scholarly journals Molecular and Circuit Architecture of Social Hierarchy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Nelson ◽  
Vikrant Kapoor ◽  
Eric Vaughn ◽  
Jeshurun A. Gnanasegaram ◽  
Nimrod D. Rubinstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Excitatory Transmission ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioral Paradigm ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Single Nucleus

SUMMARYSocial hierarchy is a common organizational structure of animal groups, in which an individual’s social status generates an adaptive behavioral state that facilitates interactions with other group members. Although generally stable, the social status of an animal can change, underscoring the plasticity of the underlying neural circuits. Here, we uncover the molecular and biophysical properties of a cortico-thalamic circuit that supports the emergence of hierarchy in mice. We established a robust behavioral paradigm to explore the establishment of hierarchy among groups of unfamiliar males, and identified the mediodorsal thalamus (MDT) and the caudal part of anterior cingulate area (cACC) as brain areas that are differentially activated between dominants and subordinates. Glutamatergic MDT neurons project to inhibitory parvalbumin interneurons of the cACC, and activity levels of both cell types control competitive performance. Synaptic inputs and excitability of MDT neurons undergo dramatic changes according to the animal social status, and single nucleus sequencing identified increased transcription of the voltage gated ion channel Trpm3 in dominant mice, leading to enhanced excitatory transmission in the MDT-cACC circuit. Our data suggest a model in which cellular, molecular and biophysical plasticity in a thalamocortical circuit controls the expression of social status.

Imperatives and commands in Japanese

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nerida Jarkey
Keyword(s):  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Face Threat ◽  
Contemporary Standard

This chapter examines the forms and usage of imperatives and command strategies in contemporary standard Japanese. Although commands are highly face-threatening acts in any language, speakers of Japanese encounter particular challenges in using them in socially acceptable ways. Commands are generally only given to those considered ‘below’ the speaker in the social hierarchy, and are normally considered appropriate only when used toward ‘in-group’ members. Further restrictions relate to the identity the speaker wishes to convey. Numerous command strategies have emerged to avoid using the most direct imperative forms, and some of these strategies have gradually come to be reinterpreted as imperative forms themselves, suggesting a loss of their original euphemistic qualities. Furthermore, when issuing commands, speakers often go to considerable lengths to soften the face threat, for example by giving reasons for the command, adding markers of hesitancy, or softening illocutionary particles, and using appropriate honorific language forms.

scholarly journals Increased Conformity to Social Hierarchy Under Public Eyes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daeeun Kim ◽  
JuYoung Kim ◽  
Hackjin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Individual Preferences ◽  
The Social

Why would people conform more to others with higher social positions? People may place higher confidence in the opinions of those who rank higher in the social hierarchy, or they may wish to make better impressions on people of higher social status. We investigated how individual preferences for novel stimuli are influenced by the preferences of others in the social hierarchy and whether anonymity affects such preference changes. After manipulation of their social rank, participants were asked to indicate how much they liked or disliked a series of images. Then, they were shown the rating given to each image by a partner (either inferior or superior in social rank) and were given a chance to adjust their ratings. The participants were more likely to change their preferences to match those of a superior partner in the public vs. private condition. The tendency to conform to the views of the superior partner was stronger among those with higher social dominance orientation (SDO) and those with greater fear of negative evaluation (FNE) by others. Altogether, the findings suggest that the motivation to make better impressions on people of higher social status can be the major driver of conformity to others with higher social positions.

SOCIAL STATUS AND INVESTIGATORY BEHAVIOUR IN THE ANGELFISH (PTEROPHYLLUM SCALARE)

Behaviour ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 139 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1469-1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Gómez-Laplaza
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
The Other ◽  
Potential Predator ◽  
Shortest Distance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dominant Fish ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Investigatory Behaviour ◽  
Predator Model ◽  
Pterophyllum Scalare

AbstractThe response of juvenile angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) with different dominance ranks towards a potential predator and a nonthreatening novel stimulus was studied when in a group, to assess the influence of the social status on investigatory behaviour. Dominant fish showed a cautious predator inspection behaviour, often approaching the predator model from a relatively safe distance. In contrast, middle ranking fish inspected the predator model closely and the number and duration of the inspection visits to the area closest to the predator were greater than those of the other group members. Subordinate fish tended to avoid the potential predator, but showed the greatest interest in the novel harmless stimulus, investigating it more readily and for more time from the shortest distance than their companions. Dominant fish displayed a rather weak response towards the nonthreatening stimulus, exhibiting the shortest duration of investigation and the longest latency of approach. The response of intermediate ranking fish was more variable, existing little differences with that showed by any of the other fish categories in the parameters considered. The results indicate that dominance relationships within a group may affect behavioural decisions during investigatory behaviour, and suggest that individuals with different social status use different behavioural strategies dependent on the focal stimulus, possibly reflecting adaptive changes and physiological condition.

scholarly journals SOCIAL VALUE OF THE ELDER PUMI MINORITY IN CHINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S723-S723
Author(s):  
Meng ran Gao
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
High Status ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Observation Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members

Abstract Social status of the elderly nowadays declines rapidly in China. As anthropologist Margaret Mead considered, post-figurative culture leading in contemporary society and the source of knowledge are from youth. The value of the elderly has been overlooked. However, in Pumi, one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in northwestern Yunnan Province of China, it is common that senior residents have high social status. This study examines the social values the Pumi elderly have by systematic analysis and participation observation methods. Based on data collected in a Pumi village during a 6-month fieldtrip, we conclude that Pumi elderly enjoy a high status in the community. They occupy core positions in all important ceremonies, such as religious activities and other daily activities including hospice. Factors behind the special old-age care phenomenon are Pumi’s history and its culture. The special culture has united the group members together and enhanced individual development with community social capital. It is clear that respecting elderly does not only contribute the transformation of ethnical knowledge but also enhance community cohesiveness. Evaluating the role of the elderly should not only from economic perspective, but also from the holistic perspective of social culture, so as to reconsider the importance of the elderly to our society.

Families and the Emergence of Literary History

Born to Write ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 181-183
Author(s):  
Neil Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Literary History ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Social Commentary ◽  
The Social

At the same time as composing, editing, translating works and getting them published, producers of family literature commented on how the works inflected, and were inflected by, the social status of the families from which they emanated. In other words, the process of producing family literature included social commentary on that process. Some of these commentators went a step further. Attempting to take an overview of the field of literary and learned production in France, they highlighted the role within it of families; and they viewed that role through the lens of social hierarchy. The two writers who did this more than any others were François Grudé de la Croix du Maine and Scévole de Sainte-Marthe, to whom Chapters 13 and 14 are devoted, respectively.

Gossiping to the Top

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 642-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Wargo Aikins ◽  
Charlene Collibee ◽  
Jessica Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Ninth Grade ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
School Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ninth Grade Students ◽  
And Function

Despite its omnipresence, quantitative research examining both the nature and the function of adolescent gossip has been limited. The present study aimed to address this limitation in the literature by examining the nature and function of adolescent gossip; in particular, it aimed to explore observed differences between the gossip of those popular and non-popular adolescent dyads. Using both observational lab–based and sociometric school–based methods, the present study assessed the associations between social status and gossip functionality among 130 ninth grade students (92 females). Popular adolescent dyads engaged in more instances of gossip and were more likely to use gossip to foster intimacy, establish norms, and share both information and their opinions. Results also pointed to potential mechanisms by which popular adolescent dyads may gather alliances that support their status within the social hierarchy.

Behaviour and productivity of pigs in groups composed of disproportionate numbers of littermates

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Gonyou
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
The Social ◽  
Entire Experiment ◽  
Daily Gain

Forty litters of eight pigs each were paired by age and weight and re-grouped at the beginning of a 12-wk grower/finisher period. Each pair of litters was assigned to two pens, with two pigs from one litter (Minority) and six pigs from the other (Majority) in each pen. Four pairs of litters were removed from the experiment due to loss of pigs from injury or poor health. Agonistic encounters following re-grouping were used to rank each Minority pig and to classify it as being within the Dominant or Subordinate half of the social hierarchy. Minority pigs within a pen tended to obtain similar social ranks (within two ranks in 20 of 30 pens; P < 0.05), but were as likely to be Dominant as Subordinate (11 vs. 9 pairs, respectively). The activity and position of all pigs were sampled once daily, 5 days a week. One Minority pig was designated as the focal pig for these observations. The second Minority pig was more likely to be engaged in the same activity as the focal pig than were Majority pigs (P < 0.01), and would lie closer to the focal pig than would the Majority pigs (P < 0.01). There were no differences in the proportion of Majority and Minority pigs which were removed from the experiment due to injuries, nor in the type of injuries requiring their removal. Examination of all pigs at the mid-point of the study revealed some evidence of injury on the head, ears, shoulders, back, flanks, ramp and tail of 76, 75, 87, 90, 91 and 95% of the pigs, respectively, but no differences between Majority and Minority pigs in location or severity of injuries. Average daily gain for the entire experiment was 775 g d−1, and did not differ between Majority and Minority pigs during any 2-wk period of the study. It is concluded that littermates continue to associate with each other after re-grouping and that they attain similar social status. However, the litter with the largest number of pigs present does not consistently achieve social dominance or a competitive advantage manifested in improved weight gain. Key words: Pigs, littermates, re-grouping, social status

Social status influences responses to unfamiliar conspecifics in a cooperatively breeding fish

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1821-1839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Y. Ligocki ◽  
Adam R. Reddon ◽  
Jennifer K. Hellmann ◽  
Constance M. O’Connor ◽  
Susan Marsh-Rollo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
High Ranking ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Group Member

In group living animals, individuals may visit other groups. The costs and benefits of such visits for the members of a group will depend on the attributes and intentions of the visitor, and the social status of responding group members. Using wild groups of the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher), we compared group member responses to unfamiliar ‘visiting’ conspecifics in control groups and in experimentally manipulated groups from which a subordinate the same size and sex as the visitor was removed. High-ranking fish were less aggressive towards visitors in removal groups than in control groups; low-ranking subordinates were more aggressive in the removal treatment. High-ranking females and subordinates the same size and sex as the visitor responded most aggressively toward the visitor in control groups. These results suggest that visitors are perceived as potential group joiners, and that such visits impose different costs and benefits on current group members.

Social status of male Iberian rock lizards (Lacerta monticola) influences their activity patterns during the mating season

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 1105-1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Martín ◽  
Pilar López
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Mating Season ◽  
The Social ◽  
Body Mass Changes

Not all individual lizards in a population are simultaneously active even when thermal conditions are suitable for activity. We examined inter-individual variability in activity levels of male Iberian rock lizards (Lacerta monticola) in a seminatural enclosure during the mating season, and analyzed whether social status affects their activity levels, time budgets, and body-mass changes. Activity levels of lizards varied significantly with time of day. However, activity levels of individual males were significantly correlated with their rank in the social hierarchy. When the males were active, their status did not influence the time spent basking, resting, or moving, but males with a higher status spent more time in social activities. Higher activity levels were costly, causing males to lose more body mass, although this could have been mainly due to the costs of maintaining a higher social status. We conclude that because attaining a higher status may require a male to be more active and more involved in agonistic encounters, subordinate individuals decrease their activity in order to decrease the costs of social behavior.

scholarly journals Collective Autonomy: Why Groups Fight for Power and Status

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Kachanoff ◽  
Kurt Gray ◽  
Richard Koestner ◽  
Nour Kteily ◽  
Michael Jeremy Adam Wohl
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Structural Power ◽  
Privileged Position ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members

People experience “collective autonomy restriction” when they believe other groups want to restrict their own group from freely expressing its social identity and determining its behavior. We review emerging research on the negative consequences of collective autonomy restriction for well-being, as well as its implications for group members’ motivation to fight for their place within social hierarchies. We propose that group members desire two resources tied to having a favorable position within the social hierarchy – structural power (i.e., the ability to influence and resist influence from other groups) and status (being positively valued and perceived as moral by others) – because they believe that having power and status are necessary to secure their group’s collective autonomy. We hypothesize that group members anticipate that other groups might restrict their group if they lack the structural power to resist outside influences, or if they are perceived as negative or immoral and worthy of restriction. We apply this power and status perspective of collective autonomy restriction to predict (1) when disempowered groups are most likely to fight against (vs. tolerate) their disadvantaged position and (2) when powerful groups are most likely to relinquish power and acknowledge their transgressions (versus defensively maintain their privileged position).

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