Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Social Proof00:52

Social Proof

32.4K
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.
32.4K
Social Loafing01:37

Social Loafing

39.7K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
39.7K
Social Scripts02:10

Social Scripts

10.3K
People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter),...
10.3K
Social Traps01:41

Social Traps

26.9K
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
26.9K
Social Facilitation01:04

Social Facilitation

36.6K
Not all intergroup interactions lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes, being in a group situation can improve performance. Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better when an audience is watching than when the individual performs the behavior alone. This typically occurs when people are performing a task for which they are skilled.
36.6K
Social Exchange Theory02:06

Social Exchange Theory

40.8K
We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).
40.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ocular toxicities associated with anticancer drug therapy in Asian patients: a literature review and practical management recommendations for non-ophthalmologic settings.

International journal of clinical oncology·2026
Same author

On the 100th anniversary of Jun'ichirō Itani's birth.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same author

A phase II trial of ramucirumab and docetaxel as second-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer (HGCSG 1903).

Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association·2026
Same author

Catheter malposition in a peritoneal dialysis patient with Chilaiditi sign.

Kidney international·2026
Same author

Predictors of the early discontinuation of anamorelin hydrochloride in gastrointestinal cancer-related cachexia: a multicenter retrospective cohort study (HGCSG2201).

Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer·2026
Same author

Estimated Number of Prevalent Kidney Transplant Recipients in Japan From 1964 to 2023.

Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation·2026
Same journal

Estimation of the population size of the northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) in Vu Quang National Park, Vietnam.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same journal

Parting ways: Pan-Homo divergence revisited.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same journal

Evolution of primate vocal repertoires: vocal systems as embodied capital for mediating within-group conflict.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same journal

Foraging benefits of winning intergroup encounters in colobus monkeys.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same journal

Local ecological knowledge of Javan gibbon occurrence and habitat conditions in Petungkriyono, Central Java.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
Same journal

Stone tool use in a new population of semi-free-ranging robust capuchins (Sapajus spp.) at Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, South Africa.

Primates; journal of primatology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 1, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
11:13

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

14.5K

Social scratch: Another custom in wild chimpanzees?

Michio Nakamura1, William C McGrew2, Linda F Marchant3

  • 1Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Primates; Journal of Primatology
|December 15, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chimpanzees in Mahale, Tanzania, exhibit a unique "social scratch" behavior during grooming, a custom not observed elsewhere. This scratching appears to serve a social function, particularly among males and between mothers and infants.

Keywords:
ChimpanzeesCultureCustomPan troglodytes schweinfurthiiSelf-scratchSocial groomSocial scratch

More Related Videos

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
06:41

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors

Published on: February 25, 2011

95.3K
A Cost Effective and Adaptable Scratch Migration Assay
08:59

A Cost Effective and Adaptable Scratch Migration Assay

Published on: June 30, 2020

6.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 1, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
11:13

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

14.5K
Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
06:41

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors

Published on: February 25, 2011

95.3K
A Cost Effective and Adaptable Scratch Migration Assay
08:59

A Cost Effective and Adaptable Scratch Migration Assay

Published on: June 30, 2020

6.2K

Area of Science:

  • Primate ethology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Social learning in animals

Background:

  • Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) display diverse social behaviors.
  • Behavioral patterns can be specific to certain chimpanzee populations.
  • Social grooming is a well-documented affiliative behavior in chimpanzees.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phenomenon of "social scratch" in Mahale chimpanzees.
  • To determine if social scratch is a learned, locality-specific behavior.
  • To explore the social function and characteristics of social scratching.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study of chimpanzee social interactions in Mahale Mountains National Park.
  • Recording frequencies of social grooming and social scratching.
  • Comparing scratching behavior between Mahale and Gombe chimpanzee populations.

Main Results:

  • "Social scratch" observed in Mahale, but not Gombe, suggesting a cultural behavior.
  • Social scratch frequency correlated with social grooming frequency.
  • Higher rates of social scratch observed among adult/adolescent males and lactating females to young.
  • Higher-ranking males received more social scratches.
  • Scratching primarily targeted the dorsal body, with exceptions for maternal scratching of infants.

Conclusions:

  • Social scratch is a distinct, learned, and locality-specific behavior in Mahale chimpanzees.
  • The behavior likely serves a social function, possibly related to social bonding or hierarchy.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the origins and learning processes of this cultural behavior.