Social Dominance Research Articles

Children consider informants' explanation quality with their social dominance in seeking novel explanations.

Identifying high-quality causal explanations is key to scientific understanding. This research (N = 202; 50% girls; Mage: 5.82 years; 64% Asian, 33% White, and 3% multiracial; data collected from 2018 to 2024) examined how explanation circularity and informants' social dominance impact children's learning preferences for causal explanations. Raised in a culture valuing circular logic, Chinese children still preferred non-circular explanations and learning from informants providing non-circular explanations (d ≥ 0.50). When informants with non-circular explanations were subordinate to those with circular explanations, Chinese and American children preferred non-circular over circular explanations (d = 1.10), but did not prefer learning new information from either informant. Although children weigh explanation quality over informant dominance when seeking explanations for given questions, they consider both cues when evaluating informants' credibility.

Right‐wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and attitudes toward peace and war: The role of symbolic and realistic threat

AbstractIn postconflict Kosovo and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, we investigated the relationships of right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), symbolic and realistic threat with attitudes toward peace and war. We also examined the mediating role of symbolic and realistic threat in the links between RWA, SDO, and attitudes toward peace and war. In Study 1, we focused on Kosovo Albanians (N = 415) and their relationship with Serbs, and in Study 2, we focused on the relationship between Russians (N = 132) and Ukrainians (N = 102). In both studies, we found that SDO was negatively associated with positive attitudes toward peace and positively with positive attitudes toward war. RWA was positively associated with positive attitudes toward war in Study 1. Symbolic threat was negatively related to positive attitudes toward peace, and realistic threat was positively related to positive attitudes toward war in both studies. The relationship between RWA and attitudes toward peace was mediated by symbolic threat, and the relationship between RWA and attitudes toward war was mediated by realistic threat. These findings attest to the negative role of RWA, SDO, symbolic and realistic threat on attitudes toward peace and war in conflict‐related contexts. We discuss potential implications for interventions that challenge negative attitudes toward peace and positive attitudes toward war in (former) adversary groups.

Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance, system justification, and conservative political ideology as predictors of mental health stigma: The Hungarian case.

Insights from mental health stigma research indicate the importance of societal and political views on mental health perceptions. Most studies originate from typical Western neo-liberal settings and focus on generic mental health issues. Our research explores these associations in Hungary, an understudied post-communist context with significant stigma levels, examining a broad range of stigmas related to both general and three specific mental illnesses: schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study aims to connect a wide array of political dispositions to stigma associated with both general and specific mental illnesses, exploring both attitudes and behavioral intentions. We surveyed 492 participants (147 males, 342 females) on their political dispositions, including Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), general and economic system justification, and conservative political ideology, and their attitudes toward general and specific mental illnesses. Regression analyses identified key political dispositions influencing stigma. RWA was significantly linked to most stigma outcomes, while conservative political ideology showed a selective impact. Other predictors had minimal influence on stigma outcomes. Our findings suggest that perceptions of danger, threat, and unconventionality, as indicated by RWA, are crucial for mental health stigmatization in Hungary. Intervention programs should target these factors, particularly in similar contexts.

From Agency To Social Impact: The Effect of Social Class and Dominance Orientation on Social Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy

From Agency To Social Impact: The Effect of Social Class and Dominance Orientation on Social Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy

Records and Social Domination: Historical Background

Records and Social Domination: Historical Background

Three Traditions of African American Political Thought: Realism, Reformism, and Nationalism

This article argues that conflict rather than consensus defines the history of African American political thought. Its seminal figures have pursued justice along different and diverging lines—including advocating reformist, realist, and nationalist paths. While there is agreement that white supremacy is a form of social, economic, and political domination that should be eradicated, there is disagreement regarding its nature, effects, and resilience. This variance in judgments and inferences regarding the foundations and consequences of white supremacy leads to different accounts of social change, diverging strategic advice for realizing that change, and conflicting political theories. To press this claim, I consider the conflicting political visions of Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963), and Marcus Garvey (1887–1940).

How young children use manifest emotions and dominance cues to understand social rules: a registered report

ABSTRACT Given the complexity of human social life, it is astonishing to observe how quickly children adapt to their social environment. To be accepted by the other members, it is crucial to understand and follow the rules and norms shared by the group. How and from whom do young children learn these social rules? In the experiments, based on the crucial role of affective social learning and dominance hierarchies in simple rule understanding, we showed 15-to-23-month-olds and 3-to-5-year-old children videos where the agents’ body size and affective cues were manipulated. In the dominant rule-maker condition, when a smaller protagonist puts an object in one location, a bigger agent reacts with a positive reaction; on the contrary, when the smaller protagonist puts an object in another location, the bigger agent displays a negative reaction. In the subordinate rule-maker condition, the roles are shifted but the agents differ. Toddlers expect the protagonist to follow the rules (based on anticipatory looks), independent of the dominant status of the rule-making agent. Three-to-five-year-old pre-schoolers overall perform at the chance level but expect the protagonist to disobey a rule in the first trial, and obey the rule in the second trial if the rule-maker is dominant.

Prabowo Gibran's Local Language Campaign On The Tiktok Account Fillixpratama

This research analyzes the impact of the local language campaign conducted by Prabowo Gibran through the TikTok account @fillixpratama25, which demonstrates adaptation to digital trends and the preferences of young voters. Unlike previous studies that focused on political image and campaign strategies in other contexts, this research offers a new approach by emphasizing the use of local language on TikTok. The methodology used is a qualitative approach with a constructivist paradigm, utilizing field research methods. Data was collected through direct observation, document analysis, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. Critical discourse analysis by Teun A. van Dijk was used to understand how local language in this campaign builds or undermines social dominance and reflects power structures. The results of the study indicate that the use of local language and a relaxed communication style create emotional closeness with the audience, increase political awareness among young voters, and leverage the viral potential of TikTok to expand the reach of political messages. This campaign combines media ecology theory and social media campaign theory, highlighting how new media transforms the political communication environment and enables more direct interaction between politicians and the public. The conclusion shows that adaptive strategies in using social media with relevant local languages can strengthen the connection between candidates and voters, increase political awareness, and open new opportunities in political communication in the digital era.

A PROGRESS-driven approach to cognitive outcomes after traumatic brain injury: A study protocol for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through knowledge synthesis and mobilization.

Evidence syntheses for advancing equitable traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, policy, and practice presents formidable challenges. Research and clinical frameworks are currently not specific to equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations, despite evidence that persons with TBI live in societies in which power imbalances and systems of social dominance may privilege some people and marginalize others. The present protocol outlines a strategy for a research program, supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, that explores the integration of PROGRESS-Plus parameters in research with the goal of advancing open-science databases and tools to improve our understanding of equity in cognitive and brain health outcomes in TBI. PROGRESS-Plus is a framework outlining social, economic, and cultural parameters that may influence health opportunities and outcomes (e.g., place of residence, race, occupation, gender, etc.). A multistep research program is proposed to support three objectives: (1) organizing existing data on TBI-induced changes in cognition and brain health into a template to facilitate future research, including research using machine learning techniques; (2) updating published evidence with a more rigorous approach to the consideration of PROGRESS-Plus parameters; and (3) mobilizing knowledge on the current state of evidence that is relevant, equitable, and accessible. This program facilitates partnerships with knowledge users across clinical, research, academic, and community sectors to address the three research objectives through a unifying workflow of exchange, synthesis, and knowledge mobilization. We anticipate that this global collaboration between topic experts and community leaders in equity in brain health will add significant value to the field of TBI by promoting equity-transformative advancements in knowledge synthesis, policy, and practice.

Mixed Couples, Mixed Attitudes: How Interracial Couples in Marketing Appeals Influence Brand Outcomes

Abstract Interracial couples are increasingly featured in marketing messages, yet little is known about how their representation influences consumer behavior. Across six experiments (N = 4,956) and a field study on Facebook, interracial couples in marketing appeals enhance brand outcomes relative to monoracial dominant (i.e., White) couples, but decrease brand outcomes relative to monoracial nondominant (i.e., minority) couples. These effects stem from how the racial composition of dominant (vs. nondominant) members within a couple either amplifies or dilutes perceived warmth. Monoracial couples possess consistent stereotype attributes, with dominant (vs. nondominant) groups typically seen as lower in warmth. Thus, monoracial couple warmth is amplified: monoracial dominant couples are seen as less warm (i.e., negative amplification), and monoracial nondominant couples as warmer (i.e., positive amplification) than the individuals in the couple. Interracial couples possess inconsistent racial attributes, inducing stereotype dilution with intermediate levels of perceived warmth. Warmth drives brand outcomes above and beyond brand diversity, social desirability, and brand morality. Effects are moderated by consumers’ social dominance orientation and whether the monoracial dominant couple is nondominant along another dimension (i.e., sexual orientation). This work holds theoretical implications for stereotyping research and provides practical insight into multiracial marketing.

A female-biased gene expression signature of dominance in cooperatively breeding meerkats.

Dominance is a primary determinant of social dynamics and resource access in social animals. Recent studies show that dominance is also reflected in the gene regulatory profiles of peripheral immune cells. However, the strength and direction of this relationship differs across the species and sex combinations investigated, potentially due to variation in the predictors and energetic consequences of dominance status. Here, we investigated the association between social status and gene expression in the blood of wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta; n = 113 individuals), including in response to lipopolysaccharide, Gardiquimod (an agonist of TLR7, which detects single-stranded RNA invivo) and glucocorticoid stimulation. Meerkats are cooperatively breeding social carnivores in which breeding females physically outcompete other females to suppress reproduction, resulting in high reproductive skew. They therefore present an opportunity to disentangle the effects of social dominance from those of sex per se. We identify a sex-specific signature of dominance, including 1045 differentially expressed genes in females but none in males. Dominant females exhibit elevated activity in innate immune pathways and a larger fold-change response to LPS challenge. Based on these results and a preliminary comparison to other mammals, we speculate that the gene regulatory signature of social status in the immune system depends on the determinants and energetic costs of social dominance, such that it is most pronounced in hierarchies where physical competition is important and reproductive skew is large. Such a pattern has the potential to mediate life history trade-offs between investment in reproduction versus somatic maintenance.

The evolution of sensitive periods beyond early ontogeny: Bridging theory and data

Abstract Sensitive periods, in which experiences have a large impact on phenotypic development, are most common early in ontogeny. Yet, they may also occur at later ontogenetic stages, such as adolescence. At present, however, we know little about why natural selection favours sensitive periods for some traits early in ontogeny and for others later in ontogeny. This article synthesizes recent mathematical models and empirical studies that explore sensitive periods beyond early ontogeny. Across mathematical models, we observe two general patterns. First, sensitive periods emerge beyond early ontogeny when an organism's uncertainty about the environment‐phenotype fit increases at later developmental stages. Second, sensitive periods emerge beyond early ontogeny when cues at later stages reduce this uncertainty more than earlier cues do. In the empirical literature, we observe that traits showing sensitive periods beyond early ontogeny tend to be social traits, particularly among mammals. Connecting theory to data, we hypothesize that mammals have evolved to expect reliable information from peers in adolescence to reduce uncertainty about the current and future social environment (e.g. social dominance, mate value). Finally, we highlight current gaps in our understanding and suggest future directions for strengthening bridges between empirical and theoretical studies of sensitive periods. Ultimately, we hope our synthesis will contribute towards an integrative science of sensitive periods across the biological and the social sciences. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Can Subaltern Exist? Reinterpreting the Issue of Subalternity (Case Study of Blimbingsari Village - Jembrana Regency and Pegayaman Village - Buleleng Regency)

The objective of this study is to further elucidate a significant inquiry posed by Gayatri Spivak, namely, the ability of the subaltern to articulate their voice. This inquiry's significance arises within the context of social interactions, where there are discernible patterns of social dominance. Is it possible for a social group to survive without the active participation and expression of its members? This study aims to investigate how a village can persist within a social, cultural, and political framework that actively conceals its presence. The aforementioned pressure is commonly acknowledged as an inherently social phenomenon, indicating the presence of a mechanism of social hegemony. The hegemonic process is enacted through the implementation of village norms, particularly about customary villages (desa adat). The majority of villages in Bali adhere to a dual system of governance, consisting of office villages (desa dinas) and customary villages desa adat. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the focus of this research lies solely on two specific villages, both of which adhere to a single type of governance known as the official village. The two villages under consideration are Blimbingsari in the Jembrana district and Pegayaman in Bali's Buleleng district. Both communities remain independent settlements in Bali to this day. Nevertheless, the dynamics and obstacles that exist are not straightforward. This research tries to listen to the voices of the subaltern and classifies them into four main issues, namely: 1) cultural politics; 2) political economy; 3) Ideology; 4) Conscientization. Through these four issues, an understanding of how these two villages continue to exist amid existing social harmonization is obtained.

Confronting social dominance ideology: how professional women manage career stereotypes in male-dominated occupations

PurposeUsing social dominance theory as a conceptual lens, this study explores how female managers and professionals strive to defy the perceived career stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated occupations.Design/methodology/approachThe dataset comprises 30 interviews with female bank managers and senior engineers in Nigeria – a non-Western location and work group – a sample that is considered under-researched.FindingsThe qualitative analysis identifies how the interviewed women adopted three strategies in managing gender and career stereotypes, with some expressing concerns of experiencing emotional dissonance as they contend with occupational segregation based on gender.Research limitations/implicationsThe extent to which the findings can be generalised may be constrained by the study’s limited sample size. Nevertheless, the findings shed light on the underlying importance of disclosing how working women exert themselves in navigating the social dominance ideology in Nigeria that is notable for extreme gender role differentiation. This often results in an intensification of the efforts made by female professionals in confronting the endemic nature of male chauvinism in Nigerian organisations.Originality/valueResearch on gender and career constraints has, in the main, restricted our understanding of the barriers that Nigerian women face in their careers as a result of the masculine hegemony perpetuated by social dominance. The present study aims to challenge, however, proponents of social dominance by unveiling the mitigating strategies that women living in an inegalitarian society adopt to confront occupational male-group ascendency.

Hormonal differences in perpetrators of intimate partner violence.

In order to gain a better understanding of the individual and joint impact of testosterone and cortisol on behavior, the present study was developed to test the differences in each hormone alone and conjointly between perpetrators of IPV and non-violent controls. Perpetrators of IPV on probation were compared to a control group of non-aggressive males from Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley on baseline testosterone and cortisol, as well as several relevant questionnaires measuring aggression and trait anger. Differences in cortisol following exposure to a stressful event were also examined. Procedures included two laboratory visits consisting of questionnaires, a number of salivary testosterone and cortisol collections, and exposure to a stressor. Perpetrators had higher basal testosterone and post stressor cortisol levels than non- violent controls as well as a higher T/C ratio. In addition, trait anger moderated the relationship between both testosterone alone, and the testosterone/cortisol ratio and perpetration of IPV. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that testosterone leads to antisocial behavior, including perpetration of violence. The results are also consistent with the dual hormone hypothesis, i.e., that testosterone and cortisol work together to jointly regulate social dominance and aggression. Both the increased freestanding testosterone and the increased cortisol following exposure to stress places these men at risk for perpetrating violence. Clinical implications are discussed.

Are Users Good Assessors of Social Dominance in Domestic Horses?

Horse users and caretakers must be aware of the risks of mixing social groups. The current study investigated whether eight equine practitioners can assess the social dominance rank of 20 horses. The horses' feeding time and agonistic/aggressive and submissive behaviours were observed during the feed confrontation test, and the dominance index (DI) was calculated. Kendal's W, Spearman correlations and factor analysis were applied to test the raters' agreement, the relationship between dominance ranks and the behavioural variables, and to determine the clustered behaviours. The agreement between all raters in the classification of dominance order ranged from moderate to perfect. The ranking by every rater was strongly and negatively correlated with the time of eating in feed confrontation tests and with the DI, evidencing shorter feeding times for more submissive horses. The withdrawal of the horse when threatened was the behavioural variable that was most often correlated with raters' ranking. The current study confirmed the abilities of practitioners to categorise the horses under their care according to their social interactions. Additionally, rolling when denied access to feed was proposed as frustration-releasing (redirected) behaviour.

Relations Between Rape Myths, Ambivalent Sexism, Social Dominance Orientation, and Right-Wing Authoritarianism Across Gay and Straight Women and Men: More Similar Than Dissimilar

ABSTRACT Rape myths support and fuel cultural understandings regarding gender roles and deny the victim’s rights and strengthen those of the instigator. Little research exists examining the invariance of rape myths measures and models used to explain rape myths across gay and straight samples. Examining correlates of rape myths and determining if the pattern of relations between correlates is similar across gay and straight male and female samples provides insights into socially constant factors that are influencing rape myth acceptance. Participants (294 straight women, 282 gay women, 293 straight men, and 234 gay men) were asked to complete measures of social dominance orientation (SDO), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), ambivalent sexism toward women, ambivalent sexism toward men, and rape myths toward women. We tested four models that highlighted significant, direct paths between SDO, RWA, and rape myth acceptance. Both hostile sexism toward women and benevolent sexism toward men demonstrated significant indirect effects between SDO, RWA, and rape myth acceptance. Benevolent sexism toward women and hostile sexism toward men demonstrated, in most samples, significant indirect effects between SDO, RWA, and rape myth acceptance. However, the strength of those relations differed for gay and heterosexual samples. This provides further understanding of rape myths as SDO, RWA, and benevolent and hostile sexism toward men and women play a role in supporting rape myth acceptance and establishes that, overall, these relations are more similar than dissimilar across straight and gay samples.

Asymmetrical listening practices and hegemonic aurality in a dual‐language kindergarten classroom

AbstractListening practices among kindergarteners in a two‐way bilingual elementary school reveal how asymmetries between incoming “English speakers” and “Spanish speakers” shape children's emerging language attitudes. My ethnographic study of a US Midwestern public school (2013–2017) shows that objectifying the two languages was a central project of the school that children embraced. This metapragmatic understanding is most evident in their listening, as opposed to speaking, practices. I argue that a hegemonic aurality privileging English and monolingualism emerges in students' differential attunements to language as sounds or as a communicative code, thereby reinforcing the social dominance of English monolingualism over Spanish bilingualism.

Sociopolitical ideologies as predictors of collective action across liberal and conservative domains: Injustice‐based anger, efficacy, and empathy as mediators

AbstractSocial change can be spurred by collective action. Yet not all forms of collective action are in the name of social progress. People seeking to advance or oppose social progress can be ideologically driven to organize and push their agendas. In exploring psychological reasons for collective action, social scientists have focused mostly on social identity. Researchers have begun to study sociopolitical ideologies as another key motivator of collective action. Drawing on both collective action and sociopolitical ideology literatures, we investigate sociopolitical ideologies (right‐wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation) as predictors of collective action across politically liberal (MeToo movement, Climate Change) and conservative (Anti‐Abortion, Illegal Immigration) domains. Results from two American samples (n = 681; n = 359) show that right‐wing ideologies relate to more collective action in politically conservative domains and less collective action in politically liberal domains. Between‐person differences in empathy, injustice‐based anger, and efficacy explain these associations.

Feminisit Discourse in Albanian Political Communication

Objectives: According to Foucault, "... dealing with the discourse on human sexuality cannot be done without understanding the power-knowledge-pleasure relationship. The longevity of power is proportional to its ability to hide the mechanisms it uses". The facts show that, in these three decades of upheavals and political changes, even political communication in Albania has known great changes, certainly with ups and downs, different tones and colors. Feminist discourse has tried to show that every woman, who is part of politics, can get out of those "frames" that have placed and labeled her and show herself in one way or another to prove that her own room for which Virginia Ulf spoke in 1928. Methods: The discourse texts in this paper are analyzed using various concepts of contemporary criticism of (Critical) Discourse Analysis. which is a type of literary research that studies how abuse of social power, dominance and inequality are developed, reproduced and resisted within the text in the social and political context. Results: This paper, aims to examine and highlight the way in which this type of discourse, i.e. the feminist discourse, tries to establish balance in a rather difficult terrain, harsh and wild as is the political terrain related to other aspects such as power, rhetoric, dominance, etc. Conclusions: The discourse approach of women in Albanian politics has a marked orientation in highlighting their values in decision-making and making rational politics. Women in Albanian political communication are still labeled simply as beautiful images, prejudging and leaving aside their professional aspect.