Strength Of Social Bonds Research Articles

Trauma and Openness to Legal and Illegal Activism Among Somali Refugees

This article examines key setting events and personal factors that are associated with support for either non-violent activism or violent activism among Somali refugee young adults in the United States. Specifically, this article examines the associations of trauma, stress, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic growth (PTG), strength of social bonds, and attitudes towards legal and non-violent vs. illegal and violent activism. Structured interviews were conducted with a sample of Somali refugee males ages 18–25 living in the northeastern United States (N = 79). Data were analyzed using multiple linear regressions and path analysis. Greater exposure to personal trauma was associated with greater openness to illegal and violent activism. PTSD symptoms mediated this association. Strong social bonds to both community and society moderated this association, with trauma being more strongly associated with openness to illegal and violent activism among those who reported weaker social bonds. Greater exposure to trauma, PTG, and stronger social bonds were all associated with greater openness to legal non-violent activism.

Long-lasting, kin-directed female interactions in a spatially structured wild boar social network.

Individuals can increase inclusive fitness benefits through a complex network of social interactions directed towards kin. Preferential relationships with relatives lead to the emergence of kin structures in the social system. Cohesive social groups of related individuals and female philopatry of wild boar create conditions for cooperation through kin selection and make the species a good biological model for studying kin structures. Yet, the role of kinship in shaping the social structure of wild boar populations is still poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated spatio-temporal patterns of associations and the social network structure of the wild boar Sus scrofa population in Białowieża National Park, Poland, which offered a unique opportunity to understand wild boar social interactions away from anthropogenic factors. We used a combination of telemetry data and genetic information to examine the impact of kinship on network cohesion and the strength of social bonds. Relatedness and spatial proximity between individuals were positively related to the strength of social bond. Consequently, the social network was spatially and genetically structured with well-defined and cohesive social units. However, spatial proximity between individuals could not entirely explain the association patterns and network structure. Genuine, kin-targeted, and temporarily stable relationships of females extended beyond spatial proximity between individuals while males interactions were short-lived and not shaped by relatedness. The findings of this study confirm the matrilineal nature of wild boar social structure and show how social preferences of individuals translate into an emergent socio-genetic population structure.

Costs of and Investment in Mate-Guarding in Wild Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis): Influences of Female Characteristics and Male-Female Social Bonds.

Male primates living in multimale groups tend to direct mate and mate-guarding choices toward females of high reproductive value, i.e., high-ranking, parous females, or females with which they share strong bonds. Little is known, however, about the constraints that may limit male mate-guarding choices (the costs of this behavior) and the influence of the females’ quality on male investment in mate-guarding. We aimed to study the effects of female rank, parity status, and male–female social bond strength on the costs of and investment in mate-guarding by males. We carried out our study during two reproductive seasons on three groups of wild long-tailed macaques in Indonesia. We combined behavioral observations on male locomotion and activity with noninvasive measurements of fecal glucocorticoids (fGC). Males spent less time feeding when mate-guarding nulliparous females than when mate-guarding parous females and tended to have higher fGC levels when mate-guarding low-ranking nulliparous females than when mate-guarding high-ranking nulliparous ones. Evolution should thus favor male choice for high-ranking parous females because such a decision brings benefits at proximate (reduced costs of mate-guarding) and ultimate (higher reproductive value) levels. Further, male investment in mate-guarding was flexible and contingent on female reproductive and social value. Males were more vigilant and more aggressive toward other males when mate-guarding females to which they were strongly bonded and/or high-ranking ones than when mate-guarding other females. Our findings bring a new dimension to the study of mate choice by showing that males not only mate preferentially with high-quality females but may also aim to secure paternity with these females through optimized monopolization.

Male social bonds: strength and quality among co-resident white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus)

Social relationships among immigrant same-sex co-residents have received relatively little attention, particularly for species where males are the dispersing sex. White-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) are unusual in that immigrant males form cooperative alliances with co-resident males during intergroup encounters, and also have affiliative and tolerant intragroup relationships. We collected approx. 3341 h of focal animal data on 25 adult and subadult males in five groups of wild Cebus capucinus in the Santa Rosa Sector, Costa Rica, across three distinct field seasons. Using generalized linear mixed models, we examined the influence of number of co-resident males, group socionomic sex ratio, dominance status and age, and past parallel dispersal on social bond strength (i.e., proximity, contact rest, grooming, preferred grooming partners) and quality (i.e., grooming reciprocity) for 47 unique male–male dyads. Overall, dyads that included an alpha male had the weakest and least equitable bonds, while dyads composed of subordinate males had the strongest and most equitable bonds, with subordinate subadult peers being most likely to form preferred relationships. Several measures of bond strength and quality were highest among dyads in groups with few males and low socionomic sex (female-to-male) ratios. Dyad partners who had previously engaged in parallel dispersal had slightly better bonds than those that did not, suggesting that kinship and/or familiarity may be important. Our results indicate that within groups, male relationships are influenced by power asymmetry, partner availability, and dyad relationship history.

Social bonds in female baboons: the interaction between personality, kinship and rank

Previous analyses indicate that female baboons that form strong and stable social bonds reproduce more successfully than others, and that some elements of females’ personalities are associated with the tendency to form close social bonds. Here we use a new method to confirm that females’ personalities were stable over time, although not fixed, and that matrilineal kin had personalities that were no more alike than those of other individuals. Our results indicate that personality similarities enhance the strength of social bonds among some pairs of females but not others. Strong bonds between matrilineal sisters were correlated with similarity in their personalities and ages, but mothers and daughters formed uniformly strong bonds regardless of the similarities in their personalities or ages. Among nonkin, strong bonds were correlated with similarity in age and dominance rank, but not personality. Females adjusted the behaviours that contributed to their personality scores in response to unpredictable demographic events, like the death of a close relative. Results suggest that the personality traits of female baboons do not exist in isolation but are embedded in a network of rank and kin relations. Although a female baboon has little control over her dominance rank or the presence of kin, by varying the tenor of her social interactions she can take advantage of the opportunities, or overcome the constraints, imposed by demographic circumstances. For this reason, selection may have favoured particular personality traits that are relatively independent of rank and the presence of kin.

Urinary oxytocin and social bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees.

Animals that maintain cooperative relationships show gains in longevity and offspring survival. However, little is known about the cognitive or hormonal mechanisms involved in cooperation. Indeed, there is little support for a main hypothesis that non-human animals have the cognitive capacities required for bookkeeping of cooperative exchanges. We tested an alternative hypothesis that cooperative relationships are facilitated by an endocrinological mechanism involving oxytocin, a hormone required for bonding in parental and sexual relationships across mammals. We measured urinary oxytocin after single bouts of grooming in wild chimpanzees. Oxytocin levels were higher after grooming with bond partners compared with non-bond partners or after no grooming, regardless of genetic relatedness or sexual interest. We ruled out other possible confounds, such as grooming duration, grooming direction or sampling regime issues, indicating that changes in oxytocin levels were mediated by social bond strength. Oxytocin, which is thought to act directly on neural reward and social memory systems, is likely to play a key role in keeping track of social interactions with multiple individuals over time. The evolutionary linkage of an ancestral hormonal system with complex social cognition may be the primary mechanism through which long-term cooperative relationships develop between both kin and non-kin in mammals.

Consistent social structure and optimal clique size revealed by social network analysis of feral goats, Capra hircus

Social network analysis has become a valuable tool for the measurement of social bonds and can give insight into the level of social complexity in a species. However, most studies have focused on a single social group or community, and we have a rather limited understanding of the extent to which a species' network structure varies across groups and across habitats. We investigated the strength and structure of social bonds in feral goat groups in two geographical locations that differ in ecological and climatic conditions. We found that a range of strengths of social bonds existed between female goats, with behavioural and spatial measures being highly correlated. Levels of aggression between spatially proximate individuals reflected the intrinsic costs of social living, but lower rates between more strongly bonded individuals indicated a degree of social tolerance. We found a consistent social structure despite differences in demography and ecology and we propose that associations are driven by social benefits as well as by ecological requirements. We suggest that a clique size of 12–13 individuals may be optimal for goats; beyond this threshold, the system may be less stable and susceptible to fission.

Fitness benefits of coalitionary aggression in male chimpanzees

Coalitionary aggression occurs when at least two individuals jointly direct aggression at one or more conspecific targets. Scientists have long argued that this common form of cooperation has positive fitness consequences. Nevertheless, despite evidence that social bond strength (which is thought to promote coalition formation) is correlated with fitness in primates, cetaceans, and ungulates, few studies have directly examined whether coalitionary aggression improves reproductive success. We tested the hypothesis that among free-ranging chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), participation in coalitionary aggression increases reproductive output. Using 14 years of genetic and behavioral data from Gombe National Park, Tanzania, we found that coalitionary aggression increased a male's chances of A) siring offspring, compared to other males of similar dominance rank, and B) ascending in rank, a correlate of future reproductive output. Because male chimpanzees form coalitions with many others within a complex network, we used social network analysis to identify the types of connections correlated with these fitness benefits. The beneficiaries of coalitionary aggression were males with the highest 'betweenness' - that is, those who tended to have coalition partners who themselves did not form coalitions with each other. This suggests that beyond simply recognizing third-party relationships, chimpanzees may use this knowledge to choose coalition partners. If so, this is a significant step forward in our knowledge of the adaptive value of social intelligence. Regardless of mechanism, however, this is the first evidence of genetic benefits of coalitionary aggression in this species, and therefore has important implications for understanding the evolution of cooperation.

Gender, Social Bond, and Academic Cheating in Japan*

There is evidence that females are less likely to cheat than males on college campuses. A frequently offered but still untested explanation is that females, with a stronger sense of responsibility for the maintenance of social relationships, tend to develop a stronger bond to a conventional society—a key explanatory concept in Hirschi’s (1969) social control theory. With academic cheating as the dependent variable, we test the hypotheses that the four elements of social bond are the intervening variables linking gender to such dishonesty among Japanese students who, due to their stronger orientation toward masculinity on Hofstede’s (1980) scale of gender role separation, are subject to more gender distinct socialization, leading to greater gender differences in the strength of social bond than those previously reported in the United States. The analysis provides rather limited support for the theory, most of which is due to the stronger belief in the legitimacy of societal rules among the females.

Affiliative relationships and reciprocity among adult male bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) at Arunachala Hill, India

In captivity, male bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) frequently express "friendship" toward one another, including affiliative behavior such as huddling, grooming, coalitionary support, and sitting in close proximity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether wild adult male bonnet macaques also express "friendship" by investigating whether or not (1) adult male bonnet macaques have affiliative social relationships with other males, (2) the strength of social relationships varies among dyads, (3) there is time-matched reciprocity in allogrooming among dyads, and if so, whether the level of reciprocity occurs within a bout of grooming, a day, or over 2 months (the limit of this study), and (4) a correlation exists between the strength of social relationships and dominance ranks among adult males. Focal samples totaling 150 hr on all seven adult males in one study group were conducted to record both agonistic and affiliative interactions. Agonistic interactions were used to construct a dominance hierarchy, whereas affiliative interactions (sitting in proximity to within 1 m with and without grooming) were used to quantify the existence and strength of social bonds within dyads. Results show that adult male bonnet macaques had differentiated affiliative relationships with other males in their group. There was little reciprocity of grooming within a bout of grooming or within a day, but greater reciprocity over the study period of 2 months. There was no correlation between dominance ranking distance and the strength of affiliative relationship within dyads; however, within dyads lower-ranking males groomed higher-ranking males more than vice versa. This study suggests that friendships in male bonnet macaques are characterized not by immediate tit-for-tat reciprocal altruism, but by reciprocity over a longer time span, and that affiliative social relationships may be less constrained by agonistic relationships than is the case in more despotic species of macaques.

Social traditions and social learning in capuchin monkeys (Cebus).

Capuchin monkeys (genus Cebus) have evolutionarily converged with humans and chimpanzees in a number of ways, including large brain size, omnivory and extractive foraging, extensive cooperation and coalitionary behaviour and a reliance on social learning. Recent research has documented a richer repertoire of group-specific social conventions in the coalition-prone Cebus capucinus than in any other non-human primate species; these social rituals appear designed to test the strength of social bonds. Such diverse social conventions have not yet been noted in Cebus apella, despite extensive observation at multiple sites. The more robust and widely distributed C. apella is notable for the diversity of its tool-use repertoire, particularly in marginal habitats. Although C. capucinus does not often use tools, white-faced capuchins do specialize in foods requiring multi-step processing, and there are often multiple techniques used by different individuals within the same social group. Immatures preferentially observe foragers who are eating rare foods and hard-to-process foods. Young foragers, especially females, tend to adopt the same foraging techniques as their close associates.

Increasing group size decreases social bonding in young Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica

Social bonds between groupmates and social motivation can influence the stability of the social structure among domestic birds. Group size may also influence social stability, but no information is available about its influence on social bonding. We investigated the effect of group size and social motivation on the strength of social bonds between familiar Japanese quail chicks. The behaviour of quail selected for high (HSR) or low (LSR) social reinstatement behaviour and housed in different group sizes (6, 15 and 30 individuals) was recorded during two successive 10 min situations: separation and return of a cagemate or an unfamiliar conspecific. In both lines and for all group sizes, chicks formed social bonds with cagemates, shown by disturbance at separation and a greater calming effect of the return of a familiar versus an unfamiliar quail. LSR chicks might form stronger social bonds than HSR ones but our results do not allow us to conclude confidently on that point. With increasing group size, the calming effect and especially the positive social interactions decreased in both lines, indicating a weakening of the social bond between familiar conspecifics, perhaps because of the larger number of potential partners or the establishment of a tolerant social strategy based on less aggression, less time spent in contact and weaker bonds. Further investigations of the relationship between group size and social bonding in this species may allow us to determine why their social behaviour changes with increasing group size and to make more suitable social environments for domestic birds.

Female chacma baboons form strong, equitable, and enduring social bonds

Analyses of the pattern of associations, social interactions, coalitions, and aggression among chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in the Okavango Delta of Botswana over a 16-year period indicate that adult females form close, equitable, supportive, and enduring social relationships. They show strong and stable preferences for close kin, particularly their own mothers and daughters. Females also form strong attachments to unrelated females who are close to their own age and who are likely to be paternal half-sisters. Although absolute rates of aggression among kin are as high as rates of aggression among nonkin, females are more tolerant of close relatives than they are of others with whom they have comparable amounts of contact. These findings complement previous work which indicates that the strength of social bonds enhances the fitness of females in this population and support findings about the structure and function of social bonds in other primate groups.

Male care of infants in a siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) population including socially monogamous and polyandrous groups

While male parental care is uncommon in mammals, siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) males provide care for infants in the form of infant carrying. I collected behavioral data from a cohort of five wild siamang infants from early infancy until age 15–24 months to identify factors affecting male care and to assess the consequences of male care for males, females, and infants in a population including socially monogamous groups and polyandrous groups. There was substantial variation in male caring behavior. All males in polyandrous groups provided care for infants, but males in socially monogamous groups provided substantially more care than males in polyandrous groups, even when the combined effort of all males in a group was considered. These results suggest that polyandry in siamangs is unlikely to be promoted by the need for “helpers.” Infants receiving more care from males did not receive more care overall because females compensated for increases in male care by reducing their own caring effort. There was no significant relationship between indicators of male–female social bond strength and male time spent carrying infants, and the onset of male care was not associated with a change in copulation rates. Females providing more care for infants had significantly longer interbirth intervals. Male care may reduce the energetic costs of reproduction for females, permitting higher female reproductive rates.

An examination of the normalisation of cannabis use among 9th grade school students in Sweden and Switzerland

This article attempts to improve the models and theories researchers use when investigating drug use in the normal population. The study systematically investigates two dimensions of the normalisation thesis, namely behavioural and cultural normalisation. Whilst the former is measured based on national prevalence rates, the measurement of the latter dimension is based on parameters used in social control theory. More concretely, cultural normalisation is measured based upon the comparative strength of social bonds of cannabis users vs. non-users.The regression analysis, conducted on a Swedish and Swiss student sample, suggests that cannabis users in both the countries are reasonably bounded to conventional society, yet total cultural normalisation does not exist as social bond factors successfully separate users from non-users. Furthermore, the study shows that cultural cannabis normalisation does not necessarily follow behavioural cannabis normality. As such the study brings light to the fact that the normalisation concept may be useful to the investigation of drug-taking in very different drug-taking contexts.

Social relationships among adult female baboons (Papio cynocephalus) II. Variation in the quality and stability of social bonds

A growing body of evidence suggests that social bonds have adaptive value for animals that live in social groups. Although these findings suggest that natural selection may favor the ability to cultivate and sustain social bonds, we know very little about the factors that influence the quality or stability of social bonds. Here, we draw on data derived from a 16-year study of baboons living in seven different social groups in the Amboseli basin of Kenya to evaluate the quality and stability of social bonds among females. Our results extend previous analyses, which demonstrate that females form the strongest bonds with close maternal and paternal kin, age mates (who may be paternal kin), and females who occupy similar ranks but are not maternal relatives. Here we show that the same factors influence the quality and strength of social bonds. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the quality of social bonds directly affects their stability.

Social relationships among adult female baboons (papio cynocephalus) I. Variation in the strength of social bonds

Sociality has positive effects on female fitness in many mammalian species. Among female baboons, those who are most socially integrated reproduce most successfully. Here we test a number of predictions derived from kin selection theory about the strength of social bonds among adult female baboons. Our analyses are based on systematic observations of grooming and association patterns among 118 females living in seven different social groups in the Amboseli Basin of Kenya over a 16-year period. Females in these groups formed the strongest bonds with close kin, including their mothers, daughters, and maternal and paternal sisters. Females were also strongly attracted toward females who were close to their own age, perhaps because peers were often paternal sisters. Females’ bonds with their maternal sisters were strengthened after their mother’s deaths, whereas their relationships with their maternal aunts were weakened after their mother’s death. In addition, females formed stronger bonds with their paternal sisters when no close maternal kin were available, and they compensated for the absence of any close kin by forming strong bonds with nonrelatives. Taken together, these data suggest that social bonds play a vital role in females’ lives, and the ability to establish and maintain strong social bonds may have important fitness consequences for females.

Economic Activity and Social Network during Doi Moi in Rural Village of the Red River Delta, Vietnam

The Doi Moi (renovation) policy, which started in 1986, converted a planned economy into a market economy. As a result, the economic growth has been remarkable. The effect of this policy has reached even to rural areas and stimulated not only agricultural activity but also side activities like family handicrafts, retail, peddling, seasonal labor, and so on. Moreover, this economic transformation has brought social transformation to Vietnam and this is the reason why Doi Moi is considered as a big turning point for Vietnam.Incidentally, Doi Moi has occurred in a rural village in the Red River Delta, northern Vietnam, an area which is characterized by its "autonomy of rural villages" and strength of social bonds. Hence, each rural village in the Red River Delta is wealthy in its uniqueness and diversity.The autonomy of villages is considered to be the proximal layer of the Vietnamese society, as shown with term "traditional village." How should we grasp this social proximal layer during the drastic transformation of Doi Moi? It is true that autonomy declined once during the socialization of totalitarianism. However, this autonomy has been activated again under Doi Moi, which can be clearly shown by the reconstruction of such common values and property as the communal house, temple, and village festival, which has enriched the social organization in the village.This is to say, Doi Moi has activated not only the rural economy but also the rural society. Yet it is common for economic and social concerns to be discussed individually or in opposition to each other. This is because the comprehension of social mechanisms is different from the comprehension of economic ones; the former is considered to be rational and based on the principle of the market economy but the latter is considered to be under traditional social rules. I, however, think these two are connected to each other. In fact in the Red River Delta, the social network is used practically in the development of economic activity; furthermore, social network is strengthened by utilization in economic activity. The purpose of this paper is to prove this hypothesis and to examine the action between social network and economic activity at the micro level of individuals and households, which reflects these connections much more than when looking at the whole village. This is because individuals are the main components of a rural village and the practical decision makers for the economic activity and the social activity there. Here I will use the term "social network" to refer to the whole "face to face" personal network including both long-established relations based on relatives and the local community as well as newly established relations through personal stages of life like schoolmates and comrades in arms.Moreover, this paper aims to analyze on a plural scale: the village level is the micro scale (main scale of this paper) and district level is the mezzo scale. In addition to the viewpoint of the plural scale, utilizing the mezzo scale is original too. With this analysis, it will be possible to grasp a coordinated image of the Red River Delta by combining the macro image from a statistical approach and the micro image from a detailed field survey. The study area of this paper is the Thanh Mien district, Hai Duong province. This is befitting for a study area for two reasons: first because it is located around the middle of the Red River Delta, and therefore represents the delta area, and second because the Thanh Mien district is far from such large cities as Hanoi, and Hai Phong which faces Tonkin Gulf. Therefore, it has less urban or market influences, and hence the village community bonds are relatively tight. In the same way, Pham Tan village was chosen as a study village, because it is one of the most remote villages in the Thanh Mien district.

Interactions between social and feeding motivations on the grazing behaviour of herbivores: sheep more easily split into subgroups with familiar peers

Social grouping tendencies are known to influence the grazing behaviour of domestic herbivores. Here, we investigate how the strength of social bonds in a flock influences the choice of grazing location in sheep. Eight experimental ewes of INRA 401 breed grazed in plots in which a preferred feeding site, i.e. a patch of taller grass, was located 35 m away from a socially attractive site, i.e. five sheep confined in a pen, at one end of the plot. These penned sheep were either all familiar or all unfamiliar to the experimental ewes. Each experimental ewe was tested with one or four companions, which were either familiar or unfamiliar to her. The two group sizes, two degrees of familiarity with the penned sheep and two degrees of familiarity with the companions were incorporated into a Latin square design. In a series of 20 min tests, we recorded the behaviour of the experimental ewes by focal sampling and the location of each animal in the plots by scan sampling. As in a previous experiment, ewes in a larger group were more likely to move away from the penned sheep and to graze the preferred feeding site, and were also less vigilant. There was an additive effect of the degree of familiarity: the ewes with familiar companions grazed the preferred feeding site for longer, vocalised less and were less vigilant than those with unfamiliar companions. Inter-individual distances were also reduced when ewes grazed with familiar companions. Conversely, the degree of familiarity with the penned sheep had no effect on the ewes’ behaviour. Differences in the strength of social bonds within a flock are thus likely to affect the formation of subgroups and influence the way herbivores forage in patchy grasslands.

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS AS AN INDICATOR OF SUCCESSFUL PACK FORMATION IN FREE-RANGING AFRICAN WILD DOGS

AbstractPack formation in the African wild dog is a social process that usually involves more than two individuals. Typically, same-sex relatives emigrate and join opposite-sex groups. Same-sex relatives have a shared social history and, consequently, established social bonds. In contrast, opposite-sex groups are unfamiliar with one another. Patterns of association (approaches and resting partners) were recorded during the daily resting period for three newly formed packs. Two packs annulled (Gijima and Amazoro) and one pack (Sinajima) became a stable reproductive unit (i.e. an established pack). An analysis of resting patterns suggests that spatial relationships mirror the relative strength of social bonds and thus the degree of social integration between females and males. Former members of the annulled Gijima pack rested with the same sex more often, and actively maintained this pattern, while opposite-sex associations were observed and maintained more often in the Sinajima pack. The Amazoro pack appeared more integrated than the Gijima pack, but less integrated than the Sinajima pack. Mate choice (i.e. group compatibility) may have influenced the outcome of attempted pack formation. The two cases of pack annulment were not the result of takeovers (i.e. the forceful expulsion of same-sex individuals), and same-sex associations were more common in these packs suggesting that opposite-sex group members were incompatible. The extremely social nature of this canid is reflected in the maintenance of physical contact or relatively short inter-individual distances while resting.