Conflict resolution following aggression in gregarious animals: a predictive framework

By Filippo Aureli, M. Cords, C. Schaik. 2002

398 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Knowledge of how animals manage their conflicts is critical for understanding the dynamics of social systems. During the last two decades research on gregarious animals, especially primates, has focused on the mechanisms of conflict management, mainly on friendly postconflict reunions (also called ‘reconciliation’) in which former opponents exchange affiliative behaviour soon after an aggressive conflict. Our aim in this paper is to present a framework in which the costs and benefits of friendly postconflict reunions, both for each individual opponent and for their mutual relationship, are used to predict the patterning of postconflict resolution mechanisms in other gregarious animals. The framework predicts the occurrence of postconflict reunions in species that live in stable social units, have individualized relationships, and experience postconflict hostility, but especially in those in which intragroup aggression disrupts valuable relationships. The critical issue is whether aggressive conflicts occur between cooperative partners and whether the level of aggression is sufficient to jeopardize the benefits associated with such valuable relationships. We conclude by proposing four research priorities to evaluate the role of friendly reunions in negotiating relationships and the way they are themselves influenced by asymmetries in partner value and biological market effects.

Subfields: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7292146f54e91659704019ca1740d671e2c16152

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In Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

In Social Psychology

Citations in the corpus

Social tolerance and adult play in macaque societies: a comparison with different human cultures (2012, background): “Reconciliation functions in restoring the relationship between the opponents after a conflict, in resuming the benefits associated with valuable relationships, in reducing the probability of further conflicts and limiting stress in the victim (Aureli et al. 2002).”
Reconciliation and Consolation in Captive Western Gorillas (2006, neutral): “Many authors described social relationships as investments from which partners should gain benefits (Aureli et al., 2002; Cords, 1997; Cords and Aureli, 2000; Paoli, 2004; Preuschoft et al., 2002; Watts, 2004).”
A comparative study of conflict resolution in macaques: insights into the nature of trait covariation (2008, background): “The comparative study of conflict resolution has produced a large body of data suggesting that patterns of aggression, dominance and reconciliation are covarying traits in macaque social organization (Thierry 1985, 2000; de Waal 1986, 1989; Aureli et al. 1997, 2002).”
Greetings promote cooperation and reinforce social bonds among spotted hyaenas (2011, background): “Ritualized greetings can function to reconcile fights (Aureli et al. 2002), signal acknowledgment of dominance status (de Waal & Luttrell 1985; de Waal 1986; Preuschoft 1999), reduce tension among individuals with insecure social relationships (Kutsukake * Correspondence: J.”
A Sex‐Specific Affiliative Contact Behavior in Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops sp. (2006, background): “Gentle contact (affiliative) behaviors play an important role in dolphin bonds as is typical of many terrestrial mammals (Aureli et al. 2002; DeVries et al. 2003).”
Short-Term Benefits of Play Behavior and Conflict Prevention in Pan paniscus (2006, neutral): “, cofeeding, and prevent aggressive escalation of conflicts (Aureli et al., 2002; de Waal, 1997; Koyama and Dunbar, 1996; Loizos, 1967).”
Social play in captive wolves (Canis lupus): not only an immature affair (2009, background): “…on captive chimpanzees, bonobos and lowland gorillas reveal an increase of play behaviour during the period immediately before the food distribution (the pre-feeding time) (Palagi et al., 2004, 2006, 2007) when the conflict of interests between conspecifics is more elevated (Aureli et al., 2002).”
Reciprocal Altruism in Primates: Partner Choice, Cognition, and Emotions (2009, background): “For example, if two group members have an aggressive conflict that disturbs their cooperative relationship it is likely that they exchange a friendly contact to reconcile and restore their relationship (Aureli et al., 2002).”
Chapter 2 Reciprocal Altruism in Primates (2009, background): “For example, if two group members have an aggressive conflict that disturbs their cooperative relationship it is likely that they exchange a friendly contact to reconcile and restore their relationship (Aureli et al., 2002).”