Sex Differences in Social Attention:: Examining Biases towards Aggressive and Grooming Dyadic Interactions

Humans evolved to live in social groups that require cooperation for survival. This has resulted in the development of social cognition, enabling us to determine the intentions and goals of other individuals. To determine the trustworthiness of other individuals, observing aggressive and grooming interactions can be informative This study sought to investigate the differential allocation of attention towards the initiator or recipient in aggressive and grooming interactions. Furthermore, a possible interaction between the context and sex of the observer was investigated. Results indicate an attentional bias towards the initiator of aggression and recipient of grooming. The interaction of context and sex was also found to be significant. The bias in the aggressive context was only found for male participants. The bias in the grooming context was only found for female participants. Potential explanations for these biases are provided, suggesting a role for evolutionary mechanisms and...Show moreHumans evolved to live in social groups that require cooperation for survival. This has resulted in the development of social cognition, enabling us to determine the intentions and goals of other individuals. To determine the trustworthiness of other individuals, observing aggressive and grooming interactions can be informative This study sought to investigate the differential allocation of attention towards the initiator or recipient in aggressive and grooming interactions. Furthermore, a possible interaction between the context and sex of the observer was investigated. Results indicate an attentional bias towards the initiator of aggression and recipient of grooming. The interaction of context and sex was also found to be significant. The bias in the aggressive context was only found for male participants. The bias in the grooming context was only found for female participants. Potential explanations for these biases are provided, suggesting a role for evolutionary mechanisms and social learning. Finally, several suggestions are made for future research.Show less

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Sex Differences in Social Attention: Examining Biases towards Aggressive and Grooming Dyadic Interactions