Biting the Underdog

Biting the Underdog: Project Proposal

Introduction
We hypothesize that there is some vestige of a reason for unquestionably strong members of a social group to bully or pick on members that cannot compete with them on any physical, social, or intellectual level. The goal of our research is to determine what this may be and how it may relate in the manner of evolutionary psychology. We will examine this domination relationship in particular, but may examine related phenomena including the different ways that male and female children act in and about relationships of domination, and the ways that these behaviors are enacted in the chimpanzee population. In the past, especially in middle school and high school, we noticed forms of this behavior and did not understand it. We seek to better understand it through this project.

Relevance of Research Question
We have several books that describe and try to explain social order and dominance. The Moral Animal has a chapter that goes into detail on status and status hierarchies and using examples in the animal kingdom (e.g. chickens and chimpanzees), tries to explain how evolutionary psychology fits in with these behaviors. The book, Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind, by David M. Buss has an excellent section covering dominancy and dominancy theories from an evolutionary perspective. It provides a good working definition of dominance hierarchy, contains examples from the world of chimpanzees, and offers theories on dominance hierarchies as well as "sex differences in status striving." Through a Window and Chimpanzee Politics provide us with investigation into the lives of chimpanzees. In The Evolution of Behavior, among other things, Jerram L. Brown discusses the two extremes in a relationship of domination, the evolutionary benefits of both alpha male and omega male. We are using the information dealing with dominancy to compare against the explanations and theories that we have found.

Materials and Methods
Our experimental design is still in development. We have included a first draft of the survey that we plan to distribute, but as it is more qualitative than quantitative, its statistical soundness is questionable. At this time, our project revolves around the projected results of the survey and our research into human and chimpanzee domination practices.

Underdog Questionnaire

1. Please think of a person in grade school who you remember picked on other kids.
2. On a scale of one to five, one being feared, and five being well liked, how would you rate that person?
3. Did this person pick on many people indiscriminately or was there an individual or two who were picked on especially?
4. How would you characterize the person(s) who was picked on? Was this person in some way physically or mentally handicapped, physically smaller, of a different racial, ethnic, or economic background, intellectual, a "brown-noser," "geek," or "nerd?"
5. How did the bully dominate the weaker individual(s) and how did the second respond?
6. How individuals observing this domination react?
7. Was there significant difference between girls and boys responses? How would you account for this difference?

Projected Project Timeline

Thursday of week 7 - presentation of poster and in-class discussion
Tuesday of week X - Media night in which surveys are exchanged
Week 9 - respond to other project proposals of other groups
After week 9 - begin to address suggestions of other groups
Week 11 - respond to other project proposals of other groups
After week 11 - begin to address suggestions of other groups
Week 13 - respond to other project proposals of other groups
After week 13 - begin to address suggestions of other groups
Week 14 - 16 try to get it all wrapped up
Week 16 - turn in final draft
Continuing research including finding more and better references and resources and updating of poster

Works Consulted

Brown, Jerram L. The Evolution of Behavior. New York: Norton, 1975
Buss, David M. Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
De Vos, George A. "Conflict, Dominance, and Exploitation." Status Inequality: The self in Culture. Newbury Park, Ca: SAGE Publications, 1990.
de Waal, Frans. Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1998.
Etkin, William. Social Behavior Among Vertebrates. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1964.
Gilbert, Susan. "Sometimes, the In-Crown Turns Ugly." NY Times. February 22, 2000.
Goodall, Jane. Through a Window. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
Maier, Richard A. and Barbara M. Maier. Comparative Animal Behavior. Belmont, Ca: Brooks/Cole, 1970.
Wright, Robert. The Moral Animal: Evolutionary Psychology and Everyday Life. New York: Vintage Books, c1994.

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Here is a list of responses that have been posted to this Study...

• Needs to further develop hypothesis (3/7/00) [ Contributor: Andrea Burnett, Dan Pribble, Jeremy Anthony-Section: Cummins ]
• Give me all your lunch money! (3/7/00) [ Contributor: Jimmy & Astrid-Section: Cummins ]

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