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The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
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Meta-analyses reveal support for the Social Intelligence Hypothesis.

Elizabeth M Speechley1, Benjamin J Ashton1,2, Yong Zhi Foo1

  • 1Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
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Summary

The Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH) provides strong support for the evolution of cognition across diverse species and study types. This meta-analysis confirms its robustness as an explanation for cognitive variation.

Keywords:
cognitionmeta‐analysisneuroanatomysocial brainsocial intelligencesociality

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Cognitive science
  • Comparative psychology

Background:

  • The Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH) is a prominent theory explaining cognitive evolution.
  • The generalizability of the SIH across different species and methodologies has been debated.
  • A comprehensive review is needed to assess the robustness of the SIH.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the empirical support for the Social Intelligence Hypothesis.
  • To determine the generalizability of the SIH across various taxonomic groups, study designs, and metrics.
  • To synthesize evidence from a large body of literature using meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search for studies testing SIH predictions.
  • Compilation of 103 studies yielding 584 effect sizes across 17 taxonomic orders.
  • Conducting four meta-analyses to quantify the support for the SIH.

Main Results:

  • Meta-analyses revealed significant support for the SIH across interspecific, intraspecific, and developmental studies.
  • Effect sizes did not significantly vary based on cognitive/sociality metrics, taxonomy, or testing conditions (captivity vs. wild).
  • Consistent support was found irrespective of whether neuroanatomy, cognitive performance, sociality measures, or group size were used.

Conclusions:

  • The Social Intelligence Hypothesis is well-supported as an explanation for cognitive variation.
  • The SIH demonstrates robustness and broad applicability across diverse biological contexts.
  • This meta-analysis confirms the SIH's significance in understanding the evolution and development of cognition.