Final answer:
Spite is the social interaction between animals where one incurs a penalty to harm another, and both individuals suffer a loss. It is distinct from mutual benefit, selfishness, and altruism, as it does not provide evolutionary advantages.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of social interaction between animals where one individual imposes a penalty on another, and in so doing suffers a loss, is termed spite. This behavior is distinct from others like mutual benefit, where both parties gain; selfishness, where only one gains without any cost to themselves; and altruism, where one individual sacrifices for the benefit of another. In the case of spite, both the actor and the receiver suffer as a result. Unlike altruistic behaviors which are characterized by actions that lower the fitness of the individual but increase the fitness of another without direct benefit to the actor, spite is considered a maladaptive interaction that typically does not offer evolutionary advantages.