DOCSLIB.ORG

Do Female Spider-Monkeys Tend-And- Befriend?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Do Female Spider-Monkeys Tend-And- Befriend? Stress and Sociality in a Patrilocal Primate: Do Female Spider-Monkeys Tend-and- Befriend? DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Michelle Amanda Rodrigues Graduate Program in Anthropology The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Dawn M. Kitchen, Advisor W. Scott McGraw Douglas E. Crews Randy Nelson ii Copyrighted by Michelle Amanda Rodrigues 2013 iii Abstract Stress provokes an adaptive strategy that mobilizes the body for acute physical challenges. However, chronic stress has detrimental effects that can reduce health and reproductive fitness. Thus, coping mechanisms are valuable in reducing chronic stress. One such mechanism, the “tend-and-befriend” strategy, refers to affiliation between females as an adaptive strategy to deal with stress. This mechanism is proposed to be a widespread strategy throughout the primate order, and one that underlies patterns of female bonding in humans. Although this strategy has been documented in matrilineal primates characterized by female kinship bonds, there has not been documentation of this strategy among unrelated females. Such documentation is necessary to demonstrate that this strategy is unrelated to female philopatry. Since our hominid ancestors are presumed to be male-philopatric, examining if this strategy applies to unrelated females is essential to understanding the evolutionary context of this mechanism. Here, I examine the tend- and-befriend strategy in a species characterized by fission-fusion social organization and female dispersal. I examine the patterns of female-female social relationships, male aggression, and ecological variables on glucocorticoid concentrations, a measure of physiological stress, among female black-handed spider monkeys. Behavioral, hormonal and ecological data were collected in a wild, habituated community. I validated a cortisol ii assay for black-handed spider monkeys, and determined that cortisol concentrations do not significantly vary between reproductive states. The only activity variable or ecological variable that was significantly associated was time engaged in rest, with rest and cortisol concentrations inversely related. I found that affiliative behavior was significantly correlated with cortisol concentrations. I further found that females engaged in higher rates of affiliative behavior on days when fecal samples with high cortisol concentrations were collected. Most females exhibited a pattern of low cortisol concentrations punctuated by spikes in cortisol that returned to baseline, rather than chronically elevated cortisol concentrations. I found that patterns of association and affiliation were highly variable, and that rates of affiliative behavior were significantly correlated with association indices. I conclude that these patterns indicate that female spider monkeys are engaging in high rates of affiliative behavior when they are experiencing stress, and that engaging in affiliation brings cortisol concentrations back to baseline values. This research has direct implications for understanding the evolution of the stress response, and whether bonding among unrelated females is a result of ancestral tendencies within the primate order or a more derived feature limited to certain taxa. iii For Roger Rodrigues iv Acknowledgments There are many people, organizations, and animals that have helped make this project possible. First, I have to thank Dawn Kitchen for both encouraging and challenging me. Dawn has been a great friend and mentor throughout my PhD program, and continually challenges me to improve my work, even if it means endless cycle revisions and learning new statistical tests. I also am very grateful to Scott McGraw, Douglas Crews, and Randy Nelson for serving on my committee, and teaching me about primate ecology and behavioral endocrinology, and providing feedback to strengthen this project at various stages. I am very grateful to Jill Pruetz for giving me the opportunity to first study at El Zota and supporting my research. Jill is a mentor, a colleague, and a friend, and she is responsible for the early years of research on the study of the El Zota spiders. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to Stacy Lindshield. Stacy helped me so much in establishing planning my research, and she first introduced me to the beautiful forest and the spider monkeys. Stacy has also provided feedback on this project at various stages, particularly on the ecological component. I also appreciate all of the assistance that Matt Lattanzio has given me at every stage of my research. He taught me how to identify snakes v venomous snakes, provided feedback and suggestions at the early stages of this project and has provided statistical advice whenever I am stuck on analysis. Matt has been a great colleague and friend, and I would not have made it through graduate school without his support. Many people at the El Zota Biological Field Station helped me tremendously in this research. I am eternal gratitude to Israel Mesen for facilitating so many logistical aspects of my dissertation research, especially translating everything from financial transactions to rather embarrassing medical problems. Marbeli, Tomas, Hinder, Daisy, and Abigail, Victor and Noely, Wilmara Maria and Carlos Luis, Dona Anna and Douglas, Marjorie and Joel all went out of their way to make me feel comfortable at El Zota. Marbeli, Maria, Dona Rosa, and Marjorie made an extra effort to make my favorite foods and surprise us with desserts when torrential rain got our spirits down. Maria and Luis were wonderful friends and companions, and made El Zota truly feel like home. I am also very grateful to Hiner Ramirez, Enid Ramirez, Maribel Ramirez, and their entire family for allowing me permission to work at El Zota, supporting conservation of the forest, and being wonderful hosts. I appreciate the assistance of Jessica Walz in pilot research field, and her feedback and support throughout this project. She was a fantastic assistant and companion in the field, and a great colleague and collaborator. Agnieska Sukiennik and Katy Gilbert assisted me in identifying and naming individuals. I am also grateful to Jason Ferrell and Katy for establishing the ecological transects. vi I am incredibly indebted to three wonderful assistants that went above and beyond in their dedication to finding and keeping the monkeys, even when it meant getting perpetually getting stuck in the swamp and having to crawl out. They did their best to collect fecal samples no matter what: whether they were splattered on tall leaves or the assistant’s eyelids, or if they needed to sniff it to distinguish it from rotting fruit. They then patiently sorted through fecals to remove debris and seeds, and Emily went even further with her own side project that involved sorting and washing the remaining fecals to recover and identify seeds. Each field assistant helped train the next, and they monitored transects, recorded party encounters, identified animals and collected fecals any time I needed to travel away from the field site or was not feeling well. They got very dirty They got eaten alive by mosquitoes. They motivated me when my own motivation was flagging. They walked through more spider webs than we can ever count and stayed calm even if when there were spiders in their hair. They helped me to see the forest through new eyes and appreciate so many aspects of the forest ecosystem . This project owes so much to Emily “Little Chair” Stulik, Anna “Fondles Poo” Kordek, and Lindsay “One Feather” Mahovetz. “Sings with Monkeys” is incredibly appreciative. Both Emily and Anna also worked simultaneously on side projects that I hope will further our knowledge of the Pilon community’s feeding ecology. I am also grateful to the friends and colleagues who have provided advice, feedback, and moral support throughout graduate school. Cathy Cooke, Elizabeth Hellmer, Stacy Lindshield, Matt Lattanzio, Kristina Walkup, Tracie McKinney, Erin Ehmke, Laurie Kauffman, Liz Beggrow, Ellen Furlong, Anna Yocom Laurie Reitsema, vii Jennifer Spence, Hedy Justus, Erin Kane, Dara Ulmer, Sarah Martin, Amy Eakins, Lori Critcher, Jessica Walz, Jocelyn Bryant, Darcy Hannibal, Raymond Vagell, and many others have provided advice, support, or feedback at various stages of my research. I also want to acknowledge the great female friends I rely on when I need to tend-and-befriend: Amy Laude, Angie Sansguiri, Divya Kansagra, Phillipa Soskin, Cathy Cooke, Elizabeth Hellmer, Karen Bullock, Melissa Tanouye Conger, Paulomi Shah, Danielle Van Kampen, Anna Geletka, Sabrina Ahmad McCollough, Claire Speirs, Shuba Bindra, Meredith Palmer, Agnieska Sukiennik, Tejal Chande, and Anjal Chande have all been wonderful and supportive friends. I am also grateful to Caleb Bullock, Gracie Bullock, and Nathan Cooke Moussopo for providing stress relief, and Sirius, Maise, Stitchy, and Cleo for being my furry dissertation assistants. I am also appreciative of the support of my family, including my sister, Belinda Rodrigues, and my father Roger Rodrigues. My father has been supportive of my decision to study monkeys, even though he still wishes I had gone to medical school instead. And finally, I want to thank all the spider monkeys who helped contribute to this project. Goldie, Clydette, Travis and Udi inspired me to study spider monkeys, and Rita, Marielita, Margarita, Evita, and Chita provided behavioral data and fecal samples. Most of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tend and Befriend: a Bio-Behavioural Construction of Women’S Responses to Stress
    TEND AND BEFRIEND: A BIO-BEHAVIOURAL CONSTRUCTION OF WOMEN’S RESPONSES TO STRESS. By DANIËL FRANCOIS JOUBERT Submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree MAGISTER ARTIUM Counselling Psychology in the FACULTY OF HUMANITIES of the UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA Supervisor: Ms Ilse Ruane August 2010 DECLARATION I, Daniël Francois Joubert, hereby declare that the work presented here Tend and Befriend: A bio-behavioural construction of women’s responses to stress is original and my own. All sources used in this research have been referenced appropriately and according to the required guidelines. _______________ ___________________ Mr. D. F. Joubert Date Student number 24240428 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you God for giving me the ability to do this, the strength to complete the process and the coincidences which coincided with my requests. I would like to thank Delene, Gideon and Maria, Jeanne, and Willie for all the support whether it was ad hoc, intermittently or throughout in flesh or spirit. To my Participants without whom I would not have gained this insight or have been able to do this research in this way, thank you. To Ilse Ruane, my supervisor, thank you for your patience in my journey down the social constructionism rabbit hole, supervision and your ability to motivate, inspire and give me hope each time we had a meeting. A big thank you to the Directorate of Student Development and Support and to the Directorate of Higher Education Development and Support of Tshwane University of Technology. As employers, thank you to both the directorates for making my working environment research-friendly and for the additional funding to my research.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Social Hierarchies and Perceived Popularity on Stress Levels
    THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL HIERARCHIES AND PERCEIVED POPULARITY ON STRESS LEVELS By AMBER RHEA MASSEY Bachelor of Science in Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2012 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE May, 2012 THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL HIERARCHIES AND PERCEIVED POPULARITY ON STRESS LEVELS Thesis Approved: Dr. Jennifer Byrd-Craven Thesis Adviser Dr. Shelia Kennison Dr. DeMond Grant Dr. Sheryl A. Tucker Dean of the Graduate College ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1-2 General Introduction ............................................................................................ 1-2 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE.............................................................................. 3-21 Stress .................................................................................................................... 3-9 Social Dominance and Perceived Popularity ..................................................... 9-12 Stress and Social Hierarchies ........................................................................... 12-17 Present Study ................................................................................................... 18-21 III. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 22-26 Common Methods ...........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Moderate Stress-Induced Social Bonding and Oxytocin Signaling Are Disrupted by Predator Odor in Male Rats
    Neuropsychopharmacology (2016) 41, 2160–2170 © 2016 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. All rights reserved 0893-133X/16 www.neuropsychopharmacology.org Moderate Stress-Induced Social Bonding and Oxytocin Signaling are Disrupted by Predator Odor in Male Rats 1 2 ,1,2,3 ,1,2,4 Sandra E Muroy , Kimberly LP Long , Daniela Kaufer* and Elizabeth D Kirby* 1 2 Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience 3 Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Program in Child and Brain Development Toronto, ON, Canada In times of stress, social support can serve as a potent buffering mechanism that enhances resilience. In humans, stress can promote protective affiliative interactions and prosocial behavior. Yet, stress also precipitates psychopathologies characterized by social withdrawal such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The factors that drive adaptive vs maladaptive social responses to stress are not yet clear. Rodent studies have focused on pair-bonded, opposite-sex mates and suggest that a variety of stressors can induce social — — support-like behaviors. However, between same-sex conspecifics particularly males stress effects on social bonding are less understood and often associated with aggression and social unrest. We thus sought to investigate if a moderate stressor—3 h of acute immobilization— impacts social-support behaviors differently when experienced in a neutral vs more innately threatening context (ie, paired with predator odor). We found that moderate stress increased social support-seeking behavior in rat cagemates and facilitated long-term sharing of a limited water resource, decreased aggression, and strongly defined dominance ranks (an indicator of home cage stability).
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Oxytocin, Social Bonding, and Life-History Trade-Offs Nicholas Grebe University of New Mexico
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Psychology ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 9-14-2016 From Norway with Love: A Study of Oxytocin, Social Bonding, and Life-history Trade-offs Nicholas Grebe University of New Mexico Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/psy_etds Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Grebe, Nicholas. "From Norway with Love: A Study of Oxytocin, Social Bonding, and Life-history Trade-offs." (2016). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/psy_etds/182 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Psychology ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i Nicholas M. Grebe Candidate Psychology Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Steven W. Gangestad , Chairperson Melissa Emery Thompson Marco Del Giudice Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair ii FROM NORWAY WITH LOVE: A STUDY OF OXYTOCIN, SOCIAL BONDING, AND LIFE-HISTORY TRADE-OFFS BY NICHOLAS M. GREBE BACHELOR OF ARTS, PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, MAY 2009 MASTER OF SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, JULY 2015 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico December 2016 iii DEDICATION To Bandit. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This achievement is not mine alone—not by a long shot. Below I name just a few of the people who helped me along the way.
    [Show full text]
  • Tend and Befriend Theory
    Tend and Befriend Running Head: Tend and Befriend Tend and Befriend Theory Shelley E. Taylor University of California, Los Angeles Address Correspondence to: Shelley E. Taylor Department of Psychology University of California, Los Angeles 1285 Franz Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563 Email: [email protected] To appear in A. M. van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, and E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology. Sage Publications. Tend and Befriend 1 Tend and Befriend Theory Shelley E. Taylor University of California, Los Angeles Abstract The Tend and Befriend theory builds on the observation that human beings affiliate in response to stress. Under conditions of threat, they tend to offspring to ensure their survival and affiliate with others for joint protection and comfort. These responses are underpinned by an affiliative neurocircuitry that appears to be based on oxytocin and endogenous opioid peptides. When close relationships are threatened or one is socially isolated, a rise in plasma oxytocin occurs, a biological marker that may signal a need for affiliation: Oxytocin prompts affiliative behavior in response to stress, in conjunction with the opioid system. Together with positive social contacts, oxytocin attenuates biological stress responses that would otherwise arise in response to social threats. These social responses to stress and their biological underpinnings appear to be more characteristic of women than men. The model helps to unravel puzzles not only in the research literature but also with respect to health and may shed light on why women live longer than men. Tend and Befriend 2 Social relationships are vital resources for managing the demands of the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 5. Diverse Understandings of Stress
    distribute or DIVERSE post, UNDERSTANDINGS OF STRESS copy, CHAPTER 5 not Do Copyright ©2019 by SAGE Publications, Inc. This work may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without express written permission of the publisher. iStockphoto.com/ imtmphoto Chapter 5 Outline Measuring Up: Got Daily Hassles? What's Your Culture as a Critical Stressor Stress Score? Perceived Discrimination Ponder This Stress, Hormones, and Genes What Is Stress? Different Varieties of Stressors Measuring Stress Relationship Stress Stress over Time Work Stress Main Theories of Stress Environmental Stress Cannon’s Fight-or-Flight Theory Consequences of Stress Taylor et al.’s Tend-and-Befriend Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Theory APPLICATION SHOWCASE: Stress Really Selye’s General Adaptation Can Kill: The Baskerville Effect, Culture, and Syndrome Stress Lazarus’s Cognitive Appraisal Model SUMMARY Factors Influencing Our Appraisals TEST YOURSELF KEY TERMS, CONCEPTS, AND PEOPLE The Role of Culture in Appraisal ESSENTIAL READINGS Stress and Psychopathology: The Diathesis- Stress Model distribute MEASURING UP or GOT DAILY HASSLES? WHAT'S YOUR STRESS SCORE? dentify which of the following 17. Increased workload at school 37 events you experienced in the past Isix months. post,18. Outstanding personal achievement 36 19. First semester in college 35 1. Death of a close family member 100 20. Change in living conditions 31 2. Death of a close friend 73 21. Serious argument with instructor 30 3. Divorce between parents 65 22. Lower grades than expected 29 4. Jail term 63 23. Change in sleeping habits 29 5. Major personal injury 63 24. Change in social habits 29 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Tend-And-Befriend, Not Fight-Or-Flight
    Psychological Review Copyright 2000 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 2000, Vol. 107, No. 3, 411-429 0033-295X/0№00 DOI: 10.1037//0033-295X.107.3.411 Biobehavioral Responses to Stress in Females: Tend-and-Befriend, Not Fight-or-Flight Shelley E. Taylor, Laura Cousino Klein, Brian P. Lewis, Tara L. Gruenewald, Regan A. R. Gurung, and John A. Updegraff University of California, Los Angeles The human stress response has been characterized, both physiologically and behaviorally, as "fight-or- flight." Although fight-or-flight may characterize the primary physiological responses to stress for both males and females, we propose that, behaviorally, females' responses are more marked by a pattern of "tend-and-befriend." Tending involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and offspring that promote safety and reduce distress; befriending is the creation and maintenance of social networks that may aid in this process. The biobehavioral mechanism that underlies the tend-and-befriend pattern appears to draw on the attachment-caregiving system, and neuroendocrine evidence from animal and human studies suggests that oxytocin, in conjunction with female reproductive hormones and endogenous opioid peptide mechanisms, may be at its core. This previously unexplored stress regulatory system has manifold implications for the study of stress. Survival depends on the ability to mount a successful response affiliating with social groups to reduce risk. We hypothesize and to threat. The human stress response has been characterized as consider evidence from humans and other species to suggest that fight-or-flight (Cannon, 1932) and has been represented as an females create, maintain, and utilize these social groups, especially essential mechanism in the survival process.
    [Show full text]
  • Influence of Sex and Blood Collection Method on Innate Immune Response Following Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Sheep
    Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2017 Influence of Sex and Blood Collection Method on Innate Immune Response following Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Sheep Hoda Nikpour Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Nikpour, Hoda, "Influence of Sex and Blood Collection Method on Innate Immune Response following Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Sheep" (2017). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6320. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6320 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Influence of Sex and Blood Collection Method on Innate Immune Response following Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Sheep Hoda Nikpour Thesis submitted to the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of requirements
    [Show full text]
  • New Perspectives in the Model of Stress Response
    Physiol. Res. 66 (Suppl. 2): S173-S185, 2017 https://doi.org/10.33549/physiolres.933674 REVIEW New Perspectives in the Model of Stress Response I. TONHAJZEROVA1,2*, M. MESTANIK1,2* * These authors contributed equally to this work. 1Department of Physiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, 2Biomedical Center Martin, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia Received February 16, 2017 Accepted February 26, 2017 Summary Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mala Hora The reactions of human organism to changes of internal or 4C, 036 01 Martin, Slovakia. E-mail: [email protected] or external environment termed as stress response have been at [email protected] the center of interest during recent decades. Several theories were designed to describe the regulatory mechanisms which Historical background maintain the stability of vital physiological functions under conditions of threat or other environmental challenges. However, American physiologist Walter B. Cannon most of the models of stress reactivity were focused on specific represents the first scientist who coined the term „fight or aspects of the regulatory outcomes – physiological (e.g. flight“ to describe the integrated biological and neuroendocrine), psychological or behavioral regulation. behavioral response to threat. Cannon (1935) also Recently, a novel complex theory based on evolutionary and described the term „homeostasis“ as the stability of the developmental
    [Show full text]
  • Running Head: SOCIAL RESPONSES
    SOCIAL RESPONSES 1 Running Head: SOCIAL RESPONSES Social Responses to Stress: The Tend and Befriend Model Shelley E. Taylor and Sarah L. Master University of California, Los Angeles Address Correspondence to: Shelley E. Taylor Department of Psychology University of California, Los Angeles 1285 Franz Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563 Email: [email protected] Preparation of this chapter was supported by research grants from the National Institute of Aging (AG030309) and the National Science Foundation (SES-0525713). SOCIAL RESPONSES 2 For decades, the scientific study of stress has been guided by the theory of ‘fight-or-flight’ (Cannon, 1932). From this standpoint, animals and humans exhibit two typical responses to external threats. If the threat is one that will yield to aggressive action, then “fight” responses will be seen. In animal studies, the fight response typically assumes the form of physical aggression, whereas in humans, the fight response may assume any of multiple forms, including physical aggression, verbal aggression, or other approach-based coping responses such as active problem solving. Likewise, the “flight” response usually assumes the literal form of fleeing in animals, but in humans, fleeing can take on additional forms, such as social withdrawal or withdrawal through substance use such as alcohol or drugs. Although this viewpoint is consistent with most animal research, it ignores one of human beings’ most basic ways of fending off threats, namely the fact that they live in small groups that afford joint protection. To characterize these affiliative responses to stress, we have developed a model of “tend-and-befriend” (S. E.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Affiliation: a Model of Anxiousv a Oidance in Women
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research: Department of Psychology Psychology, Department of 5-2013 Social Affiliation: A Model of Anxiousv A oidance in Women Milena Stoyanova University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychdiss Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons Stoyanova, Milena, "Social Affiliation: A Model of Anxiousv A oidance in Women" (2013). Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research: Department of Psychology. 58. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychdiss/58 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Psychology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research: Department of Psychology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. SOCIAL AFFILIATION: A MODEL OF ANXIOUS AVOIDANCE IN WOMEN By Milena Stoyanova A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: Psychology Under the Supervision of Professor Debra A. Hope Lincoln, Nebraska May, 2013 SOCIAL AFFILIATION: A MODEL OF ANXIOUS AVOIDANCE IN WOMEN Milena Stoyanova, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2013 Adviser: Debra A. Hope There is substantial evidence demonstrating that women experience greater anxiety and fear compared to men. However, our understanding of specific factors accounting for women’s greater vulnerability remains rather limited. Taylor and colleagues (2000) proposed that women may have a different biobehavioral response to stress, which has evolved to protect and nurture offspring.
    [Show full text]
  • Sex Differences in Biobehavioral Responses to Threat: Reply to Geary and Flinn (2002)
    Psychological Review Copyright 2002 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 2002, Vol. 109, No. 4, 751–753 0033-295X/02/$5.00 DOI: 10.1037//0033-295X.109.4.751 Sex Differences in Biobehavioral Responses to Threat: Reply to Geary and Flinn (2002) Shelley E. Taylor Brian P. Lewis University of California, Los Angeles Syracuse University Tara L. Gruenewald Regan A. R. Gurung University of California, Los Angeles University of Wisconsin—Green Bay John A. Updegraff Laura Cousino Klein University of California, Los Angeles Pennsylvania State University Early theories of stress obscured differences in how men and women respond to threat. The tend-and- befriend model attempted to partially redress that oversight by identifying biological and behavioral patterns of stress responses distinctive to females, responses that are markedly social. Although men’s behavior under stress may also be social, at least under certain circumstances, extending the tend-and- befriend model to men is premature and potentially flawed, from the vantage points of the underlying biology and the behavioral stress responses it may help to foster. D. C. Geary and M. V. Flinn (2002) have offered a commentary in human and nonhuman females. Neither Geary and Flinn nor the on our tend-and-befriend theory that provides intriguing exten- sources they refer to provide evidence that the hormones or be- sions to the stress responses of men. We concur with some of their haviors associated with fight or flight in males are suppressed ideas and disagree with others. Nonetheless, we believe this debate under stressful conditions to favor male tending instead.
    [Show full text]