Abstract
Objectives: Policing is a conflict-limiting mechanism observed in many primate species. It is thought to require a skewed distribution of social power for some individuals to have sufficiently high social power to stop others' fights, yet social power has not been examined in most species with policing behavior. We examined networks of subordination signals as a source of social power that permits policing behavior in rhesus macaques. Materials and Methods: For each of seven captive groups of rhesus macaques, we (a) examined the structure of subordination signal networks and used GLMs to examine the relationship between (b) pairwise dominance certainty and subordination network pathways and (c) policing frequency and social power (group-level convergence in subordination signaling pathways). Results: Networks of subordination signals had perfect linear transitivity, and pairs connected by both direct and indirect pathways of signals had more certain dominance relationships than pairs with no such network connection. Social power calculated using both direct and indirect network pathways showed a heavy-tailed distribution and positively predicted conflict policing. Conclusions: Our results empirically substantiate that subordination signaling is associated with greater dominance relationship certainty and further show that pairs who signal rarely (or not at all) may use information from others' signaling interactions to infer or reaffirm the relative certainty of their own relationships. We argue that the network of formal dominance relationships is central to societal stability because it is important for relationship stability and also supports the additional stabilizing mechanism of policing. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2016.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | American Journal of Physical Anthropology |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2016 |
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Keywords
- Formal signals of dominance
- SBT
- Social power
- Social stability
- Subordination networks
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anthropology
- Anatomy
Cite this
Social power, conflict policing, and the role of subordination signals in rhesus macaque society. / Beisner, Brianne; Hannibal, Darcy; Finn, Kelly R.; Fushing, Hsieh; Mccowan, Brenda.
In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Social power, conflict policing, and the role of subordination signals in rhesus macaque society
AU - Beisner, Brianne
AU - Hannibal, Darcy
AU - Finn, Kelly R.
AU - Fushing, Hsieh
AU - Mccowan, Brenda
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Objectives: Policing is a conflict-limiting mechanism observed in many primate species. It is thought to require a skewed distribution of social power for some individuals to have sufficiently high social power to stop others' fights, yet social power has not been examined in most species with policing behavior. We examined networks of subordination signals as a source of social power that permits policing behavior in rhesus macaques. Materials and Methods: For each of seven captive groups of rhesus macaques, we (a) examined the structure of subordination signal networks and used GLMs to examine the relationship between (b) pairwise dominance certainty and subordination network pathways and (c) policing frequency and social power (group-level convergence in subordination signaling pathways). Results: Networks of subordination signals had perfect linear transitivity, and pairs connected by both direct and indirect pathways of signals had more certain dominance relationships than pairs with no such network connection. Social power calculated using both direct and indirect network pathways showed a heavy-tailed distribution and positively predicted conflict policing. Conclusions: Our results empirically substantiate that subordination signaling is associated with greater dominance relationship certainty and further show that pairs who signal rarely (or not at all) may use information from others' signaling interactions to infer or reaffirm the relative certainty of their own relationships. We argue that the network of formal dominance relationships is central to societal stability because it is important for relationship stability and also supports the additional stabilizing mechanism of policing. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2016.
AB - Objectives: Policing is a conflict-limiting mechanism observed in many primate species. It is thought to require a skewed distribution of social power for some individuals to have sufficiently high social power to stop others' fights, yet social power has not been examined in most species with policing behavior. We examined networks of subordination signals as a source of social power that permits policing behavior in rhesus macaques. Materials and Methods: For each of seven captive groups of rhesus macaques, we (a) examined the structure of subordination signal networks and used GLMs to examine the relationship between (b) pairwise dominance certainty and subordination network pathways and (c) policing frequency and social power (group-level convergence in subordination signaling pathways). Results: Networks of subordination signals had perfect linear transitivity, and pairs connected by both direct and indirect pathways of signals had more certain dominance relationships than pairs with no such network connection. Social power calculated using both direct and indirect network pathways showed a heavy-tailed distribution and positively predicted conflict policing. Conclusions: Our results empirically substantiate that subordination signaling is associated with greater dominance relationship certainty and further show that pairs who signal rarely (or not at all) may use information from others' signaling interactions to infer or reaffirm the relative certainty of their own relationships. We argue that the network of formal dominance relationships is central to societal stability because it is important for relationship stability and also supports the additional stabilizing mechanism of policing. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2016.
KW - Formal signals of dominance
KW - SBT
KW - Social power
KW - Social stability
KW - Subordination networks
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84968403171&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84968403171&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.22945
DO - 10.1002/ajpa.22945
M3 - Article
C2 - 26801956
AN - SCOPUS:84968403171
JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
SN - 0002-9483
ER -