Social competence is reduced in socially deprived rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
Rhesus monkeys deprived for some period from their mother have often served as a model for the effect of adverse rearing conditions on social competence in humans. Social competence is the capacity to react in a species-specific way to social interactions. The current study assesses whether early deprivation from peers also affects the rates of […]
Social competence: an evolutionary approach
‘Social competence’ refers to the ability of an individual to optimise its social behaviour depending on available social information. Although such ability will enhance social interactions and thus raise Darwinian fitness, its evolutionary and ecological significance has been largely ignored. Social competence is based on behavioural flexibility. We propose that the study of social competence […]