Population growth and social structure of confined colonies of mongolian gerbils: Scent gland size and marking behaviour as indices of social status

Male gerbils have larger ventral scent glands, and they mark more than females. In both sexes, scent gland activity is dependent on gonadal hormones. Observations on colonies of gerbils, living in enclosures or cages, showed that both scent gland size and marking behaviour were related to social status. In colonies founded by a single pair, breeding was confined to the original female. The infertility of the daughters was due to failure of sexual maturation. As this was always associated with a lack of development of the scent glands, the functional state of the latter could be used as an index of fecundity. A change in social organization (eg removal of the parents) caused previously infertile females to conceive and was accompanied by development of the scent glands If there was competition for dominance, the scent glands of the losers regressed; at autopsy, their ovaries and uteri appeared to be nonfunctional. The founding father usually had a larger scent gland than his sons, but the inhibition of sexual function was not as severe as in the females. However, the father characteristically showed much more marking behaviow in a neutral territory than his sons. None of the fem ales-except the mother-showed appreciable marking, and her scores were much lower than those of the dominant male. Asymptotic populations were reached at about the same level in enclosures and cages, implicating an intrinsic capacity for control independent of the number of animals per unit of space but probably related to the natural size of a social group. Stabilization of numbers was achieved not only by reproductive inhibition of young females, but also by cessation of breeding by the founding mother and death of litters. Littermates raised in enclosures without their parents showed delayed sexual maturation accompanied by fighting which resulted in the formation of a hierarchy headed by a breeding female and a dominant (marking) male.     

Sex differences in aggressive behaviour in various strains of mice

Two nonalbino inbred (C57 BL/6 and C3H/He) and one albino strain (Swiss) of mice were compared for female aggression toward intruders: 1 in period of lactation, 2 in nonlactating state and (3) in nonlactating state but previously rubbed with urine of lactating females; and for male aggression toward familiar or unfamiliar opponents. The results showed that resident females of the C57 and Swiss strain vigorously attack lactating intruders introduced into their cages. This effect was mediated by urinary cues emitted by the latter mice. It was also shown that Swiss residents displayed aggression towards nonlactating females, irrespective of their strain. Groups of C57 residents reacted most aggressively towards Swiss females, less aggressively towards C3H intruders, but did not show any aggression towards their own nonlactating conspecifics. In contrast, none of the C3H resident female groups displayed aggression towards intruding females of any category or strain. The results also showed that the males of the three strains displayed little (Swiss and C3H) or no aggression (C57) towards familiar opponents, whereas they directed increased aggressive responses towards unfamiliar ones. Comparisons among the three strains of mice revealed that Swiss males were the most aggressive in either situation. On the other hand, the finding that C3H males showed aggressive responses suggested that male and female aggression are, in this strain, under separate genetic or hormonal control.     

Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Intentions: Fair Rewards Versus Fair Treatment

Abstract

In a sample of 114 employees from various industries, organizations, and positions, the likelihood of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) increased when employee perceptions of fair treatment by supervisors became more positive. Perceptions of fair rewards and fair formal procedures were not predictors of OCB intentions. After the authors controlled for established patterns of OCB and demographic characteristics, interactional justice perceptions were significantly related to the intention of performing specific organizationally beneficial activities.     

Testing the theory underlying the success of point-of-choice prompts: A multi-component stair climbing intervention

Objectives

Point-of-choice prompts consistently increase stair climbing in public access settings. This study investigated the single and combined effects of a volitional and motivational component of a stair climbing intervention to test the theory underlying the success of point-of-choice prompts.

Design

Quasi-experimental, interrupted time series cross-over design.

Methods

Ascending stair/escalator choices were observed in a UK tram station (n = 38,187). Baseline observations (2 weeks; stage 1) preceded a 2-week point-of-choice prompt positioned alone (stage 2) followed by an additional message positioned at the top of each climb (6 weeks; stage 3). Four weeks after message removal, another baseline (2 weeks; stage 4) preceded installation of the intervention components in reverse order. Thus, the message positioned alone at the top of each climb (4 weeks, stage 5) was supplemented with the point-of-choice prompt (2 weeks, stage 6). Logistic regression analyses of stair/escalator choice included the independent variables of intervention components, gender, time of morning and pedestrian traffic volume.

Results

There was no change in stair climbing percentages when only one intervention component was used, i.e. only the point-of-choice or the message at the top of each climb. In contrast, stair climbing increased when both components of the intervention were installed. Additionally, men took the stairs more than women and stair climbing was more common earlier in the morning and at higher pedestrian traffic volumes.

Conclusions

A motivational component targeting intentions increased the effectiveness of a volitional point-of-choice prompt for stair climbing in a setting where choice of the stairs incurred a time penalty for pedestrians due to the site layout.     

Psychometric properties of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS) among polish drivers

Anxiety can negatively affect an individual’s psychological wellbeing and lead to mild-to-moderate functional impairment in various areas of their lives. Despite this, the relationship between anxiety and driving performance has received very little empirical attention. The Driving Behaviour Scale (Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) was developed as a measure of anxious driving behaviours to support research in this area. The current study details adaptation and validation of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS; Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) in 310 university students in Poland. The overall internal consistency for the DBS was 0.76, while the two subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (safety/cautious = 0.75 and hostile/aggressive behaviours = 0.85). The reliability estimates for performance deficit returned a lower coefficient of 0.65. Factor analysis produced a three-factor solution that supported the original structure of the DBS. The DBS may be utilised as a measure of driving anxiety in samples drawn from the general population.     

Introduction: An Emerging Consensus?

This paper is an introduction to a special issue on Nationalism, Multiculturalism and Liberal Democracy. It attempts to describe the state of the debate on issues of multiculturalism and nationalism within liberal-democratic theory. I suggest that there may be an emerging consensus on liberal culturalism – the view that certain group-specific rights or policies aimed at recognizing or accommodating ethnic and national groups are legitimate so long as they operate within certain constraints of liberal justice. I explore the possible reasons for this emerging consensus (including the lack of clear alternatives), and conclude with some suggestions about the likely avenues for future research in this area.     

Identification With All Humanity: The role of self‐definition and self‐investment

Identification With All Humanity (IWAH) relates to higher levels of concern and supportive behavior toward the disadvantaged, stronger endorsement of human rights, and stronger responses in favor of global harmony. So far, IWAH has been conceptualized as a one‐dimensional construct describing the degree with which one identifies with all humans as a superordinate ingroup. However, recent group identification models suggest a multi‐dimensional model to provide a more differentiated approach toward the understanding of the highest level of social identification. Using principal axis (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) factor analyses, we suggest that IWAH sub‐divides into two dimensions—global self‐definition and global self‐investment. Study 2 revealed that global self‐investment was a stronger predictor for both convergent measures (e.g., social dominance orientation and authoritarianism) and behavioral intentions than global self‐definition. Finally, in Study 3, we manipulated IWAH to test its causal effect on donation behavior. Participants in the experimental condition, compared with the control condition, showed higher global self‐investment, which in turn predicted greater giving to global charity. These findings suggest that two dimensions with different behavioral outcomes underlie IWAH.     

Smoking and Type A behaviour

This study examines the relationship between Type A behaviour and smoking. Data were gathered from a random sample of 100 undergraduate male daily smokers, with a mean age of 21.2 years (SD = 2.72), using the Type A Behaviour Scale (Bortner and Rosenman, 1967). Results reveal that Type A smokers are heavier daily consumers of cigarettes than Type B smokers (t = 2.90, p less than 0.01). The observed relationship between smoking and Type A behaviour remains significant even when the influence of aggression in partialled out. The need to further investigate the interplay of genetic and non-genetic predispositions, and smoking in the incidence of coronary heart diseases (CHD) is suggested.