Temporal pairwise-correlation analysis provides empirical support for attention hierarchies in mice
Open accessAbstract
In many social hierarchies, more subordinate individuals adjust their behaviour according to the presence or behaviour of more dominant individuals. In this study, it is shown that male mice form linear dominance hierarchies characterized by individuals attacking in bursts. Temporal pairwise-correlation analysis reveals that non-dominant individuals avoid behaving aggressively concurrently with an aggressively behaving alpha male. This anti-correlation is only found with alpha males and is greater for more despotic alpha males. It is concluded that less dominant individuals modulate their aggressive behaviour in response to their social context, resulting in an attentional group structure.
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In mice, a dominant male's position is first established through fighting; after some time individuals most probably recognize each other and often react with chase, flight or avoidance before actual contact.
“At first his position is established through fighting.After some time the individuals most probably recognize each other and often react with chase, flight or avoidance before the actual contact.84,138”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [138]
In some studies subordinate mice form linear hierarchies, while in others ranking is more despotic.
“In some studies the subordinates form linear hierarchies, 136,138,141 while in others ranking is more despotic.80,97,142”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [138]
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- Authors
- Curley, J. P.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Curley, James P.
- ORCID
- Curley, James P.
- Venue
- Biology Letters
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2016-05
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 20160192
- ISSN
- 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-957X
- PMC
- PMC4892247
- OpenAlex
- W2394968180
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 6.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Biology Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University.
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- dominance hierarchy, aggression, alpha male, anticorrelation, social environment, male mice
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Male, Social Dominance, Time Factors, Mice
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