Association Preferences Research Articles

Conflict and reconciliation in two groups of crab-eating monkeys differing in social status by birth

Two groups of captive macaques (M. fascicularis) were studied at Kassel University, Germany. One included animals whose mothers were high-ranking, another, those whose mothers were low-ranking. The first group was a despotic community in which conflicts were severe and occurred mainly between single individuals; the reconciliation tendency was weak, the male leader was the controlling animal, and the affiliative preferences were marked. The second group was an egalitarian community split into two mutually hostile conalitions; the conflicts were less severe, the tendency for reconciliation was strong, the male leader could control only his own bloc and had no strong affiliative ties with other group members.

Children's appraisals of sex-typed behavior in their peers

Four experiments evaluated the effect of variations in sex-typed behavior in hypothetical peers on children's ratings of friendship. In all four studies, the children were heterogeneous with regard to social class, ethnicity, and race. In Experiment 1, children (71 boys, 90 girls) in Grades 3–6 read five stories about a target boy and in Experiment 2 (102 boys, 137 girls) about a target girl who displayed four sex-typed behaviors that ranged from exclusively masculine to exclusively feminine. In Experiment 1, boys preferred the exclusively masculine boy most as a friend. With each addition of a feminine behavior (and corresponding subtraction of a masculine behavior), the friendship ratings became increasingly negative. In contrast, the girls preferred the exclusively feminine boy most as a friend and, with each addition of a masculine behavior, the friendship ratings became increasingly negative. In Experiment 2, the converse was found although girls' ratings of friendship were less sharply affected by the target girl's sex-typed behavior than was observed for boys' ratings in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, children (33 boys, 38 girls) in Grades K—2 were read three stories about a target boy, accompanied by detailed chromatic illustrations, whose four sex-typed behaviors were exclusively masculine, equally masculine and feminine, or exclusively feminine. The boys had significantly more favorable friendship ratings than the girls; however, in contrast to Experiments 1 and 2, the target boy's sex-typed behavior did not affect friendship ratings of either boys or girls. Experiment 4 (28 boys, 27 girls) repeated the procedure of Experiment 3 with children in kindergarten and Grade 1; in addition, the children made forced-choice friendship ratings for each of the three possible story pairs. In contrast to Experiment 3, boys' friendship ratings were affected by the target boy's sex-typed behavior, as observed in Experiment 1, but girls' friendship ratings were not. However, in the forced-choice situation, the boys significantly preferred the exclusively masculine boy whereas the girls significantly preferred the exclusively feminine boy. The results were discussed in relation to the influence sex-typed behavior has on modifying the effects of a peer's sex on affiliative preference and sex differences in appraisals of cross-gender behavior, including the concept of threshold effects.

Dimensions of Identity Diffusion

Identity diffusion is characterized by absent or poorly developed identity elements and is a feature of conditions such as borderline personality disorder and identity disorder. The purpose of the present study was to determine the dimension(s) of identity diffusion and to identify their psychopathologic correlates. A structured interview of identity diffusion was administered to 101 community volunteers. Principal components analysis revealed two dimensions: (1) core identity diffusion, characterized by uncertainty about one's personality, affiliative preferences, and long-term goals; and (2) ideology uncertainty, characterized by uncertainty about political ideology, gender roles, and ideology regarding sexuality. Interbattery factor analyses and correlational analyses revealed that core identity diffusion was associated with a range of psychopathology, including personality pathology, chronic emptiness, chronic boredom, and affective distress. Ideology uncertainty was generally unrelated to psychopathology. The implications of these findings are discussed, and directions for further investigation are considered.

Aiming at the top? Upward social comparison of abilities after failure

AbstractThis study examined the effects of feedback on a task on information seeking and partner preferences as forms of social comparison. It was predicted that subjects who experienced failure and perceived control over future performance would, for reasons of self‐improvement, choose more strongly upward a comparison other than subjects who experienced success or perceived no control. In the experiment, 121 college students were given either failure, average, or success feedback on a bogus test for either a stable or a controllable ability. Next, the subjects choose a comparison other whose test material they would examine, and a comparison other as a partner for writing an evaluation of the test. As predicted, the preferences for information seeking and affiliation were more strongly upward when subjects experienced failure than when subjects experienced success. Perceived control partly resulted in more strongly upward choices in information seeking for subjects experiencing failure.

Social comparison and the drive upward revisited: Affiliation as a response to marital stress

AbstractTo test theoretical ideas derived from classic and recent social comparison theory, two studies examined affiliative tendencies as a response to marital problems among individuals varying in marital dissatisfaction. Study 1 (n. = 632) showed that the higher the degree of marital dissatisfaction and the higher the uncertainty about how things are going in one's marriage, the stronger was the desire for affiliation (operationalized as the desire to talk with others about one's marriage). Moreover, among individuals high in marital dissatisfaction, a preference for upward affiliation was found, i.e. for contact with others having better marriages. Individuals with lower levels of dissatisfaction preferred affiliation with similar others. Women experienced more uncertainty and a stronger affiliative tendency than men. In Study 2 (n = 233), these findings were largely replicated. Moreover, it was shown that the desire to affiliate when facing marital stress was particularly strong among individuals high in interpersonal orientation.

Psychosocial and Erotic Development in Cross-Gender Identified Children

This article reviews certain aspects of psychosocial and erotic development in cross-gender identified children. Consideration is first given to the hypothesis that cross-sex affiliation preference and its attendant social ostracism is one factor that accounts for the presence of behavioural psychopathology in cross-gender identified boys. Next, the strong relation between patterns of childhood sex-typing and later sexual orientation is discussed. It is concluded that more attention should be given to the study of erotic development in its own right.

The Japanese American internment: Exploring the transgenerational consequences of traumatic stress

The present study investigates the cross-generational impact of the World War II Japanese American internment upon the children of those who were incarcerated. Survey data were collected from a national sample of 593 third-generation (Sansei) Japanese Americans to assess the impact of a parent's internment upon the Sansei's: (a) patterns of communication, interest, and knowledge about the internment; and (b) attitudes towards ethnic affiliation, sense of security in the United States, and monetary redress. Results indicated that strikingly little communication has occurred between the Sansei and their parents regarding the internment. In addition, although Sansei whose parents had been interned did not differ from Sansei with noninterned parents in terms of outmarriage or level of knowledge about the internment, they did report being less secure about their rights in this country, having a greater preference for affiliation with other Japanese Americans and more strongly favoring monetary redress for those who were interned. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to the existing literature on trauma and victimization.

The Japanese American internment: Exploring the transgenerational consequences of traumatic stress

AbstractThe present study investigates the cross‐generational impact of the World War II Japanese American internment upon the children of those who were incarcerated. Survey data were collected from a national sample of 593 third‐generation (Sansei) Japanese Americans to assess the impact of a parent's internment upon the Sansei's: (a) patterns of communication, interest, and knowledge about the internment; and (b) attitudes towards ethnic affiliation, sense of security in the United States, and monetary redress. Results indicated that strikingly little communication has occurred between the Sansei and their parents regarding the internment. In addition, although Sansei whose parents had been interned did not differ from Sansei with noninterned parents in terms of outmarriage or level of knowledge about the internment, they did report being less secure about their rights in this country, having a greater preference for affiliation with other Japanese Americans and more strongly favoring monetary redress for those who were interned. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to the existing literature on trauma and victimization.

Relating to Privilege: Seduction and Rejection in the Subordination of White Women and Women of Color

Dans le cadre de la hierarchie sociale aux Etats-Unis, prenant en compte les facteurs de classe, d'ethnicite, de race, et de sexe, etude des relations entre femmes blanches ou de couleur et homme blancs, et de l'impact de ces relations sur le mouvement feministe blanc et de couleur

Stress and Affiliation in a Hospital Setting

This study examined stress and affiliation relationships in a natural setting by assessing the preoperative roommate preferences of 70 patients facing major (coronary bypass) surgery. No support was found for the notion, derived from social comparison theory, that novel, fear-inducing situations produce selective preferences for affiliation with others who are of similar emotional status (i.e., likewise facing threat). On the contrary, patients demonstrated a strong overall preference before surgery for a roommate who was postoperative (dissimilar emotional status) rather than preoperative (similar emotional status). The preference for a postoperative roommate held regardless of patient fear level and, with slight qualification, regardless of actual roommate assignment. Theoretical implications for social comparison formulations that have been applied to stress and affiliation research are discussed.

Affiliation patterns among cancer patients.

Affiliation preferences of 150 cancer out-patients were assessed in the waiting-room and day-to-day life. Results indicated the vast majority avoided fellow patients, preferring to be alone or with healthy people. Similarly, patients tended to avoid the topic of illness in their social contacts. Moreover, those desiring to be with the healthy displayed the highest levels of negative emotion. Finally, avoidance of fellow patients was higher among males, the elderly, and the more highly educated. Overall, the findings were inconsistent with the thesis that those under stress seek out others in similar straits, as suggested by Schachter's emotional comparison theory or Will's downward comparison theory. Rather, they support Rofé's utility theory of stress and affiliation.

Sociocultural and Ethnohistorical Influences on Genetic Diversity in Liberia

In the Republic of Liberia where falciparum malaria remains highly endemic, four phenotypes reported to provide an innate resistance to malaria are nonuniformly distributed among the country's geographical regions and indigenous ethnic groups. Significant regional variation is observed in the prevalence of sickle cell trait and nonsignificant but ostensible variation is seen in the distributions of beta thalassemia trait, elevated fetal hemoglobin, and intermediate red cell G6PD deficiency. It appears that particular cultural and historical factors may exert important influences on genetic diversity in this area of West Africa. A study of the regional and ethnic variation in these four phenotypes among 961 indigenous children and mothers suggests that the sociocultural variables most likely to increase assortive mating and nonrandom gene flow include (1) membership in the Poro and Sande traditional initiation societies, (2) linguistic affiliation, (3) dietary staple, and (4) religious preference. Ethnohistorical events most likely to explain the origins of this diversity are discussed in light of the population's pre-Liberian origins, time and direction of major migrations, nature of interethnic hostilities, evidence of assimilation, and enslavement patterns.

Individual‐ and Sex‐related Strategies of Wrestling Play in Captive Squirrel Monkeys

AbstractThe play behavior of 10 juvenile squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) was observed for 7 months in both mixed‐sex and same‐sex laboratory social groupings to identify strategies by which individuals may derive maximum benefit from play. Two types of play wrestling were identified: directional if one partner was on top of and dominating the other, and nondirectional if both partners hung from a perch and clasped each other equally. Males (N=5) wrestled more often, had longer bouts, and used proportionately more directional wrestling than did females (N = 5). Initiation Behaviors, leading predictably to play, were performed preferentially to certain partners, independent of affiliative (huddling) preferences. Both sexes performed more Initiation Behaviors to same‐sex partners. Individuals, regardless of sex, preferred play partners whom they could dominate during directional wrestling; with partners whom they could not dominate, they preferred nondirectional wrestling, where partners were equal. The observed preferences are interpreted as evidence for individual strategies maximizing winning at directional wrestling. Role reversal is discussed as a strategy encouraging play between youngsters of diverse abilities, and as a means of providing needed experience in a variety of social roles.

Patient affiliation in major illness.

Affiliation preferences among 100 Israeli out-patients with major illness were assessed in waiting room interviews. Patients preferred healthy others over being with fellow sufferers or alone, and avoided illness as a discussion topic. Secondary preference for being alone rather than with co-patients rose slightly with reported anxiety. Findings contradict the emotional comparison hypothesis that misery seeks out co-sufferers.

Situational influences on the desirability of different objects of affiliation

The desire to affilitate was examined as a function of two variables: situational context and the type of potential companion. Data were collected via four questionnaires composed of 48 identical items. Each item described a specific situation related to one of four situational clusters previously extracted by factor analytic method (Fox, 1980) and reconfirmed in this study. Each questionnaire examined the desirability of a particular type of companion in various situations (being alone, or with intimates, acquaintances, or strangers). The subjects consisted of 900 male Israeli high school students, 17-19 years of age, each of whom responded to two out of the four questionnaires. The situational factor had the decisive effect on the affiliative preferences. There was a general desire for companionship in pleasant as well as threatening situations, whereas solitude was preferred when concentration was necessary or in periods of unpleasant moods. Across situational categories, there was a relatively less marked preference for the company of intimates over that of acquaintances and strangers, who appear to be equally desirable objects of affiliation. The interaction between situational and companion factors was minimal, in contrast to hypothesis. The results are illuminated in the context of utility affiliation theory.

Shifting to State Block Grants: The Priorities of Urban Minorities

This research examines a number of hypotheses expressed by civil rights leaders in the Southwestern states regarding the predicted effects of slate implementation of the nine block grants authorized by the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1981. It is based on the testimony of 121 speakers at two successive public block grant hearings conducted by the State of Texas in Houston in 1982 and 1983. The speakers are classified by race, affiliation, and programmatic preferences. The research is also based on financial and regulatory data tracking shifts in state spending and distributional rules between Fy 82 and Fy 84. The results show that most of the fears of the civil rights leaders were not realized. Minority participation at public hearings increased, rather than decreased. State funding priorities did not change significantly, nor did allocation decision rules shift in emphasis from redistribution to equalization. “Brutal political struggles” between groups competing for funds (especially blacks and Hispanics) did not materialize. However, the potential for such struggles remains strong. The findings reveal significant black-Hispanic differences with regard to programmatic priorities and perceptions of the “fairness” of the current distributional system. The paper concludes with a call for new stale-based theories of block grant agenda setting and government responsiveness in centralized versus decentralized systems. It predicts that such reexaminations will yield new theories regarding the formation and stability of racial and ethnic coalitions in state politics.

The Emergence of Same-Sex Affiliative Preferences among Preschool Peers: A Developmental/Ethological Perspective

The Emergence of Same-Sex Affiliative Preferences among Preschool Peers: A Developmental/Ethological Perspective

The Emergence of Same-Sex Affiliative Preferences among Preschool Peers: A Developmental/Ethological Perspective

Bilan de trois annees d'observations systematiques des preferences d'affiliation en fonction du sexe concernant 193 enfants quebecois des deux sexes âges de 1 a 6 ans et repartis en 15 groupes de pairs

Olfactory stimulation induces filial preferences for huddling in rat pups.

Rat pups of all ages huddle with conspecifics, but the senosory control of contact behavior changes ontogenetically. Thermal cues control huddling until about Day 15, at which time species' odors become the dominant stimulus. The present experiments indicate that the filial response to conspecifics is dependent on olfactory experience. A synthetic chemical scent was added to the smells of the dam from Day 1 to Day 20 postpartum. Standardized videographic tests were used to assess the development of huddling preference. Preferences for nest-typical smells emerged by Day 15 in pups from both scented and nonscented litters. Pups from scented nests preferred to huddle with a scented stimulus rat, whereas control pups preferred a nonadulterated rat stimulus. Additional testing indicated that the affiliative preferences were specific to rearing odor and were not based on decreased aversion to test scents, or on disrupted olfactory discrimination. The ontogeny of species-typical contact behavior is discussed in terms of the induction of a perceptual preference that is based on early odor stimulation.

Sex-typed Affiliation Preferences Observed in Preschoolers: Traditional and Open School Differences

BIANCHI, BARBARA D., and BAKEMAN, ROGER. Sex-typed Affiliation Preferences Observed in Preschoolers: Traditional and Open School Differences. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 910912. Whenever preschool children have been observed, researchers typically report same-sex affiliation preferences. In this study it is asked if this kind of sex-typed behavior is less common in a nursery school which consciously sets out to minimize sex differences. Children in both a traditional and an nursery school spent over 80% of their free-play time with other children, but children at the traditional school were more often in same-sex groups, while children at the open school were more often in mixed-sex groups. Type of school is a confounded variable, of course (parents probably select schools with values similar to their own); still, it appears that school practice can affect this aspect of children's sex-typed behavior. Unanswered here is the impact, if any, that this has on later sex typing of behavior and attitudes.