Display behavior
As display behavior ( Engl. : Overawing ) is in the Behavioral Biology an innate special threatening behavior designated and lock behavior, it performs an intimidating for rival clansman, and attractive to the opposite sex effect.
purpose
Imposing behavior is basically based on exhibited potency, vitality or beauty, which for the mostly male rivals who hold their own victoriously culminates in copulation with the females thus 'conquered', at least during the mating seasons. In some species, breeding pairs are then formed, which serve to ensure reproduction; The male display behavior, on the other hand, serves to develop a hierarchical order ( ranking ) through which the natural law of selection is fulfilled (selection of the genes or living beings optimally suited to the respective environment / s. Darwin ), ensuring the vital constancy or evolution of the species. Attacks against rival sexual mates never take place without first making an impression, since its purpose is the mutual assessment of potency. Thus, the strongly inferior opponent usually immediately perceives his being as he is emotionally / intuitively and turns to the search for another courtship area. Only almost equal opponents who are not able to intimidate each other measure their strength in a concrete clash until one of them takes flight.
The term, which comes from biology, is sometimes also applied to humans in a sociological context.
Imposing behavior in behavioral biology
The term display behavior was of Oskar Heinroth first as posturing introduced into the behavioral sciences.
In the course of the tribal history , the behavior of showing off has developed because it helps - to a certain extent through ritualization - to avoid an open fight between the rivals, as the weaker can evade the threatening conflict and thus the risk of injury is reduced for both animals. At the same time, the body parts that can be used to defend against predators or for hunting are often put on display: Predators , hippos and monkeys, for example, expose their teeth. Often noises support the threatening effect when imposing or even form the only signal in confusing terrain; A well-known example of this is the roaring of the deer , but the drumming of their own chest in gorilla males is part of their impressive behavior. Ornithologists interpret the birds' territorial songs in a similar way during the mating season. Imposing behavior often uses sexually selected ornaments , i. H. Conspicuous body features or acoustic signals that indicate the physical fitness of the wearer or sender based on the handicap principle .
A well-known example of showing off behavior can be observed in cats, which appear to enlarge their bodies when they present themselves long-legged and with ruffled fur and with humps in front of a rival or in front of the courted female.
Dogs' impressive behavior is also characterized by a posture typical of the species : the legs are pushed through so that a maximum body height is achieved; if present, the fur may also be raised; The head and tail are raised, and the ears are also set up; the animal growls, but does not stare directly at the enemy, but has turned its gaze slightly to the side. The dog’s behavior towards a person indicates that the animal does not consider the person concerned to be above him in the ranking and can therefore - if the owners do not take action against this misconduct - one day turn into open aggressiveness .
Imposing behavior in humans
In humans, too , there are behaviors that can be interpreted as showing off behavior, for example when a person faces another person frontally and with legs apart and puts both hands on the hips so that the elbows protrude as far as possible from the body, while at the same time the head is slightly behind leans backwards (i.e. holds up to the maximum) and so - viewed from the opponent's point of view - one's own body appears to be enlarged. This effect can be further enhanced by bulky clothing, for example shoulder pads, epaulettes or wide, fluffy trousers.
In everyday language use, ritualized human behavior (especially by men) is also referred to as showing off or showing off, which is intended to have an impressive effect on the opposite: such as brazen behavior and showing off with prestigious status symbols , with all kinds of achievements (especially alleged heroic deeds ), or the display of suitable athletic skills as well as dominant , offensive, aggressive or norm-violating behavior (e.g. vandalism ). It is not uncommon for people to show themselves off in the form of a test of courage (proof of their courage, for example by jumping off a 10-meter board in the outdoor pool). The characteristics and the social evaluation of such rituals of imposing differ considerably in different social contexts. While in some milieus certain forms of impressive behavior are celebrated, in other milieus these are almost taboo. Particularly in milieus with a high level of formal education and high appreciation of social commitment and education, obvious, mostly physical and demonstrative display behavior applies, e.g. B. also consumption of validity , as uncultivated , primitive and low-level.
Nevertheless, there is also impressive behavior here, but more subtle and less physical, e.g. B. through captivating rhetoric in small talk (especially with men: small talk with other men in the presence of a lady), through extraordinary commitment, through name dropping , through celebrating a pronounced sophistication, through discreet references to study successes or research projects in conversation (in circles, in where education is considered a status symbol), as well as the apparently random but conspicuous draping of the car keys of a noble brand (provided that ostentatious cars are not considered materialistic or “ nouveau riche ” in the relevant social environment and are therefore despised as low-quality ). Here, too, behavioral behavior depends on the respective value system, which ultimately decides which actions or objects advance to prestige objects. The status shown in this way or belonging to a certain social class serves the same purpose as the body language behavior of less educated classes. In extreme cases, the whole thing turns into the opposite: demonstratively exhibited asceticism, demonstratively exhibited renunciation of consumption or demonstratively exhibited poverty (“ostentatious poverty”) can take the place of ostentatious wealth or consumption.
In an experiment , researchers found that the tolerance of men to pain increased massively whenever an attractive young technician carried out the wiring and then carried out the pain tests. Translated, the intended message is: I am young, strong and extraordinarily capable as a producer and protector.
See also
literature
- Peter M. Kappeler: Behavioral Biology. Springer, Berlin 2012, 3rd edition, ISBN 978-3-642-20652-8 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Oskar Heinroth : About certain modes of movement in vertebrates. In: Meeting reports of the Society of Friends of Natural Sciences. Berlin 1930, pp. 333-343.
- ↑ Siefers Hirnwelten: Why women are weak. On: focus.de from July 29, 2008.