Buss, ch. 12

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Buss, ch. 12
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Dominance hierarchies

• Evidence of pervasiveness
• Occur in many animals, including crickets,
  chickens (hence term pecking order)
• Develop very quickly when strangers meet (within
  one minute in some cases)
• In crayfish, have identified single neuron that
  responds differently to testosterone depending on
  whether won or lost battle

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Dominance hierarchies

• Chimpanzeessubmissive greetings expected by
  dominant animals if not forthcoming, they get
  aggressive to reassert dominance (note specific
  behaviors similarities to humans)

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Dominance hierarchies

• Physical size not main determinant in more
  intelligent animals social skills have more
  importance (forming alliances especially)

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Theories of dominance status

• Status earns reproductive success for males
  maybe why males more achievement striving
  historically
• Mens dominance efforts usually egoistic, while
  womens tend to be more prosocially dominant
  (e.g., heading up committees)
• What happens with various pairings of hi/lo
  dominance men women?

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dominance

• As would expect except hi dominant women
  appointed lo dominant men to leadership role
  however, these women actually made most of the
  decisions (is this how it usually works in
  marriage??)

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Dominance theory

• Our minds developed mainly so we could compete
  with other minds socially
• Dominance hierarchies represent primary social
  reasoning pressure
• These social strategies for dealing with
  dominance emerged separately from other social
  skills
• Example Mealey studymemory for cheaters as
  specialized social/cog. ability

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Social attention holding theory Gilberts theory

• RHPresource holding potential (animals make
  relative assessments, own vs. others strengths)
• RHP determines who attacks, flees, or submits in
  competitive encounters
• In humans SAHPsocial attention holding
  potential more dominant people get paid more
  attention

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Gilbert

• Winners elation after increase in status, tend
  to be elated and engage in more helping behaviors
  (feeling magnanimous)
• Some people actually avoid helping others,
  because they think it will make them appear to
  have less status
• Going down in statusfeelings of shame, anger,
  envy, depression

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Determinants of dominance

• Body languagestanding tall, direct gaze, seem
  serious, touch others, speak loudly, point at
  others, walk fast
• Sizein animals, including humans, larger tend to
  be higher status (on average)
• Testosteronecause or effect?
• Facial dominancee.g., West Point study

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Determinants of dominance

• Serotonin levelsimilar to results for
  testosterone

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Strategies of submissiveness

• Can be advantageous to be submissive, as tall
  poppies (conspicuously successful people) can
  get mowed down
• Schadenfreudepleasure in misfortune of others
  often related to envy over others success
  (Martha Stewart??)