Evidence for the Situational Specificity of Dominance-Submission

Summary

Thirty-six hooded rats were tested in three differing competitive situations: a situation involving limited-access competition for food, a situation involving competition for a single pellet of food, and a situation involving a “survival” competition in an underwater dominance tube. Highly reliable dominance hierarchies were found in each of the three individual competitive situations. A significant relationship was also found between dominance hierarchies determined in the food-related competitive situations; but no significant relationship was found between either of the food-related dominance hierarchies and the “survival” hierarchy. These results were taken as evidence for a situation-specific interpretation of success in competition.