Doctoral Dissertation Research: The effect of intergroup competition on affiliation, oxytocin, and group cohesion

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。虽然人类在合作方面是了不起的，但还有其他社会哺乳动物，包括一些非人类灵长类动物，经常与非亲属合作，并在群体层面上合作。在一些物种中，个体在其群体内高度合作，而群体之间的关系是敌对的，这表明群体之间的竞争可能塑造了物种的社会性质。这篇博士论文研究推进了关于非人类灵长类动物群体内合作的进化和生理驱动因素的知识，并研究了竞争作为群体凝聚力的潜在驱动因素的重要性。该项目促进了对动物社会行为的了解，并为理解群体成员身份和群体间冲突可能如何塑造人类的合作模式提供了比较数据。该项目通过指导和实地体验机会为学生提供科学培训，并通过与保护组织和当地社区接触来帮助保护工作。该项目涉及对行为和荷尔蒙数据的非侵入性收集和分析，以调查地方性利他主义的理论，在该理论中，群体之间的冲突对于加强群体内的合作至关重要。研究人员研究了群体间冲突是否影响了高度智能和合作的非人类灵长类物种的群体内社会性，这些物种表现出敌对的群体间关系。该项目通过a)确定群体间冲突是否影响群体内的社会积极行为，b)调查催产素是否像人类和黑猩猩一样，支持参与合作的群体冒险，如领土防御，以及c)在群体层面评估社会凝聚力的衡量标准与群体间互动的成功之间是否存在关系，来检验狭隘利他主义的进化根源和生物学基础。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Though humans are remarkable in terms of cooperation, there are other social mammals including some non-human primates that regularly cooperate with non-kin and at the group-level. In some species, individuals are highly collaborative within their group, while relations are hostile between groups, suggesting that competition between groups may shape the social nature of species. This doctoral dissertation research advances knowledge about evolutionary and physiological drivers of cooperation within groups in non-human primates and examines the importance of competition as a potential driver of group cohesion. The project advances knowledge about animal social behavior and provides comparative data for understanding how group membership and intergroup conflict may have shaped patterns of cooperation in humans. The project provides scientific training to students through mentorship and field experience opportunities, and aids in conservation efforts by engaging with conservation organizations and local communities. This project involves the non-invasive collection and analysis of behavioral and hormonal data to investigate the theory of parochial altruism in which conflict between groups is crucial for intensifying cooperation within groups. The researchers examine whether intergroup conflict influences within-group sociality in a highly intelligent and cooperative non-human primate species that displays hostile between-group relations. The project examines the evolutionary roots and biological underpinnings of parochial altruism by a) determining whether intergroup conflict impacts within-group socio-positive behaviors, b) investigating whether, as in humans and chimpanzees, oxytocin underpins participation in cooperative group ventures such as territory defense, and c) assessing at the group level whether there is a relationship between measures of social cohesion and success in intergroup interactions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.