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Miller HM, Hasty CR, Maner JK. Experimentally manipulated anger activates implicit cognitions about social hierarchy. Cogn Emot 2024; 38:872-883. [PMID: 38512043 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2331811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
A correlational pilot study (N = 143) and an integrative data analysis of two experiments (total N = 377) provide evidence linking anger to the psychology of social hierarchy. The experiments demonstrate that the experience of anger increases the psychological accessibility of implicit cognitions related to social hierarchy: compared to participants in a control condition, participants in an anger-priming condition completed word stems with significantly more hierarchy-related words. We found little support for sex differences in the effect of anger on implicit hierarchy-related cognition; effects were equivalent across male and female participants. Findings fit with functionalist evolutionary views of anger suggesting that anger may motivate the use of dominance to strive for high social rank in group hierarchies. Implications for downstream behaviour, including aggression and negotiation, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison M Miller
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Connor R Hasty
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Jon K Maner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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2
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Seal AN, Hayter CL, Singh N. Perceptions of work-life balance and gender issues in private radiology in Australia. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2023. [PMID: 37972237 DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.13598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Women comprise almost 30% of practising clinical radiologists in Australia. Despite three-quarters of clinical radiologists working in private practice, there is limited research regarding the experience of female radiologists in private practice and issues surrounding work-life balance. The primary aim of this study was to identify gender issues within private radiology and investigate work-life balance, focusing on issues relevant for female practitioners. METHODS Clinical radiologists working in private practice at five major Australian private radiology service providers were sent an email on behalf of the researchers, containing study information and a link to an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact test were used. Binary logistic regression was used to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Responses to short-answer questions were analysed manually and grouped into themes. RESULTS There were consistent gender differences in perceptions of gender and its implication upon working and career progression in radiology private practice. There was near unanimous agreement that private radiologists should be able to work flexible/reduced working hours for a proportionate decrease in pay. Two themes with distinct gender differences related to pay equity and transparency. Key themes relating to work-life balance for private radiologists included workload, setting boundaries and flexibility of work hours in private radiology. CONCLUSION This preliminary survey highlights areas related to work-life balance and gender issues relevant for female practitioners in private practice radiology in Australia that can be targeted for further investigation and improvement, namely pay equity and transparency, and part-time leadership opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa N Seal
- School of Medicine Sydney, Rural Clinical School (Wagga Wagga), The University of Notre Dame Australia, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catherine L Hayter
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Sonic Healthcare Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Neha Singh
- School of Medicine Sydney, Rural Clinical School (Wagga Wagga), The University of Notre Dame Australia, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- I-med Radiology Network, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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3
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Muñoz-Reyes JA, Torrico-Bazoberry D, Polo P, Figueroa O, Guzmán-Lavín E, Fajardo G, Valenzuela N, Belinchón M, Rodríguez-Sickert C, Pita M. Evidence of the active participation of women in the intergroup conflict based on the use of aggression and cooperation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17742. [PMID: 37853104 PMCID: PMC10584941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45012-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Intergroup conflict has been a persistent aspect of human societies since the emergence of our species. Various researchers have proposed that competition between groups has acted as a key selective force throughout human evolutionary history. Such intergroup competition for limited resources exacerbated the expression of intergroup aggression and intragroup cooperation. Furthermore, it would have a sexual dimorphism, with men demonstrating increased sensitivity to conflict threats-in order to maximize reproductive opportunities-, while women generally reject from active engagement in intergroup conflict. In the present study, we conducted behavioral experiments under controlled laboratory conditions to measure cooperation and aggression from using virtual games, specifically the Public Good Games and the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, in a sample of 541 participants. We created control and experimental intergroup competition scenarios, where aggression and cooperation were necessary to increase monetary rewards. Our results shows that men modulate aggression and cooperation in the presence of intergroup conflict. In addition, our data also reveals that women cooperate more than men and display heightened levels of cooperation and aggression when confronted with intergroup conflict. These findings prompt a reevaluation of current functional theoretical models concerning the role of women in intergroup conflict and suggest that the dynamics of human aggression and cooperation may be more nuanced than previously believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Muñoz-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Daniel Torrico-Bazoberry
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Polo
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oriana Figueroa
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eugenio Guzmán-Lavín
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gabriela Fajardo
- Facultad de Administración y Economía, Universidad de Santiago, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nohelia Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Montserrat Belinchón
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Rodríguez-Sickert
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel Pita
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Benenson JF, Markovits H. Married women with children experience greater intrasexual competition than their male counterparts. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4498. [PMID: 36934175 PMCID: PMC10024730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31816-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Human males are considered to be more competitive than females. However, females must also compete for resources necessary for their own and their offsprings' survival. Since females use more indirect forms of competition than males, comparing observable forms of competition may be misleading. One critical driver of competition is resource asymmetry. Since competition occurs primarily within sex, reactions to resource asymmetry with same-sex peers should provide an important measure of competitiveness. We asked 596 married participants, 25-45 years of age with at least one child from three different countries to evaluate how same-sex individuals they know would react to a target individual who had a valuable resource that the same-sex individuals did not have. Half the participants evaluated reactions to same-sex targets, while the other half evaluated reactions to other-sex targets. Participants reported that women would react more negatively than men to resource asymmetry with same-sex targets, but not other-sex targets. These results suggest that women may be even more competitive than men in contexts when important resources related to reproductive success are at stake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce F Benenson
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, USA.
| | - Henry Markovits
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Canada
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5
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Levelling as a Female-Biased Competitive Tactic. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-023-00355-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
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6
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Mattison SM, MacLaren NG, Sum CY, Shenk MK, Blumenfield T, Wander K. Does gender structure social networks across domains of cooperation? An exploration of gendered networks among matrilineal and patrilineal Mosuo. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210436. [PMID: 36440564 PMCID: PMC9703220 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperative networks are essential features of human society. Evolutionary theory hypothesizes that networks are used differently by men and women, yet the bulk of evidence supporting this hypothesis is based on studies conducted in a limited range of contexts and on few domains of cooperation. In this paper, we compare individual-level cooperative networks from two communities in Southwest China that differ systematically in kinship norms and institutions-one matrilineal and one patrilineal-while sharing an ethnic identity. Specifically, we investigate whether network structures differ based on prevailing kinship norms and type of gendered cooperative activity, one woman-centred (preparation of community meals) and one man-centred (farm equipment lending). Our descriptive results show a mixture of 'feminine' and 'masculine' features in all four networks. The matrilineal meals network stands out in terms of high degree skew. Exponential random graph models reveal a stronger role for geographical proximity in patriliny and a limited role of affinal relatedness across all networks. Our results point to the need to consider domains of cooperative activity alongside gender and cultural context to fully understand variation in how women and men leverage social relationships toward different ends. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhán M. Mattison
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Neil G. MacLaren
- Department of Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Chun-Yi Sum
- College of General Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mary K. Shenk
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16801, USA
| | - Tami Blumenfield
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- School of Ethnology and Sociology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650106, People's Republic of China
| | - Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
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7
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Browne KR. The disjunction between evolutionary psychology and sex-discrimination law and policy. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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8
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Blake KR. When fertile, women seek status via prestige but not dominance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205451119. [PMID: 36343265 PMCID: PMC9674267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205451119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological predictors of human dominance are hotly contested, with far-reaching implications for psychological sex differences and the placement of men and women in the social hierarchy. Most investigations have focused on dominance in men and testosterone, with diminished attention paid to dominance in women and other biological mechanisms. Investigating biological influences on other routes to status attainment popular among women-such as via prestige in addition to dominance-have also been neglected. Here, I examined whether status seeking via prestige and via dominance covaried with fertility probability in a citizen science project spanning 14 countries and 4 world regions. Across 4,179 observations, participants tracked their menstrual cycle characteristics, motivation for prestige and dominance, dominance contest outcomes, and three domains of self-esteem. Self-esteem is predicted by status within a group and helps individuals navigate social hierarchies. Bayesian mixed models controlling for menstruation indicated that the motivation to obtain status via prestige but not dominance peaked when conception was most likely, as did dominance contest losses and two self-esteem domains. Fertility appears to reorient female psychology toward prestige-based strategies to success, enhancing women's desire for social capital through influence and admiration but not through fear, coercion, or intimidation. These insights fundamentally advance the understanding of the biological correlates of status seeking among women. They further suggest that fertility motivates not only mating competition but gaining rank and positive regard in social hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khandis R. Blake
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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9
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Heying HE. Covert vs. Overt: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Sex Differences in Competition. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3273-3277. [PMID: 34997401 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02278-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
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10
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Reynolds TA. Response to Commentaries: Variation in Women's Intrasexual Sociality by Life History Strategy, Patrilocal Legacy, and Polygyny. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3299-3310. [PMID: 35854162 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Logan Hall, MSC03-2220, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
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11
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Benenson JF. The Overloaded Mother. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3257-3262. [PMID: 33768476 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01983-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joyce F Benenson
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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12
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Rahal D, Fales MR, Haselton MG, Slavich GM, Robles TF. Achieving Status and Reducing Loneliness during the Transition to College: The Role of Entitlement, Intrasexual Competitiveness, and Dominance. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022; 31:568-586. [PMID: 36172201 PMCID: PMC9512280 DOI: 10.1111/sode.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although many emerging adults struggle to gain status and develop social relationships, particularly during the college transition, it remains unclear whether certain personality traits facilitate this transition. Using a longitudinal design, we investigated whether status-related traits-namely, entitlement, intrasexual competitiveness, and dominance-related to the development of status in 91 first-year college students (M age=18.15, SD=0.44) transitioning to a novel college environment. We also examined whether personality traits moderated the degree to which status related to loneliness. As hypothesized, only students high in intrasexual competitiveness experienced increases in subjective dorm status across the year. In addition, students exhibiting average or low entitlement experienced decreases in loneliness over time, whereas high entitlement was related to consistently low loneliness. Finally, higher subjective dorm status was related to lower loneliness only for less dominant students, as assessed by both self-ratings of trait dominance and raters' judgments of facial dominance from photographs. Using a real-world context of status development, these results suggest that personality traits may influence students' ability to experience higher status and modulate the relation between subjective status and loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny Rahal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melissa R. Fales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Martie G. Haselton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - George M. Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theodore F. Robles
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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13
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Azoulay R, Gilboa-Schechtman E. The scarring impact of status loss in social anxiety: An evolutionary perspective. J Anxiety Disord 2022; 90:102600. [PMID: 35841783 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary models suggest that social anxiety (SA) is associated with sensitivity to status loss. These models make several additional predictions concerning the strength as well as the specificity of the association between post-event distress (PED) following status losses and SA. First, the strength of this association is postulated to be enhanced in men, especially following status losses inflicted by other men (intra-male status losses). Second, given the evolutionary postulated relationship between social status and physical fitness, sensitivity to status loss in SA is expected to extend to physically threatening events. We examined these predictions in four online samples (total N = 1123; 59% females, 27% above the cutoff for clinically elevated SA). In all studies, participants recalled social status-loss events and rated the emotional and distressing impact of these experiences. In two samples, participants also identified and recalled physically threatening events. Our findings were consistent with evolutionary predictions. SA was associated with PED following social status-loss events (β = 0.27). This association was stronger in men than in women (β = 0.40, β = 0.16, respectively). Moreover, the SA-PED association was especially enhanced following intra-male, compared to intra-female and inter-gender, status losses (β = 0.47, β = 0.26, and β = 0.17, respectively). Furthermore, SA was uniquely associated with PED following physically threatening events, over and above PED following social status-loss events (β = 0.21). Our data highlights the significant impact of socially and physically threatening events and delineates the scarring signature of such events in SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Azoulay
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
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Macchione AL, Sacco DF, Brown M, Keefer LA. Company and perceiver characteristics influencing willingness to invest in female‐versus male‐led start‐up companies in STEM and non‐STEM fields. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia L. Macchione
- School of Psychology The University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg Mississippi USA
| | - Donald F. Sacco
- School of Psychology The University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg Mississippi USA
| | - Mitch Brown
- Department of Psychological Science University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas USA
| | - Lucas A. Keefer
- School of Psychology The University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg Mississippi USA
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15
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Hormonal contraceptives as disruptors of competitive behavior: Theoretical framing and review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101015. [PMID: 35835214 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that hormonal contraceptives (HCs) impact psychological outcomes through alterations in neurophysiology. In this review, we first introduce a theoretical framework for HCs as disruptors of steroid hormone modulation of socially competitive attitudes and behaviors. Then, we comprehensively examine prior research comparing HC users and non-users in outcomes related to competition for reproductive, social, and financial resources. Synthesis of 46 studies (n = 16,290) led to several key conclusions: HC users do not show the same menstrual cycle-related fluctuations in self-perceived attractiveness and some intrasexual competition seen in naturally-cycling women and, further, may show relatively reduced status- or achievement-oriented competitive motivation. However, there a lack of consistent or compelling evidence that HC users and non-users differ in competitive behavior or attitudes for mates or financial resources. These conclusions are tentative given the notable methodological limitations of the studies reviewed. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
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Human Females as a Dispersal-Egalitarian Species: A Hypothesis about Women and Status. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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17
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Azoulay R, Gilboa-Schechtman E. Social Construction and Evolutionary Perspectives on Gender Differences in Post-traumatic Distress: The Case of Status Loss Events. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:858304. [PMID: 35651822 PMCID: PMC9148972 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.858304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Women report greater post-traumatic distress (PTD) than men following physically threatening events. However, gender differences in PTD following social stressors such as status losses are understudied. Whereas the social construction account points to a general sensitivity in women following any type of stressor, the evolutionary account suggests enhanced sensitivity to status losses in men, especially following inter-males aggressions. These propositions were examined in two studies (Study 1, N = 211; Study 2, N = 436). Participants were asked to recall a status loss and to fill out measures assessing PTD and depression severity. In line with the evolutionary account, men, as compared to women, displayed enhanced PTD following status loss. Status losses conducted by men against men were associated with greater PTD than were instances involving other target-aggressor pairings. Finally, age was negatively associated with PTD in men but not in women. The examination of evolutionary challenges modifies the standard view linking the female gender to enhanced sensitivity to trauma. Thus, the pattern of enhanced sensitivity to stressful events appears to be affected by gender- and development-specific adaptive challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Azoulay
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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18
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Ponzi D. An introduction to the Special Issue on “Sports Science: Evolutionary Perspectives and Biological Mechanisms”. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00187-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe goal of the special issue on “Sports science: evolutionary perspectives and biological mechanisms” was to build a bridge to help the development of a coherent and unifying approach to the study of sport science within an evolutionary framework. By focusing specifically on the biological and psychological dynamics of sport performance and competition, we asked if sports can be used to study the evolution of human behavior, biology and psychology. Likewise, we asked whether this evolutionary approach could improve our understandings of the physical and psychological limits of human athletic performance and health.
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The Relationship between Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphism, Aggression and Social Status in Young Men and Women. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12020042. [PMID: 35200293 PMCID: PMC8869512 DOI: 10.3390/bs12020042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In both sexes, aggression has been described as a critical trait to acquire social status. Still, almost uniquely in men, the link between aggressiveness and the genetic background of testosterone sensitivity measured from the polymorphism in the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been previously investigated. We assessed the relevance of the AR gene to understand aggression and how aggressiveness affects social status in a cross-sectional study of 195 participants, for the first time in both young men and women. We estimated polymorphism sequences from saliva and measured aggression and self-perceived social status. Unfortunately, the results did not support our prediction because we did not find any of the expected relationships. Therefore, the results suggest that the genetic association between aggressive mechanisms and polymorphism of the AR gene is less straightforward than expected, at least in men, and seems to indicate that aggression is not usually used to gain social status in our population.
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Bradshaw HK, DelPriore DJ. Beautification Is More than Mere Mate Attraction: Extending Evolutionary Perspectives on Female Appearance Enhancement. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:43-47. [PMID: 33646473 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01952-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K Bradshaw
- Faculty of Psychology, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, USA
| | - Danielle J DelPriore
- Faculty of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA, 16601, USA.
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Rahal D, Fales MR, Haselton MG, Slavich GM, Robles TF. Cues of Social Status: Associations Between Attractiveness, Dominance, and Status. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 19:14747049211056160. [PMID: 34870477 PMCID: PMC8982059 DOI: 10.1177/14747049211056160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hierarchies naturally emerge in social species, and judgments of status in these hierarchies have consequences for social relationships and health. Although judgments of social status are shaped by appearance, the physical cues that inform judgments of status remain unclear. The transition to college presents an opportunity to examine judgments of social status in a newly developing social hierarchy. We examined whether appearances—as measured by raters’ judgments of photographs and videos—provide information about undergraduate students’ social status at their university and in society in Study 1. Exploratory analyses investigated whether associations differed by participants’ sex. Eighty-one first-year undergraduate students (Mage = 18.20, SD = 0.50; 64.2% female) provided photographs and videos and reported their social status relative to university peers and relative to other people in society. As hypothesized, when participants were judged to be more attractive and dominant they were also judged to have higher status. These associations were replicated in two additional samples of raters who evaluated smiling and neutral photographs from the Chicago Faces Database in Study 2. Multilevel models also revealed that college students with higher self-reported university social status were judged to have higher status, attractiveness, and dominance, although judgments were not related to self-reported society social status. Findings highlight that there is agreement between self-reports of university status and observer-perceptions of status based solely on photographs and videos, and suggest that appearance may shape newly developing social hierarchies, such as those that emerge during the transition to college.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny Rahal
- Department of Psychology, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melissa R Fales
- Department of Psychology, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Martie G Haselton
- Department of Psychology, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Institute for Society and Genetics, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - George M Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theodore F Robles
- Department of Psychology, 8783University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Abstract
Many male traits are well explained by sexual selection theory as adaptations to mating competition and mate choice, whereas no unifying theory explains traits expressed more in females. Anne Campbell's "staying alive" theory proposed that human females produce stronger self-protective reactions than males to aggressive threats because self-protection tends to have higher fitness value for females than males. We examined whether Campbell's theory has more general applicability by considering whether human females respond with greater self-protectiveness than males to other threats beyond aggression. We searched the literature for physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to major physical and social threats, and found consistent support for females' responding with greater self-protectiveness than males. Females mount stronger immune responses to many pathogens; experience a lower threshold to detect, and lesser tolerance of, pain; awaken more frequently at night; express greater concern about physically dangerous stimuli; exert more effort to avoid social conflicts; exhibit a personality style more focused on life's dangers; react to threats with greater fear, disgust and sadness; and develop more threat-based clinical conditions than males. Our findings suggest that in relation to threat human females have relatively heightened protective reactions compared to males. The pervasiveness of this result across multiple domains suggests that general mechanisms might exist underlying females' unique adaptations. An understanding of such processes would enhance knowledge of female health and well-being.
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Krems JA, Williams KE, Merrie LA, Kenrick DT, Aktipis A. Sex (similarities and) differences in friendship jealousy. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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25
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Smith JE, von Rueden CR, van Vugt M, Fichtel C, Kappeler PM. An Evolutionary Explanation for the Female Leadership Paradox. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social influence is distributed unequally between males and females in many mammalian societies. In human societies, gender inequality is particularly evident in access to leadership positions. Understanding why women historically and cross-culturally have tended to be under-represented as leaders within human groups and organizations represents a paradox because we lack evidence that women leaders consistently perform worse than men. We also know that women exercise overt influence in collective group-decisions within small-scale human societies, and that female leadership is pervasive in particular contexts across non-human mammalian societies. Here, we offer a transdisciplinary perspective on this female leadership paradox. Synthesis of social science and biological literatures suggests that females and males, on average, differ in why and how they compete for access to political leadership in mixed-gender groups. These differences are influenced by sexual selection and are moderated by socioecological variation across development and, particularly in human societies, by culturally transmitted norms and institutions. The interplay of these forces contributes to the emergence of female leaders within and across species. Furthermore, females may regularly exercise influence on group decisions in less conspicuous ways and different domains than males, and these underappreciated forms of leadership require more study. We offer a comprehensive framework for studying inequality between females and males in access to leadership positions, and we discuss the implications of this approach for understanding the female leadership paradox and for redressing gender inequality in leadership in humans.
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Gender Differences in Social Networks Based on Prevailing Kinship Norms in the Mosuo of China. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci10070253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cooperative social networks are considered key to human evolution, emphasis has usually been placed on the functions of men’s cooperative networks. What do women’s networks look like? Do they differ from men’s networks and what does this suggest about evolutionarily inherited gender differences in reproductive and social strategies? In this paper, we test the ‘universal gender differences’ hypothesis positing gender-specific network structures against the ‘gender reversal’ hypothesis that posits that women’s networks look more ‘masculine’ under matriliny. Specifically, we ask whether men’s friendship networks are always larger than women’s networks and we investigate measures of centrality by gender and descent system. To do so, we use tools from social network analysis and data on men’s and women’s friendship ties in matrilineal and patrilineal Mosuo communities. In tentative support of the gender reversal hypothesis, we find that women’s friendship networks in matriliny are relatively large. Measures of centrality and generalized linear models otherwise reveal greater differences between communities than between men and women. The data and analyses we present are primarily descriptive given limitations of sample size and sampling strategy. Nonetheless, our results provide support for the flexible application of social relationships across genders and clearly challenge the predominant narrative of universal gender differences across space and time.
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Filser A, Barclay K, Beckley A, Uggla C, Schnettler S. Are skewed sex ratios associated with violent crime? A longitudinal analysis using Swedish register data. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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Luoto S, Varella MAC. Pandemic Leadership: Sex Differences and Their Evolutionary-Developmental Origins. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633862. [PMID: 33815218 PMCID: PMC8015803 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global societal, economic, and social upheaval unseen in living memory. There have been substantial cross-national differences in the kinds of policies implemented by political decision-makers to prevent the spread of the virus, to test the population, and to manage infected patients. Among other factors, these policies vary with politicians' sex: early findings indicate that, on average, female leaders seem more focused on minimizing direct human suffering caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while male leaders implement riskier short-term decisions, possibly aiming to minimize economic disruptions. These sex differences are consistent with broader findings in psychology, reflecting women's stronger empathy, higher pathogen disgust, health concern, care-taking orientation, and dislike for the suffering of other people-as well as men's higher risk-taking, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and focus on financial indicators of success and status. This review article contextualizes sex differences in pandemic leadership in an evolutionary framework. Evolution by natural selection is the only known process in nature that organizes organisms into higher degrees of functional order, or counteracts the unavoidable disorder that would otherwise ensue, and is therefore essential for explaining the origins of human sex differences. Differential sexual selection and parental investment between males and females, together with the sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain, drive sex differences in cognition and behavioral dispositions, underlying men's and women's leadership styles and decision-making during a global pandemic. According to the sexually dimorphic leadership specialization hypothesis, general psychobehavioral sex differences have been exapted during human evolution to create sexually dimorphic leadership styles. They may be facultatively co-opted by societies and/or followers when facing different kinds of ecological and/or sociopolitical threats, such as disease outbreaks or intergroup aggression. Early evidence indicates that against the invisible viral foe that can bring nations to their knees, the strategic circumspection of empathic feminine health "worriers" may bring more effective and humanitarian outcomes than the devil-may-care incaution of masculine risk-taking "warriors".
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Abstract
Psychology has traditionally seen itself as the science of universal human cognition, but it has only recently begun seriously grappling with cross-cultural variation. Here we argue that the roots of cross-cultural variation often lie in the past. Therefore, to understand not only how but also why psychology varies, we need to grapple with cross-temporal variation. The traces of past human cognition accessible through historical texts and artifacts can serve as a valuable, and almost completely unutilized, source of psychological data. These data from dead minds open up an untapped and highly diverse subject pool. We review examples of research that may be classified as historical psychology, introduce sources of historical data and methods for analyzing them, explain the critical role of theory, and discuss how psychologists can add historical depth and nuance to their work. Psychology needs to become a historical science if it wants to be a genuinely universal science of human cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Muthukrishna
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Henrich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Edward Slingerland
- Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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