When an individual ascends in dominance status within their social community, they often undergo a suite of behavioural, physiological and neuromolecular changes. While these changes have been extensively characterized across a number of species, we know much less about the degree to which these changes in turn influence cognitive processes like associative learning, memory and spatial navigation. Here, we assessed male Astatotilapia burtoni , an African cichlid fish known for its dynamic social dominance hierarchies, in a set of cognitive tasks both before and after a community perturbation in which some individuals ascended in dominance status. We assayed steroid hormone (cortisol, testosterone) levels before and after the community experienced a social perturbation. We found that ascending males changed their physiology and novel object recognition preference during the perturbation, and they subsequently differed in social competence from non-ascenders. Additionally, using a principal component analysis we were able to identify specific cognitive and physiological attributes that appear to predispose certain individuals to ascend in social status once a perturbation occurs. These previously undiscovered relationships between social ascent and cognition further emphasize the broad influence of social dominance on animal decision-making. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies’.

Key Points Question What are the perspectives of Latinx individuals receiving emergency-only hemodialysis on the kidney disease education they received, and what recommendations do these individuals offer on how to improve education and outreach among Latinx populations? Findings In this qualitative study including 15 Latinx patients who received emergency-only hemodialysis, participants were unaware of their kidney disease until shortly before or after they started dialysis, and the education they received was poor quality and not culturally tailored. Potential improvements in kidney disease education and outreach were identified. Meaning These findings suggest that Latinx populations may receive substandard education about their kidney disease and that education and community outreach efforts for Latinx populations could be improved.