The evolution of intergroup bias: perceptions and attitudes in rhesus macaques

Social psychologists have learned a great deal about the nature of intergroup conflict and the attitudinal and cognitive processes that enable it. Less is known about where these processes come from in the first place. In particular, do our strategies for dealing with other groups emerge in the absence of human-specific experiences? One profitable way to answer this question has involved administering tests that are conceptual equivalents of those used with adult humans in other species, thereby exploring the continuity or discontinuity of psychological processes. We examined intergroup preferences in a nonhuman species, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). We found the first evidence that a nonhuman species automatically distinguishes the faces of members of its own social group from those in other groups and displays greater vigilance toward outgroup members (Experiments 1-3). In addition, we observed that macaques spontaneously associate novel objects with specific social groups and display greater vigilance to objects associated with outgroup members (Experiments 4-5). Finally, we developed a looking time procedure-the Looking Time Implicit Association Test, which resembles the Implicit Association Test (Greenwald & Banaji, 1995)-and we discovered that macaques, like humans, automatically evaluate ingroup members positively and outgroup members negatively (Experiments 6-7). These field studies represent the first controlled experiments to examine the presence of intergroup attitudes in a nonhuman species. As such, these studies suggest that the architecture of the mind that enables the formation of these biases may be rooted in phylogenetically ancient mechanisms.     

The Influence of Family Dynamics on Ethnic Identity Among Adult Latinas

The literature on the development of ethnic identity within the young adult years and during childhood is plentiful. There is less research that examines how this development continues beyond young adult or college years. Research suggests that major life events experienced in adulthood could cause individuals to enter a period of identity reconstruction, yet little is known about this process. Because family and/or familism has been established as an important aspect of Latinos’ identities and lived experiences, this study seeks to examine the dimensions around family dynamics and their potential influences on ethnic identity development processes among adult Latinas. Findings indicate that Latinas often make sense of their ethnic identity when major life events associated with family dynamics occur; such as marriage, childbearing, and negotiating relationships with family members as culture is being transmitted across several generations. These findings have implications for understanding adult education students as well as considering the influence of education on the family dynamics of Latinas.     

Psychological support post-release of humanitarian workers taken hostage: the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

ABSTRACT

Following release, former hostages face many challenges and may struggle to regain control over their lives. Research and evidence on how to effectively address the needs of hostages during their release and afterwards is lacking. The International Committee of the Red Cross has extensive experience in managing hostage situations and has strengthened the practice of care offered to its own affected staff by developing an inter-professional comprehensive seven phase care model adapted to incidents of extended duration with multiple stressors. This includes strong coordination between the different actors involved, combined with long-term peer, social and organisational support, as well as workplace reintegration with guidance by colleagues, and specialised counselling when necessary, to ensure positive outcomes, and minimise permanent sequelae.     

Neural Processing to Visual Stimuli in a Three-Choice Reaction-Time Task

Some authors have suggested that certain components of the event-related potentials (ERPs) reflect underlying stages in the discrimination process. Previous studies have shown that in an auditive three-choice reaction-time task the discrimination is accomplished as a two-stage process, with the more frequently occurring stimulus discriminated at an earlier point than the rarer stimulus and the subjects could be classified as fast and slow responders in function of their response to the most frequent of the three tones. We continuously recorded the electrocerebral activity (EEG) from the scalp and the electromyographic activity (EMG) from the responding muscles in a visual three-choice reaction-time task in 10 strictly right-handed subjects. EEG and EMG responses were subsequently analyzed off-line by aligning them by the onset of either the stimulus (stimulus-synchronized) or the response (response-synchronized). The results suggest that processes of visual stimuli evaluation and response execution are continuously integrated. The discrimination and response systems to visual stimuli is accomplished as a three-stage process, one to frequent tone, another for rare 1, and the last for rare 2. The subjects were classified as fast and slow responders in function of their response to the most frequent of the three tones.