Reconciliation, relationship quality, and postconflict anxiety: testing the integrated hypothesis in captive chimpanzees

Abstract

Reconciliation is a conflict resolution mechanism that is common to many gregarious species with individualized societies. Reconciliation repairs the damaged relationship between the opponents and decreases postconflict (PC) anxiety. The "integrated hypothesis" links the quality of the opponents' relationship to PC anxiety, since it proposes that conflicts among partners with high relationship quality will yield high levels of PC anxiety, which in turn will lead to an increased likelihood of reconciliation. We tested the integrated hypothesis in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the Arnhem Zoo, The Netherlands. We applied the standard PC/matched control (MC) method. Our results mostly support the integrated hypothesis, in that more valuable and compatible partners (i.e., males and frequent groomers) reconciled more often than less valuable and weakly compatible partners (i.e., females and infrequent groomers). In addition, PC anxiety was higher after conflicts among males than among females. Emotional arousal thus appears to be a mediator facilitating reconciliation. However, in contrast to the predictions derived from the integrated hypothesis, PC anxiety appeared only in aggressees, and not in aggressors, of conflicts. This suggests that while relationship quality determines PC anxiety, it is dependent on the role of the participants in the conflict.

Postconflict Behaviour in Brown Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus apella)

“…Arousal was more pronounced following conflicts that involved physical aggression instead of simple threats. Disruption of a valuable relationship has been hypothesized as one of the main causes of postconflict anxiety [Aureli, 1997;Kutsukake and Castles, 2001;Cooper et al, 2007;Koski et al, 2007]. Our results do not support this hypothesis, since none of the variables thought to measure relationship quality had a significant effect on postconflict stress.…”

Why are bystanders friendly to recipients of aggression?

“…58,59 Furthermore, levels of self-grooming and self-scratching have been used successfully in a number of studies across primate species to investigate the stress-inducing and stressalleviating effects of aggressive conflict and post-conflict interactions and variations in stress levels therein. 32,33,[60][61][62][63][64][65] Moreover, the stressalleviating effect of reconciliation in human children assessed using levels of self-directed behavior 64 has now been confirmed based on analysis of salivary cortisol levels. 8 As the evidence for the stress Canis domesticus Versele-Laga, Deinze, Belgium 26 Corvus frugilegus* University of Cambridge 27 Strengthen partner bonds † Functions are in italics if they were tested in the study.…”

Nasal temperature drop in response to a playback of conspecific fights in chimpanzees: A thermo-imaging study

“…Primates keep an appropriate level of social distance (and eye contact) with the other individuals depending on their social relationships (Kano, Hirata, & Call, 2015;Thomsen, 1974). They reconcile each other after a severe fight to restore their relationships (Aureli, Van Schaik, & Van Hooff, 1989;De Waal & Roosmalen, 1979;Fraser & Aureli, 2008;Koski, Koops, & A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Kutsukake & Castles, 2001). Implicit copying of another individual"s emotion may lead to a better understanding of another"s motivation and intention (Preston & De Waal, 2002;Rizzolatti, Fogassi, & Gallese, 2001).…”