Indirect effect of social media usage behaviour for consumption decisions was also significant; however, moderation of consumer skepticism was not found to be significant. The study will help marketers create engaging content that enables consumer-brand interactions.

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Brand and influencer strategies in social media marketing of luxury brands in African cities

Journal of Design Business & Society ◽

10.1386/dbs_00022_1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 105-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mehita Iqani

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Luxury Brands ◽

African Cities ◽

Global Brands ◽

Global Brand ◽

Critical Theories ◽

The Social ◽

The Relationship ◽

Depth Interviews

This article explores the role of social media promotions in the marketing of luxury, from the perspectives of both representatives of global brands and the local influencers contracted to promote them online. It provides insights into role of social media in marketing luxury in ‘new’ markets (African cities) and the complexities attendant to the relationship between brand representatives and influencers. It reports on in-depth interviews with brand representatives and social media influencers working in the luxury sector in large anglophone African cities. Empirical findings show the role of social media in how luxury is promoted by those working in the industry. Three key complexities to do with value, trust and authenticity were evident in how global brand representatives and local influencers discussed social media. In terms of value, influencers emphasize strategies for monetizing visibility, while brand managers emphasize the need to get their money’s worth. Regarding trust, influencers express caution about brands trying to exploit them, while brands express scepticism about the extent of influencer’s abilities. On the topic of authenticity, influencers emphasize how the integrity of their personal brands is paramount, while brand representatives are mostly concerned with how genuine the social media posts seem. The article provides original empirical details about the relationships between brand managers and social media influencers, as well as to the nuances of social media luxury marketing in African cities. It contributes to critical theories of branding practice in media economies of the global south.

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INTERCONNECTION OF METACOGNITION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDHOOD: CULTURAL-HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Moscow University Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.11621/vsp.2021.01.04 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 79-113

Author(s):

A.N. Veraksa ◽

N.E. Veraksa

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Behavioral Control ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Historical Context ◽

Social Aspect ◽

The Social ◽

The Relationship

The review is devoted to the relationship between executive functions and metacognition in the context of a cultural-historical perspective. On the basis of the research carried out over the past 15 years, the commonality and differences of these constructs are shown. Special attention is paid to the development of executive functions and metacognition, their connection with the academic success of children, the role of the social aspect in their formation. The importance of an adult in the directed formation of metacognition and self-regulation is shown, which confirms the provisions of the cultural-historical theory. Within the framework of the cultural-historical paradigm, several mechanisms for the development of executive functions are considered: imitation based on understanding; sign mediation; as well as communication in a social developmental situation. L.S. Vygotsky noted that higher mental functions arise on the basis of real interactions of people, are interiorized, turning into psychological functions. The review showed that one of the most common models of the structure of executive functions is a model that includes such components as “working memory”, “inhibitory control” and “cognitive flexibility”. Based on the analysis, it is possible to assert the influence of J. Piaget’s concept on the development of executive functions. A certain difficulty is caused by the explanation of emotional regulation in the context of metacognitive problems. At the same time, L.S. Vygotsky spoke about the unity of affect and intellect, which suggests the existence behavioral control and, in particular, of emotional processes at the level of metacognitive processes.

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The Influence of Internet and Social Media on Purchasing Decisions in Kuwait

Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science ◽

10.11591/ijeecs.v10.i2.pp792-797 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 792

Author(s):

Khalid Abdulkareem Al-Enezi ◽

Imad Fakhri Taha Al Shaikhli ◽

Sufyan Salim Mahmood AlDabbagh

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Social Networking ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

The Social ◽

Digital Scanning ◽

Networking Tool ◽

The Relationship ◽

Selection Of

This research aims to measure the role of social networks in influencing purchasing decisions among consumers in Kuwait; the research used the quantitative methods, and analytical the technique to get the results, and the research developed a measure to study the relationship between the variables to the study and selection of a sample of consumers of (100). The results indicated that the social networking variables (exchange of information, evaluation of product) possess influence on purchasing decisions. Furthermore, the results indicate that majority of respondents do their digital scanning more often before intend to go to the store. The unexpected results came from the question “traditional advertising (TV, Newspaper, Magazine, Billboards) are more effective than the social networking; 23% agreed, 36% said no, and 41% said sometimes. In light of these findings, the study made a series of recommendations; the most important are; The executives and sales representatives need to understand the benefits offered by social networks, and understand the advantages and functions and tools of social communication, and knowing how to apply them effectively and efficiently, and then use the appropriate social networking tool.

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