Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Rapid and socially induced change of a badge of status
1Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
Abstract:
This paper reports a new aspect of male signalling in the green swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii. Males are highly ornamented and possess a sword (an extension of the caudal fin), as well as a lateral stripe that has been shown to be a badge of status. Males of one natural population, however, were found to quickly change the colour of their lateral stripe to red when socially dominant over other males and black when subdominant, thereby exploiting the female preference for red stripes while dominant, and avoiding the costs of male aggression while subdominant.
Related Concept Videos
Deindividuation
Impression Management Techniques I: Managing Appearances
Social Identity
Managing Impressions
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Marcia's Theory of Identity Status

