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Armand A, Augsburg B, Bancalari A, Kameshwara KK. Religious proximity and misinformation: Experimental evidence from a mobile phone-based campaign in India. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2024; 96:102883. [PMID: 38805882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
We investigate how religion concordance influences the effectiveness of preventive health campaigns. Conducted during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in two major Indian cities marked by Hindu-Muslim tensions, we randomly assigned a representative sample of slum residents to receive either a physician-delivered information campaign promoting health-related preventive practices, or uninformative control messages on their mobile phones. Messages, introduced by a local citizen (the sender), were cross-randomized to start with a greeting signaling either a Hindu or a Muslim identity, manipulating religion concordance between sender and receiver. We found that doctor messages increased compliance with recommended practices and beliefs in their efficacy. Our findings suggest that the campaign's impact is primarily driven by shared religion between sender and receiver, leading to increased message engagement and compliance with recommended practices. Additionally, we observe that religion concordance helps protect against misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Armand
- Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, NOVAFRICA and CEPR, Rua da Holanda 1, 2775-405 Carcavelos, Portugal.
| | - Britta Augsburg
- Institute for Fiscal Studies, 7 Ridgmount St, WC1E 7AE, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Antonella Bancalari
- Institute for Fiscal Studies and IZA, WC1E 7AE, 7 Ridgmount St, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Kalyan Kumar Kameshwara
- Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LS, London, United Kingdom.
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2
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Peng M, Bai X. Ingroup favoritism on perceived risk of infectious diseases. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:285-294. [PMID: 37340675 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Humans live in social groups; thus, infectious diseases may threaten human health and safety. Do individuals exhibit ingroup favoritism or ingroup devaluation when faced with varying risks of infectious diseases? We generated relatively realistic disease scenarios to examine this question. We reported the results from three experiments in which we tested individuals' perceived disease risk from ingroup and outgroup members under high- and low-risk conditions. Experiment 1 used a realistic influenza scenario, and Experiments 2 and 3 used a realistic scenario of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All three experiments showed that perceived disease risk was significantly lower from ingroup members than from outgroup members and significantly lower in low-risk conditions than in high-risk conditions. Furthermore, the perceived disease risk was significantly lower from ingroup members than from outgroup members in high-risk conditions but did not significantly differ in low-risk conditions, as in Experiment 1's influenza scenario and Experiment 2's COVID-19 vaccination scenario. This suggests that ingroup favoritism is flexible. The results support ingroup favoritism and the functional flexibility principle in response to disease threats according to perceived disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Peng
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuejun Bai
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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3
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Meskó N, Kowal M, Láng A, Kocsor F, Bandi SA, Putz A, Sorokowski P, Frederick DA, García FE, Aguilar LA, Studzinska A, Tan CS, Gjoneska B, Milfont TL, Topcu Bulut M, Grigoryev D, Aavik T, Boussena M, Mattiassi ADA, Afhami R, Amin R, Baiocco R, Brahim H, Can AR, Carneiro J, Çetinkaya H, Chubinidze D, Deschrijver E, Don Y, Dubrov D, Duyar I, Jovic M, Kamburidis JA, Khan F, Khun-Inkeeree H, Koso-Drljevic M, Lacko D, Massar K, Morelli M, Natividade JC, Nyhus EK, Park JH, Pazhoohi F, Pirtskhalava E, Ponnet K, Prokop P, Šakan D, Tulyakul S, Wang AH, Aquino SD, Atamtürk DD, Burduli N, Chirumbolo A, Dural S, Etchezahar E, Ghahraman Moharrampour N, Aczel B, Kozma L, Lins S, Manunta E, Marot T, Mebarak M, Miroshnik KG, Misetic K, Papadatou-Pastou M, Bakos B, Sahli FZ, Singh S, Solak Ç, Volkodav T, Wlodarczyk A, Akello G, Argyrides M, Çoker O, Galasinska K, Gómez Yepes T, Kobylarek A, Landa-Blanco M, Mayorga M, Özener B, Pacquing MCT, Reyes MES, Şahin A, Tamayo-Agudelo W, Topanova G, Toplu-Demirtaş E, Türkan BN, Zumárraga-Espinosa M, Grassini S, Antfolk J, Cornec C, Pisanski K, Stöckli S, Eder SJ, Han H. Exploring Attitudes Toward "Sugar Relationships" Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:811-837. [PMID: 38127113 PMCID: PMC10844470 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Meskó
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary.
| | - Marta Kowal
- IDN Human Being Lab, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - András Láng
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Kocsor
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs A Bandi
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary
| | - Adam Putz
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary
| | | | - David A Frederick
- Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Felipe E García
- Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Leonardo A Aguilar
- School of Psychology, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | | | - Chee-Seng Tan
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Malaysia
| | - Biljana Gjoneska
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | | | | | - Dmitry Grigoryev
- Center for Sociocultural Research, HSE University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Toivo Aavik
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mahmoud Boussena
- Departement of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Mohamed Lamine Debaghine, University Setif2, Setif, Algeria
| | - Alan D A Mattiassi
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Reza Afhami
- Department of Art Studies, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rizwana Amin
- Department of Professional Psychology, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Roberto Baiocco
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Hamdaoui Brahim
- Idepartment of Sociologie, University of Ibn Tofail, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Ali R Can
- Department of Anthropology, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey
| | - Joao Carneiro
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Dimitri Chubinidze
- Psychological Set Research and Correction Center, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Eliane Deschrijver
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yahya Don
- School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia
| | | | - Izzet Duyar
- Department of Anthropology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Marija Jovic
- Department of Marketing Management and Public Relations, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Julia A Kamburidis
- Department of General, Experimental and Genetic Psychology, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Farah Khan
- Institute of Education & Research, Women University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | | | - Maida Koso-Drljevic
- Department of Psychology, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - David Lacko
- Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karlijn Massar
- Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Morelli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jean C Natividade
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ellen K Nyhus
- Department of Management, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Ju Hee Park
- Department of Child and Family Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ekaterine Pirtskhalava
- Department of Psychology, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Koen Ponnet
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Imec-Mict-Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pavol Prokop
- Department of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušana Šakan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Legal and Business Studies Dr Lazar Vrkatić, Union University, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Singha Tulyakul
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Thaksin University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Austin H Wang
- Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Sibele D Aquino
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Derya D Atamtürk
- Department of Anthropology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nana Burduli
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Seda Dural
- Department of Psychology, Izmir University of Economics, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Edgardo Etchezahar
- Education Universidad Internacional de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Ciipme Conicet, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Balazs Aczel
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca Kozma
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pecs, 7624, Hungary
- Division of Psychology, School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland, UK
| | - Samuel Lins
- Departament of Psychology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Tiago Marot
- Department of Administration, Getúlio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Moises Mebarak
- Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Colombia
| | - Kirill G Miroshnik
- Department of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Katarina Misetic
- Department of Psychology, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | | | - Bence Bakos
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Fatima Zahra Sahli
- Institute of Sports Professions, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Sangeeta Singh
- Department of Management, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Çağlar Solak
- Department of Psychology, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Tatiana Volkodav
- Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russian Federation
| | - Anna Wlodarczyk
- Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | | | - Marios Argyrides
- Department of Psychology, Neapolis University Pafos, Paphos, Cyprus
| | - Ogeday Çoker
- Department of Psychology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Katarzyna Galasinska
- Department of Psychology, Center For Research On Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Talía Gómez Yepes
- Department of Education, International University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Miguel Landa-Blanco
- School of Psychological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Marlon Mayorga
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador-Ambato, Ambato, Ecuador
| | - Barış Özener
- Department of Anthropology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Marc Eric S Reyes
- Department of Psychology, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | | | | | - Gulmira Topanova
- Department of Theoretical and Practical Psychology, Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş
- Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Mef University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | | | - Simone Grassini
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Jan Antfolk
- Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Clément Cornec
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Lab, CRNL, CNRS, Insern, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Lab, CRNL, CNRS, Insern, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Sabrina Stöckli
- Department of Business Administration, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Hyemin Han
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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Zhang L, Zhang M, Jia J, Peng X, Zhu J, You S. Collectivist culture, environmental regulation and pollution emissions: evidence from China. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1300601. [PMID: 38250120 PMCID: PMC10799388 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1300601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Collectivist culture serves as a significant cultural foundation in China. It could, to some extent, shape public attitudes toward the environment and thus influence the implementation of related policies. To examine this hypothesis, this study constructs the collectivist culture intensity index for 25 Chinese provinces spanning from 2010 to 2020. Through a fixed-effect model, we explore how the collectivist culture intensity affects pollution emissions in China. The empirical results indicate the significance of collectivism in enhancing emission reduction through environmental regulations. This conclusion remains robust even when excluding the impact of endogeneity concerns by adopting the instrumental variable approach. Heterogeneity analysis shows that collectivism is more effective in enhancing market-based environmental regulations rather than those driven by policies. Further mechanism analysis confirms that green innovation is a crucial pathway through which collectivism influences pollution emissions. These findings here will offer guidance to policymakers when formulating environmental policies for contexts with different regional cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Shibing You
- School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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5
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Gagliardi M. The role of developmental caregiving programming in modulating our affiliation tendency and the vulnerability to social anxiety and eating disorders. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1259415. [PMID: 38239461 PMCID: PMC10794631 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1259415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Attachment is the evolutionarily-established process through which humans create bonds with others to receive care from them. The phenomenon is as essential to our physical survival as it is to our psychological development. An increasing number of studies demonstrates that in sensitive periods during the early years of life, our brain circuitry is programmed in the interactions with our caregivers, with the imprinting of information over multiple attachment dimensions. Adopting a basic brain-computer analogy, we can think of this knowledge as the psycho-social firmware of our mind. According to a recently proposed extension of the classical three-dimensional view, one attachment dimension - somaticity - concerns the caregiver's task of reflecting and confirming the child's (internal) states - such as sensations, emotions, and representations - to support the child's ability to identify and define those entities autonomously. Relying on multidisciplinary evidence - from neuroscientific, developmental, evolutionary, and clinical sources - we suggest that somaticity (H1) has the adaptive function to modulate our tendency to comply and affiliate with a reference group but also (H2) increases the vulnerability to developing Social Anxiety (SA) and Eating Disorders (EDs). We evaluate H1-H2, (1) indicating the evolutionary role of somaticity in modulating our affiliation tendency to optimize the ancestral threat-opportunity balance coming from infectious diseases and (2) showing the deep connection between SA-EDs and the features most closely related to somaticity - interoception and parenting style. Finally, we discuss three relevant implications of H1-H2: (A) Bringing into research focus the adaptive role of our firmware knowledge system versus the hardware (neural substrate) and software (higher cognition) ones. (B) Complementing the well-grounded Objectification and Allocentric Lock Theories, allowing us to integrate multiple levels of explanation on the etiology of psychopathology. (C) Suggesting the design of new psychological treatments. While not aiming to prove H1-H2, our analysis supports them and encourages their direct testing.
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Ma MZ, Chen SX, Wang X. Looking beyond vaccines: Cultural tightness-looseness moderates the relationship between immunization coverage and disease prevention vigilance. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2023. [PMID: 38105555 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12519] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Advancements in vaccination technologies mitigate disease transmission risks but may inadvertently suppress the behavioral immune system, an evolved disease avoidance mechanism. Applying behavioral immune system theory and utilizing robust big data analytics, we examined associations between rising vaccination coverage and government policies, public mobility, and online information seeking regarding disease precautions. We tested whether cultural tightness-looseness moderates the relationship between mass immunization and disease prevention vigilance. Comprehensive time series analyses were conducted using American data (Study 1) and international data (Study 2), employing transfer function modeling, cross-correlation function analysis, and meta-regression analysis. Across both the US and global analyses, as vaccination rates rose over time, government COVID-19 restrictions significantly relaxed, community mobility increased, and online searches for prevention information declined. The relationship between higher vaccination rates and lower disease prevention vigilance was stronger in culturally looser contexts. Results provide initial evidence that mass immunization may be associated with attenuated sensitivity and enhanced flexibility of disease avoidance psychology and actions. However, cultural tightness-looseness significantly moderates this relationship, with tighter cultures displaying sustained vigilance amidst immunization upticks. These findings offer valuable perspectives to inform nuanced policymaking and public health strategies that balance prudent precautions against undue alarm when expanding vaccine coverage worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mac Zewei Ma
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Sylvia Xiaohua Chen
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Xijing Wang
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Bressan P. Racism is not about "race". Sci Rep 2023; 13:22339. [PMID: 38102138 PMCID: PMC10724130 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47653-0] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Unfamiliar individuals are viewed with suspicion across the entire animal kingdom. This makes evolutionary sense, as outsiders may carry unfamiliar pathogens against which one has not yet developed immune defenses. In humans, the unfamiliar-pathogens idea has been dismissed on the grounds that people do not shun microbe-sharing contact with ethnic outgroups (other "races") more than they do with ingroups. Reanalyzing the same public data on which such claims are based-6500 participants from China, India, USA, and UK-here I show that (1) people do behave as though the parasites of unfamiliar individuals were more dangerous, and (2) strangers' ethnicity matters when, and only when, it is a proxy for unfamiliarity. This implies that racism could be tamed by acquainting our children with fellow humans of all shapes and colors, so that everyone in the world looks like family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bressan
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy.
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8
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Bell AV. Selection and adaptation in human migration. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:308-324. [PMID: 37589279 DOI: 10.1002/evan.22003] [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: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews the ways migration shapes human biology. This includes the physiological and genetic, but also socio-cultural aspects such as organization, behavior, and culture. Across disciplines I highlight the multiple levels of cultural and genetic selection whereby individuals and groups adapt to pressures along a migration timeline: the origin, transit, and destination. Generally, the evidence suggests that selective pressures and adaptations occur at the individual, family, and community levels. Consequently, across levels there are negotiations, interactions, and feedbacks that shape migration outcomes and the trajectory of evolutionary change. The rise and persistence of migration-relevant adaptations emerges as a central question, including the maintenance of cumulative culture adaptations, the persistence of "cultures of migration," as well as the individual-level physiological and cognitive adaptations applied to successful transit and settlement in novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Viliami Bell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Napp C. Gender stereotypes embedded in natural language are stronger in more economically developed and individualistic countries. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad355. [PMID: 38024410 PMCID: PMC10662454 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Gender stereotypes contribute to gender imbalances, and analyzing their variations across countries is important for understanding and mitigating gender inequalities. However, measuring stereotypes is difficult, particularly in a cross-cultural context. Word embeddings are a recent useful tool in natural language processing permitting to measure the collective gender stereotypes embedded in a society. In this work, we used word embedding models pre-trained on large text corpora from more than 70 different countries to examine how gender stereotypes vary across countries. We considered stereotypes associating men with career and women with family as well as those associating men with math or science and women with arts or liberal arts. Relying on two different sources (Wikipedia and Common Crawl), we found that these gender stereotypes are all significantly more pronounced in the text corpora of more economically developed and more individualistic countries. Our analysis suggests that more economically developed countries, while being more gender equal along several dimensions, also have stronger gender stereotypes. Public policy aiming at mitigating gender imbalances in these countries should take this feature into account. Besides, our analysis sheds light on the "gender equality paradox," i.e. on the fact that gender imbalances in a large number of domains are paradoxically stronger in more developed/gender equal/individualistic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clotilde Napp
- CNRS, UMR7088, France
- Université Paris-Dauphine, PSL Research University, Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75016 Paris, France
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Faig KE, Necka EA, Smith KE, Dimitroff SJ, Norman GJ. Resting parasympathetic activity is associated with malodor-induced change in perceived foreignness of speakers. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3249. [PMID: 37735857 PMCID: PMC10636398 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To protect against infection, individuals have evolved context-dependent pathogen-avoidant strategies, including selective social behaviors aimed at avoiding foreign individuals who may possess greater risk of infection. Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity is associated with social engagement and regulation of the classical immune system but has not been widely investigated in relation to changes in intergroup perception and the behavioral immune system. METHOD The current research investigated the relationship between parasympathetic activity and perceived foreignness of in and outgroup speakers during exposure to a pathogen-relevant odor (butyric acid). High-frequency heart rate variability was measured at rest and while participants rated foreignness of speakers with and without the odor present. RESULTS Findings show that exposure to the odor was associated with higher foreignness perceptions of outgroup speakers and lower foreignness perceptions of ingroup speakers. This effect was especially evident among individuals with higher resting parasympathetic activity. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the PNS may play a role in changes in social perceptions during a behavioral immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Faig
- Department of PsychologyHamilton CollegeClintonNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Karen E. Smith
- Department of PsychologyRutgers University‐NewarkNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | | | - Greg J. Norman
- Department of PsychologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
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Van de Vliert E, Conway LG, Van Lange PAM. Enriching Psychology by Zooming Out to General Mindsets and Practices in Natural Habitats. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:1198-1216. [PMID: 36634361 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221141657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Psychology has been "zooming in" on individuals, dyads, and groups with a narrow lens to the exclusion of "zooming out," which involves placing the targeted phenomena within more distal layers of influential context. Here, we plea for a paradigm shift. Specifically, we showcase largely hidden scientific benefits of zooming out by discussing worldwide evidence on inhabitants' habitual adaptations to colder-than-temperate and hotter-than-temperate habitats. These exhibits reveal two different types of theories. Clement-climate perspectives emphasize that generic common properties of stresses from cold and hot temperatures elicit similar effects on personality traits and psychosocial functioning. Cold-versus-heat perspectives emphasize that specific unique properties of stresses from cold and hot habitats elicit different effects on phenomena, such as speech practices and intergroup discrimination. Both zooming-out perspectives are then integrated into a complementary framework that helps identify explanatory mechanisms and demonstrates the broader added value of embedding zooming-in approaches within zooming-out approaches. Indeed, zooming out enriches psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul A M Van Lange
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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12
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Ma MZ, Chen SX. Beyond the surface: accounting for confounders in understanding the link between collectivism and COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1513. [PMID: 37559008 PMCID: PMC10413761 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16384-2] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the parasite-stress theory, collectivism serves as a trait of ingroup assortative sociality, providing defense against infectious diseases. This study investigated the association between cultural collectivism and COVID-19 severity at the state (Study 1: N = 51), county (Study 2: N = 3,133), and daily (Study 3: N = 52,806) levels from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022. State-level collectivism was assessed using two distinct measures: the U.S. collectivism index, focusing on social interconnectedness and interdependence, and the subjective-culture individualism-collectivism index (reversed), capturing attitudes and beliefs related to religion, abortion, and same-sex marriage. By employing random-intercept multilevel models, the results demonstrated significant and negative effects of state-level collectivism, as measured by the U.S collectivism index, on COVID-19 cases per million, COVID-19 deaths per million, and composite COVID-19 severity index, after controlling for confounding factors, such as socioeconomic development, ecological threats, disease protective behaviors, cultural norms, and political influences. A mini meta-analysis (Study 4: N = 9) confirmed the significance of these effects across studies. These findings supported the proactive role of collectivism in defending against the novel coronavirus in the United States, aligning with the parasite-stress theory of sociality. However, the subjective-culture individualism-collectivism index (reversed) did not exhibit a significant relationship with COVID-19 severity when confounding factors were considered. The high correlation between the subjective-culture individualism-collectivism index (reversed) and the controlled variables suggested shared variance that could diminish its impact on COVID-19 outcomes. Accordingly, the present findings underscore the significance of accounting for confounding factors when examining the association between collectivism and COVID-19 severity at population level. By considering relevant confounding factors, researchers could gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between cultural collectivism and its influence on COVID-19 severity. Overall, this research contributes to our understanding of how cultural collectivism shapes the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, emphasizing the importance of adjusting for confounding effects in population level studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mac Zewei Ma
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Sylvia Xiaohua Chen
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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13
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Bressan P. First impressions of a new face are shaped by infection concerns. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:309-315. [PMID: 37706031 PMCID: PMC10497071 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad025] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Along with a classical immune system, we have evolved a behavioral one that directs us away from potentially contagious individuals. Here I show, using publicly available cross-cultural data, that this adaptation is so fundamental that our first impressions of a male stranger are largely driven by the perceived health of his face. Positive (likeable, capable, intelligent, trustworthy) and negative (unfriendly, ignorant, lazy) first impressions are affected by facial health in adaptively different ways, inconsistent with a mere halo effect; they are also modulated by one's current state of health and inclination to feel disgusted by pathogens. These findings, which replicated across two countries as different as the USA and India, suggest that instinctive perceptions of badness and goodness from faces are not two sides of the same coin but reflect the (nonsymmetrical) expected costs and benefits of interaction. Apparently, pathogens run the show-and first impressions come second. Lay Summary: Our first impressions of strangers (whether they seem trustworthy, intelligent, unfriendly, or aggressive) are shaped by how healthy their faces look and by our unconscious motivation to avoid infections. Bad and good impressions turn out to reflect the concrete, potentially vital, expected costs and benefits of interacting with our fellow humans. Apparently, pathogens run the show-and first impressions come second.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bressan
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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14
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Chavez-Yenter D, Lille HM, Gorissen S, John KK, Vega AS, Jensen JD. Spit, Disgust, and Parasite Stress Theory: A Message Experiment. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 28:498-506. [PMID: 37382498 PMCID: PMC10527420 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2229772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Public health interventions targeting coughing and spitting during the Tuberculosis and 1918 flu epidemics were largely successful. Specifically, public health officials' messaging framed the behavior of spitting as repulsive and endangering to others, prompting an elicitation of disgust. Anti-spitting campaigns - messaging that focuses on the threat of spit or sputum - have long been common during pandemics and manifested once again to combat the spread of COVID-19. Yet, few scholars have theorized if and how anti-spitting campaigns function to change behavior. One possibility is parasite stress theory, which posits that human behavior is driven by a desire to avoid pathogenic threats like spit. The application of these types of disgust appeals in public health messaging remains understudied and warrants exploration. To test the applicability of the parasite stress theory, our message experiment with US adults (N = 488) examined reactions to anti-spit messages that varied in visual disgust (low and high). For more highly educated respondents, the high disgust appeal directly decreased spitting intentions, and this relationship was stronger for individuals with higher levels of pathogen and moral disgust. Given the importance of public messaging during pandemics, future research should continue to examine the efficacy and theoretical underpinnings of specific disgust appeals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Chavez-Yenter
- Department of Communication, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Helen M. Lille
- Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Sebastiaan Gorissen
- Department of Digital Media and Communications, Saint Michael’s College, Burlington, VT
| | - Kevin K. John
- School of Communications, Brigham Young University Provo, UT
| | - Alexis S. Vega
- Department of Communication, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Jakob D. Jensen
- Department of Communication, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
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15
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Brown GDA, Walasek L, Mullett TL, Quispe-Torreblanca EG, Fincher CL, Kosinski M, Stillwell D. Political Attitudes and Disease Threat: Regional Pathogen Stress Is Associated With Conservative Ideology Only for Older Individuals. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023:1461672231183199. [PMID: 37424438 DOI: 10.1177/01461672231183199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
What environmental factors are associated with individual differences in political ideology, and do such associations change over time? We examine whether reductions in pathogen prevalence in U.S. states over the past 60 years are associated with reduced associations between parasite stress and conservatism. We report a positive association between infection levels and conservative ideology in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. However, this correlation reduces from the 1980s onwards. These results suggest that the ecological influence of infectious diseases may be larger for older people who grew up (or whose parents grew up) during earlier time periods. We test this hypothesis by analyzing the political affiliation of 45,000 Facebook users, and find a positive association between self-reported political affiliation and regional pathogen stress for older (>40 years) but not younger individuals. It is concluded that the influence of environmental pathogen stress on ideology may have reduced over time.
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16
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Butterworth J, Smerdon D, Baumeister R, von Hippel W. Cooperation in the Time of COVID. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231178719. [PMID: 37384624 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231178719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Humans evolved to be hyper-cooperative, particularly when among people who are well known to them, when relationships involve reciprocal helping opportunities, and when the costs to the helper are substantially less than the benefits to the recipient. Because humans' cooperative nature evolved over many millennia when they lived exclusively in small groups, factors that cause cooperation to break down tend to be those associated with life in large, impersonal, modern societies: when people are not identifiable, when interactions are one-off, when self-interest is not tied to the interests of others, and when people are concerned that others might free ride. From this perspective, it becomes clear that policies for managing pandemics will be most effective when they highlight superordinate goals and connect people or institutions to one another over multiple identifiable interactions. When forging such connections is not possible, policies should mimic critical components of ancestral conditions by providing reputational markers for cooperators and reducing the systemic damage caused by free riding. In this article, we review policies implemented during the pandemic, highlighting spontaneous community efforts that leveraged these aspects of people's evolved psychology, and consider implications for future decision makers.
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17
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Terrizzi JA, Pond RS, Shannon TCJ, Koopman ZK, Reich JC. How does disgust regulate social rejection? a mini-review. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1141100. [PMID: 37397339 PMCID: PMC10313072 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141100] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to belong is a fundamental aspect of human nature. Over the past two decades, researchers have uncovered many harmful effects of social rejection. However, less work has examined the emotional antecedents to rejection. The purpose of the present article was to explore how disgust--an emotion linked to avoidance and social withdrawal--serves as an important antecedent to social rejection. We argue that disgust affects social rejection through three routes. First, disgust encourages stigmatization, especially of those who exhibit cues of infectious disease. Second, disgust and disease-avoidance give rise to cultural variants (e.g., socially conservative values and assortative sociality), which mitigate social interaction. Third, when the self is perceived as a source of contamination, it promotes shame, which, subsequently, encourages withdrawal from social interaction. Directions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Terrizzi
- Department of Psychology, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Richard S. Pond
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Trevor C. J. Shannon
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Zachary K. Koopman
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Jessica C. Reich
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
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18
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Ma MZ, Ye S. Coronavirus-Related Searches on the Internet Predict COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in the Real World: A Behavioral Immune System Perspective. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2023; 14:572-587. [PMID: 37220501 PMCID: PMC10195687 DOI: 10.1177/19485506221106012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
According to the smoke detector and functional flexibility principles of human behavioral immune system (BIS), the exposure to COVID-19 cues could motivate vaccine uptake. Using the tool of Google Trends, we tested that coronavirus-related searches-which assessed natural exposure to COVID-19 cues-would positively predict actual vaccination rates. As expected, coronavirus-related searches positively and significantly predicted vaccination rates in the United States (Study 1a) and across the globe (Study 2a) after accounting for a range of covariates. The stationary time series analyses with covariates and autocorrelation structure of the dependent variable confirmed that more coronavirus-related searches compared with last week indicated increases in vaccination rates compared with last week in the United States (Study 1b) and across the globe (Study 2b). With real-time web search data, psychological scientists could test their research questions in real-life settings and at a large scale to expand the ecological validity and generalizability of the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mac Zewei Ma
- City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Shengquan Ye
- City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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19
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Dunbar R. Why did doctrinal religions first appear in the Northern Subtropical Zone? EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e15. [PMID: 37587936 PMCID: PMC10427489 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Doctrinal religions that involve recognised gods, more formal theologies, moral codes, dedicated religious spaces and professional priesthoods emerged in two phases during the Neolithic. Almost all of these appeared in a narrow latitudinal band (the northern Subtropical Zone). I suggest that these developments were the result of a need to facilitate community bonding in response to scalar stresses that developed as community sizes increased dramatically beyond those typical of hunter-gatherer societies. Conditions for population growth (as indexed by rainfall patterns and the difference between pathogen load and the length of the growing season) were uniquely optimised in this zone, creating an environment of ecological release in which populations could grow unusually rapidly. The relationship between latitude, religion and language in contemporary societies suggests that the peculiar characteristics of the northern (but not the southern) Subtropical Zone were especially favourable for the evolution of large scale religions as a way of enforcing community cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.I.M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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20
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Chen H, Wang X, Zang H, Guinote A. We Need Tough Brothers and Sisters in a Tight World: Cultural Tightness Leads to a Preference for Dominant and Muscular Leaders. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023:1461672231169107. [PMID: 37154510 DOI: 10.1177/01461672231169107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cultural tightness is characterized by strong norms and harsh punishments for deviant behaviors. We hypothesized that followers in tight (vs. loose) cultures would more strongly prefer muscular leaders. This hypothesis was confirmed across seven studies (N = 1,615) employing samples from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Using actual political leaders, we demonstrated that the tighter the state's culture was, the more muscular the elected governor was (Study 1). Temporarily situating participants in a tight (vs. loose) culture made them select a leader higher on muscularity but not on body fat, and the effects obtained occurred for both male and female leaders (Studies 2-3B). In addition, we demonstrated the mediating role of authoritarianism and a preference for a dominant leadership in this process (Studies 4-5B). These results demonstrate the importance of considering the interface between culture and the physical appearance of leaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Social Psychology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xijing Wang
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Huilin Zang
- Department of Social Psychology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ana Guinote
- Experimental Psychology, University College London, UK
- ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon (CIS-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal
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21
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Grossmann I, Rotella A, Hutcherson CA, Sharpinskyi K, Varnum MEW, Achter S, Dhami MK, Guo XE, Kara-Yakoubian M, Mandel DR, Raes L, Tay L, Vie A, Wagner L, Adamkovic M, Arami A, Arriaga P, Bandara K, Baník G, Bartoš F, Baskin E, Bergmeir C, Białek M, Børsting CK, Browne DT, Caruso EM, Chen R, Chie BT, Chopik WJ, Collins RN, Cong CW, Conway LG, Davis M, Day MV, Dhaliwal NA, Durham JD, Dziekan M, Elbaek CT, Shuman E, Fabrykant M, Firat M, Fong GT, Frimer JA, Gallegos JM, Goldberg SB, Gollwitzer A, Goyal J, Graf-Vlachy L, Gronlund SD, Hafenbrädl S, Hartanto A, Hirshberg MJ, Hornsey MJ, Howe PDL, Izadi A, Jaeger B, Kačmár P, Kim YJ, Krenzler R, Lannin DG, Lin HW, Lou NM, Lua VYQ, Lukaszewski AW, Ly AL, Madan CR, Maier M, Majeed NM, March DS, Marsh AA, Misiak M, Myrseth KOR, Napan JM, Nicholas J, Nikolopoulos K, O J, Otterbring T, Paruzel-Czachura M, Pauer S, Protzko J, Raffaelli Q, Ropovik I, Ross RM, Roth Y, Røysamb E, Schnabel L, Schütz A, Seifert M, Sevincer AT, Sherman GT, Simonsson O, Sung MC, Tai CC, Talhelm T, Teachman BA, Tetlock PE, Thomakos D, Tse DCK, Twardus OJ, Tybur JM, Ungar L, Vandermeulen D, Vaughan Williams L, Vosgerichian HA, Wang Q, Wang K, Whiting ME, Wollbrant CE, Yang T, Yogeeswaran K, Yoon S, Alves VR, Andrews-Hanna JR, Bloom PA, Boyles A, Charis L, Choi M, Darling-Hammond S, Ferguson ZE, Kaiser CR, Karg ST, Ortega AL, Mahoney L, Marsh MS, Martinie MFRC, Michaels EK, Millroth P, Naqvi JB, Ng W, Rutledge RB, Slattery P, Smiley AH, Strijbis O, Sznycer D, Tsukayama E, van Loon A, Voelkel JG, Wienk MNA, Wilkening T. Insights into the accuracy of social scientists' forecasts of societal change. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:484-501. [PMID: 36759585 PMCID: PMC10192018 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
How well can social scientists predict societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? To answer these questions, we ran two forecasting tournaments testing the accuracy of predictions of societal change in domains commonly studied in the social sciences: ideological preferences, political polarization, life satisfaction, sentiment on social media, and gender-career and racial bias. After we provided them with historical trend data on the relevant domain, social scientists submitted pre-registered monthly forecasts for a year (Tournament 1; N = 86 teams and 359 forecasts), with an opportunity to update forecasts on the basis of new data six months later (Tournament 2; N = 120 teams and 546 forecasts). Benchmarking forecasting accuracy revealed that social scientists' forecasts were on average no more accurate than those of simple statistical models (historical means, random walks or linear regressions) or the aggregate forecasts of a sample from the general public (N = 802). However, scientists were more accurate if they had scientific expertise in a prediction domain, were interdisciplinary, used simpler models and based predictions on prior data.
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22
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Allik J, Realo A, McCrae RR. Conceptual and methodological issues in the study of the personality-and-culture relationship. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1077851. [PMID: 37057156 PMCID: PMC10088870 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1077851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Culture-and-personality studies were central to social science in the early 20th century and have recently been revived (as personality-and-culture studies) by trait and cross-cultural psychologists. In this article we comment on conceptual issues, including the nature of traits and the nature of the personality-and-culture relationship, and we describe methodological challenges in understanding associations between features of culture and aspects of personality. We give an overview of research hypothesizing the shaping of personality traits by culture, reviewing studies of indigenous traits, acculturation and sojourner effects, birth cohorts, social role changes, and ideological interventions. We also consider the possibility that aggregate traits affect culture, through psychological means and gene flow. In all these cases we highlight alternative explanations and the need for designs and analyses that strengthen the interpretation of observations. We offer a set of testable hypotheses based on the premises that personality is adequately described by Five-Factor Theory, and that observed differences in aggregate personality traits across cultures are veridical. It is clear that culture has dramatic effects on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from which we infer traits, but it is not yet clear whether, how, and in what degree culture shapes traits themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jüri Allik
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- *Correspondence: Jüri Allik,
| | - Anu Realo
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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23
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Salmon CA, Hehman JA, Figueredo AJ. Pornography's Ubiquitous External Ejaculation: Predictors of Perceptions. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:431-442. [PMID: 36171487 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02426-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
One of the most contentious topics in the sexual arena is that of pornography. While some researchers focus on the costs and benefits of consumption, others focus on questions surrounding the objectification or degradation of women, with relatively little focus on the men involved, and the appeal of visual sexual stimuli more generally, including what that may tell us about the sexual interests of the consumers. In this study, we focus on what factors influence men's and women's perceptions of sexually explicit images, in particular the ubiquitous external ejaculation. Sex differences in perceptions of the images are examined as well as the influence of the emotional affect of the recipient of the ejaculation, the sexual orientation of the participant (are they looking at an image of their preferred sex or not), and a number of individual difference factors, including religiosity, Dark Triad personality traits, mate value, short-term mating strategy, and disgust sensitivity. Overall, the largest influences on perceptions were the direct effects of target emotional affect and sex, sex of viewer, sexual orientation of viewer, short-term mating orientation, and level of sexual disgust. In addition, substantial variation in perceptions was explained by the interaction between sex, sexual orientation, and target sex. The importance of positive affect in the images as well as the lack of association with psychopathy again suggests that the appeal (or at least the ubiquity of the images in pornographic material) is not rooted in degradation, but in some other aspect of short-term sexual psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica A Hehman
- Psychology Department, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, USA
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24
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Fedurek P, Lacroix L, Aktipis A, Cronk L, Makambi J, Mabulla I, Lehmann J, Berbesque JC. Relationship between proximity and physiological stress levels in hunter-gatherers: The Hadza. Horm Behav 2023; 147:105294. [PMID: 36521419 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In recent years there has been a great deal of documentation on how social relationships are related to various aspects of human wellbeing. However, until recently most studies investigating the effects of social relationships on wellbeing have applied social network measures to reported social contacts. Recent advances in the application of bio-loggers in biological studies have now made it possible to quantify social relationships based on in-person, rather than self-reported, social interactions. We used GPS-derived in-camp and out-of-camp proximity data to analyse how in-person proximity is related to Hair Cortisol Concentration (HCC) among Hadza hunter-gatherers. Time spent in close proximity to other camp members was associated with higher HCC, especially in women. In contrast, individuals who spent more time in close out-of-camp proximity to their best friend experienced lower HCC. Our study suggests that physiological costs related to group living might be mitigated by in-person interactions with close friends. We also find that the location (i.e., in-camp vs out-of-camp) of proximity to others and self-perceived friends is associated with HCC among the Hadza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Fedurek
- Anthropology Programme, University of Roehampton, London, UK; Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Laurent Lacroix
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Cronk
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Jerryson Makambi
- Mount Meru Tour Guide and International Language School, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - Julia Lehmann
- Anthropology Programme, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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25
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Shapouri S. Of Germs and Culture; Parasite Stress as the Origin of Individualism-Collectivism. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:82-89. [PMID: 35966138 PMCID: PMC9362146 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-022-00335-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Among four proposed origins of individualism-collectivism, modernization theory, rice versus wheat theory, climato-economic theory, and pathogen stress theory, the latter has gained more attention in cross-cultural and evolutionary psychology. Since the parasite stress theory of values and sociality makes a connection between infectious diseases and cultural orientations, it gained even more popularity during the COVID pandemic. But despite extensive research on parasite stress theory, it is not still clear what kind of infectious disease contributes more to the emergence of cultures, what are the possible mechanisms through which pathogenic threat gives rise to cultural systems, and how parasite stress might affect vertical vs. horizontal dimensions of individualism-collectivism. This review summarizes and integrates major findings of parasite stress theory related to individualism-collectivism and its closely related variables and discusses future directions that researchers can take to answer the remaining questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Shapouri
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
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26
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Huber C, Brietzke S, Inagaki TK, Meyer ML. American prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22278. [PMID: 36566280 PMCID: PMC9789367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, anti-Asian sentiment has pervaded the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Could Americans' fear of contracting the virus relate to prejudice against Asian individuals? According to intergroup threat theory, prejudice increases toward groups of people when they are perceived as a likely cause of symbolic and/or real threat, including disease threat. We tested this perspective in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by investigating the relationship between Americans' concern about contracting COVID-19 and their feelings toward individuals from multiple countries. Between May 12-14 2020, participants residing in the United States (N = 932) completed an online survey assessing their (1) perceived threat of COVID-19 infection, (2) feelings of warmth and coldness toward people in America, China, Italy, Japan, and Greece, and (3) trait-level prejudice. Perceived threat of COVID-19 infection differentially related to feelings toward American and Chinese nationals and was unrelated to feelings toward people from other countries assessed. Specifically, greater threat of infection was associated with less warmth toward individuals from China, an effect moderated by trait-level prejudice. That is, participants high (but not medium or low) in trait prejudice showed a significant relationship between threat of COVID-19 infection and reduced warmth toward Chinese individuals. Threat of infection also related to greater warmth and less coldness toward American nationals, consistent with prior work indicating that disease threats amplify ethnocentrism. Collectively, results suggest that perceived threat of COVID-19 infection may correspond with prejudice toward the national outgroup associated with the disease's origin (i.e., China), as well as national ingroup favoritism, among Americans prone to prejudice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Huber
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Sasha Brietzke
- grid.254880.30000 0001 2179 2404Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Moore Hall, HB 6027, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Tristen K. Inagaki
- grid.263081.e0000 0001 0790 1491Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Meghan L. Meyer
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York City, USA
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27
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Conway LG, Woodard SR, Zubrod A, Tiburcio M, Martínez-Vélez NA, Sorgente A, Lanz M, Serido J, Vosylis R, Fonseca G, Lep Ž, Li L, Zupančič M, Crespo C, Relvas AP, Papageorgiou KA, Gianniou FM, Truhan T, Mojtahedi D, Hull S, Lilley C, Canning D, Ulukök E, Akın A, Massaccesi C, Chiappini E, Paracampo R, Korb S, Szaflarski M, Touré AA, Camara LM, Magassouba AS, Doumbouya A, Mutlu M, Bozkurt ZN, Grotkowski K, Przepiórka AM, Corral-Frías NS, Watson D, Corona Espinosa A, Lucas MY, Paleari FG, Tchalova K, Gregory AJP, Azrieli T, Bartz JA, Farmer H, Goldberg SB, Rosenkranz MA, Pickett J, Mackelprang JL, Graves JM, Orr C, Balmores-Paulino R. How culturally unique are pandemic effects? Evaluating cultural similarities and differences in effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on COVID impacts. Front Psychol 2022; 13:937211. [PMID: 36600725 PMCID: PMC9807227 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937211] [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: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally influenced in ways that go beyond national boundaries. However, they are often studied in isolated pockets, and this fact makes it difficult to parse the unique influence of specific cultural psychologies. To help fill in this gap, the present study applies existing cultural theories via linear mixed modeling to test the influence of unique cultural factors in a multi-national sample (that moves beyond Western nations) on the effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on pandemic outcomes that include adverse financial impacts, adverse resource impacts, adverse psychological impacts, and the health impacts of COVID. Our study spanned 19 nations (participant N = 14,133) and involved translations into 9 languages. Linear mixed models revealed similarities across cultures, with both young persons and women reporting worse outcomes from COVID across the multi-national sample. However, these effects were generally qualified by culture-specific variance, and overall more evidence emerged for effects unique to each culture than effects similar across cultures. Follow-up analyses suggested this cultural variability was consistent with models of pre-existing inequalities and socioecological stressors exacerbating the effects of the pandemic. Collectively, this evidence highlights the importance of developing culturally flexible models for understanding the cross-cultural nature of pandemic psychology beyond typical WEIRD approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucian Gideon Conway
- Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States,*Correspondence: Lucian Gideon Conway III,
| | | | - Alivia Zubrod
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Park University, Parkville, MO, United States
| | - Marcela Tiburcio
- Departamento de Ciencias Sociales en Salud, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nora Angélica Martínez-Vélez
- Departamento de Ciencias Sociales en Salud, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Angela Sorgente
- Unità di Ricerca Teoria della Mente, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Lanz
- Unità di Ricerca Teoria della Mente, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Joyce Serido
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | | | - Gabriela Fonseca
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Žan Lep
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lijun Li
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Maja Zupančič
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia,Maja Zupančič,
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dara Mojtahedi
- University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Hull
- University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Derry Canning
- University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Esra Ulukök
- Department of Business Administration, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey
| | - Adnan Akın
- Department of Business Administration, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey
| | - Claudia Massaccesi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emilio Chiappini
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Sebastian Korb
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Almamy Amara Touré
- Department of Medical Sciences, Kofi Annan University of Guinea, Conakry, Guinea,National Centre of Training and Recherche in Rural Health of Mafèrinyah, Forécariah, Guinea
| | - Lansana Mady Camara
- Department of Medical Sciences, Kofi Annan University of Guinea, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Aboubacar Sidiki Magassouba
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Sciences and Health Techniques, Gamal Abdel Nasser University, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Abdoulaye Doumbouya
- National Centre of Training and Recherche in Rural Health of Mafèrinyah, Forécariah, Guinea
| | - Melis Mutlu
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Zeynep Nergiz Bozkurt
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Master’s Program, Institute of Graduate Education, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Karolina Grotkowski
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | | | - David Watson
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | | | - Marc Yancy Lucas
- Department of Psychology, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Talya Azrieli
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Harry Farmer
- Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon B. Goldberg
- Department of Counseling Psychology and Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Melissa A. Rosenkranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | | | | | - Catherine Orr
- Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Rozel Balmores-Paulino
- Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Baguio, Baguio, Philippines
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28
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Wang Y, Zhao N. Prediction model of interaction anxiousness based on Weibo data. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1045605. [PMID: 36424965 PMCID: PMC9679504 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1045605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescents who face social distress in real life are often accompanied by interaction anxiousness. To avoid direct social activities, they prefer to indulge in social networks to satisfy their psychological needs for interpersonal communication. Sina Weibo, China's leading social media platform, has a markedly young user base. It provides a rich sample of adolescents with interaction anxiousness and conditions for real-time monitoring. In this study, various word categories, such as perception of spatial distance and positional relationships, morality, and emotion, showed a significant relationship with interaction anxiousness. Furthermore, prediction models were established based on the original Weibo data of 839 active Sina Weibo users through a variety of machine learning algorithms to predict the scores of users' interaction anxiousness. The results showed that the performance of the prediction model established by the fully connected neural network was the best, and both criterion validity and split-half reliability were good (r criterionvalidity = 0.30, r split - halfreliability = 0.76). This study confirms the validity of the prediction model of interaction anxiousness based on social media behavior data, provides a feasible solution to examine adolescents' interaction anxiousness, and provides a scientific basis for more targeted mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Nan Zhao
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Gorissen S, Lillie HM, Chavez-Yenter D, Vega A, John KK, Jensen JD. Explicitness, disgust, and safe sex behavior: A message experiment with U.S. adults. Soc Sci Med 2022; 313:115414. [PMID: 36209520 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115414] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Sexual health risks are challenging to communicate given the potential negative reactions of target audiences to explicit language. Grounded in research on pathogen avoidance, the current study examined the impact of varying levels of explicit language on message perceptions and safe sex behavioral intentions. U.S. adults (N = 498) were randomly assigned to view messages detailing pandemic safe sexual behavior that contained either low or high levels of explicit language. High explicit language significantly increased perceived disgust which also indirectly linked high explicit language with increased intentions to engage in safe sex behavior. Individual difference variables moderated the impact of message explicitness; dispositional hygiene disgust moderated the impact of high explicit, hygiene-focused messages on safe sex intentions. Those with relatively low levels of dispositional disgust were more positively impacted by explicit language. The results suggest the value of increased message explicitness for sexual health communication and have implications for pathogen avoidance behaviors, the behavioral immune system, and dispositional and affective forms of disgust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Gorissen
- Minot State University, Division of Art and Professional Communication, 500 University Avenue West, Minot, ND, 58707, USA.
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30
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Han Q, Zheng B, Leander NP, Agostini M, Gützkow B, Kreienkamp J, Kutlaca M, Lemay EP, Stroebe W, vanDellen MR, Bélanger JJ. Impact of National Pandemic Lockdowns on Perceived Threat of Immigrants: A Natural Quasi-Experiment Across 23 Countries. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/19485506221127487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Xenophobia and anti-immigrant attacks rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet this may not be solely due to the disease threat. According to theories of frustration and scapegoating, situational obstructions and deprivation can motivate prejudice against outgroups. Using a global natural quasi-experimental design, this study tests whether the restrictiveness of national lockdowns can explain higher individual-level perceptions of immigrant threat. Data of 45,894 participants from 23 countries were analyzed. Both lockdown duration and lockdown severity were positively associated with individuals’ perceived threat of immigrants. The lockdown effects were independent of objective and subjective measures of disease threat, and there was no evidence that disease threat drives people’s prejudice toward immigrants. Subgroup analysis suggested the lockdown effects were reliable in Europe and the Americas, but not in Asia. These findings suggest a need to mitigate frustration and scapegoating when implementing lockdowns, and to distinguish the influence of societal restrictions from disease threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Han
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Bristol, UK
| | - Bang Zheng
- Imperial College London, UK
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
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31
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Abbas W, Eltayeb S. Psychosocial indicators of individual behavior during COVID 19: Delphi approach. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 9:344. [PMID: 36212913 PMCID: PMC9524736 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01363-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the weakness of the health care system to incorporate indicators of human behavior in the rapid response to the virus. This study aims to establish consensus on the psychosocial indicators of COVID-19 preventive behaviors during the initial phase of the outbreak in Arab countries. This qualitative study used a combined scoping review of the literature to develop the 24 psychosocial indicators and the Delphi approach with a panel of 27 experts from nine Arab countries to achieve a consensus on preventive behavior indicators. The most robust agreement with an average rating of at least 4 was found for five social indicators including Belief System with an average rating (5). Income Status average rating (4.9). Family Commitment average rating (4). Faith average rating (4). Kinship System average rating (3.9). Four psychological indicators were identified namely Self-Efficacy with an average rating of (5). Perception of Hazard with an average rating of (4.5). Motivation with an average rating of (4.5). Stigma with an average rating of (4.2). The nine indicators provide a strong base for redesigning pandemic control interventions. The Delphi study demonstrates the feasibility of a participatory approach during the outbreak of COVID-19. Moreover, future interventions need to accommodate individual psychological and social determinants to increase adherence and decrease resistance to public health guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wijdan Abbas
- Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahla Eltayeb
- Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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32
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Rantala MJ, Luoto S, Borráz-León JI, Krams I. Schizophrenia: the new etiological synthesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104894. [PMID: 36181926 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia has been an evolutionary paradox: it has high heritability, but it is associated with decreased reproductive success. The causal genetic variants underlying schizophrenia are thought to be under weak negative selection. To unravel this paradox, many evolutionary explanations have been suggested for schizophrenia. We critically discuss the constellation of evolutionary hypotheses for schizophrenia, highlighting the lack of empirical support for most existing evolutionary hypotheses-with the exception of the relatively well supported evolutionary mismatch hypothesis. It posits that evolutionarily novel features of contemporary environments, such as chronic stress, low-grade systemic inflammation, and gut dysbiosis, increase susceptibility to schizophrenia. Environmental factors such as microbial infections (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii) can better predict the onset of schizophrenia than polygenic risk scores. However, researchers have not been able to explain why only a small minority of infected people develop schizophrenia. The new etiological synthesis of schizophrenia indicates that an interaction between host genotype, microbe infection, and chronic stress causes schizophrenia, with neuroinflammation and gut dysbiosis mediating this etiological pathway. Instead of just alleviating symptoms with drugs, the parasite x genotype x stress model emphasizes that schizophrenia treatment should focus on detecting and treating possible underlying microbial infection(s), neuroinflammation, gut dysbiosis, and chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland.
| | - Severi Luoto
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, 1023 Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, 1004, Rīga, Latvia
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33
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Fan L, Tybur JM, Jones BC. Are people more averse to microbe-sharing contact with ethnic outgroup members? A registered report. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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34
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Conway LG, Van de Vliert E, Chan L. The geography of literacy: Understanding poleward increases in literacy rates. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Linus Chan
- University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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35
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Ma MZ. Heightened religiosity proactively and reactively responds to the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe: Novel insights from the parasite-stress theory of sociality and the behavioral immune system theory. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS : IJIR 2022; 90:38-56. [PMID: 35855693 PMCID: PMC9276875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
According to the parasite-stress theory of sociality and the behavioral immune system theory, heightened religiosity serves an anti-pathogen function by promoting in-group assortative sociality. Thus, highly religious countries/territories could have better control of the COVID-19 (proactively avoids disease-threat), and heightened COVID-19 threat could increase religiosity (reactively responds to disease-threat). As expected, country-level religiosity (religion-related online searches (Allah, Buddhism, Jesus, etc.) and number of total religions/ethnoreligions) negatively and significantly predicted COVID-19 severity (a composite index of COVID-19 susceptibility, reproductive rate, morbidity, and mortality rates) (Study 1a), after accounting for covariates (e.g., socioeconomic factors, ecological factors, collectivism index, cultural tightness-looseness index, COVID-19 policy response, test-to-case ratio). Moreover, multilevel analysis accounting for daily- (e.g., time-trend effect, season) and macro-level (same as in Study 1a) covariates showed that country-level religious searches, compared with the number of total religions/ethnoreligions, were more robust in negatively and significantly predicting daily-level COVID-19 severity during early pandemic stages (Study 1b). At weekly level, perceived coronavirus threat measured with coronavirus-related searches (corona, covid, covid-19, etc.), compared with actual COVID-19 threat measured with epidemiological data, showed larger effects in positively predicting religious searches (Study 2), after accounting for weekly- (e.g., autocorrelation, time-trend effect, season, religious holidays, major-illness-related searches) and macro-level (e.g., Christian-majority country/territory and all country-level variables in Study 1) covariates. Accordingly, heightened religiosity could proactively and reactively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mac Zewei Ma
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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36
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Singh Solorzano C, Panasiti MS, Di Pucchio A, Grano C. The Impact of Positivity and Parochial Altruism on Protective Behaviours during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10153. [PMID: 36011788 PMCID: PMC9408185 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of COVID-19 protective behaviours, such as social distancing or frequent hand washing during the lockdown, was critical to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the effect of positivity and parochial altruism on implementing COVID-19 health-protective behaviours during the Italian lockdown. A sample of 460 participants completed an online questionnaire that included demographic measures, Positivity Scale and COVID-19 measures of health-protective behaviours. To measure parochial altruism, we used a hypothetical dictator game played with others who could vary in their social distance from the participants. Results showed that participants in the hypothetical game gave more money to parents and siblings than to best friends, cousins, neighbours, and strangers. Furthermore, both positivity and parochial altruism (more altruism toward close vs. distant people) were positively associated with implementing hygiene behaviours but not with social distancing. Finally, mediation analysis showed that increases in parochial altruism mediated the effect of positivity on hygiene behaviour. These findings extend knowledge about the factors beyond the implementation of COVID-19 health-protective behaviours during a lockdown situation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Serena Panasiti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- IRCSS, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Grano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
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37
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Smith PB, Bond MH. Four Decades of Challenges by Culture to Mainstream Psychology: Finding Ways Forward. JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/00220221221084041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Over 5 days at the Nag’s Head Conference Center, USA in 1987, social and cross-cultural psychologists discussed what would be required if research relating to culture were to gain greater attention from psychology in general, and in particular from what was perceived at the time as its mainstream. The criteria for gaining greater credibility laid down by three leading social psychologists proved daunting in relation to the cross-cultural work presented at the meeting but subsequently inspired cross-culturalists to “raise their game.” In this paper, we describe these crucial challenges and how they have been addressed more recently by cross-cultural psychologists. We assess the extent to which studies focused on cultural differences are now thoughtfully represented in social, personality, and organizational psychology by briefly surveying the content of a single year’s issues of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, and the Journal of Personality in relation to the concurrent content of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. We identify the perils of assimilation to psychology in general by diluting the concept of culture and by tyrannizing research with over-specified criteria of statistical rectitude. We also identify studies published in top-rated journals that have nonetheless advanced our field. We reiterate the need for defensible measures of cultural difference and methods for identifying and examining them as a basis for multi-level explanations of cultural effects and cultural change. We conclude by proposing a gold standard for assaying cross-cultural studies of psychological processes and outcomes.
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38
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Makhanova A, Plant EA, Ketterman AB, Maner JK. Pathogen threat and intergroup prejudice using the minimal group paradigm: Evidence from a registered report. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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39
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Kopecky R, Příplatová L, Boschetti S, Talmont-Kaminski K, Flegr J. Le Petit Machiavellian Prince: Effects of Latent Toxoplasmosis on Political Beliefs and Values. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 20:14747049221112657. [PMID: 35903902 PMCID: PMC10303488 DOI: 10.1177/14747049221112657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans infected by Toxoplasma gondii express no specific symptoms but manifest higher incidence of many diseases, disorders and differences in personality and behavior. The aim of this study was to compare the political beliefs and values of Toxoplasma-infected and Toxoplasma-free participants. We measured beliefs and values of 2315 responders via an online survey (477 Toxoplasma-infected) using the Political Beliefs and Values Inventory (PI34). This study showed Toxoplasma-infected and Toxoplasma-free participants of our cross-sectional study differed in three of four factors of PI34, scoring higher in Tribalism and lower in Cultural liberalism and Anti-Authoritarianism. We found sex differences in political beliefs associated with Toxoplasma infection. Infected women scored higher in tribalism and lower in cultural liberalism, compared with the Toxoplasma-free control group, while infected men scored higher in economic equity. These results fit with sexual differences in behavior and attitude observed after toxoplasmosis infection. Controlling for the effect of worse physical health and mental health had little impact, suggesting that impaired health did not cause these changes. Rather than adaptation to prevalence of parasites, as suggested by parasite-stress theory, the differences might be side-effects of long-term mild inflammatory reaction. However, to get clear picture of the mild inflammation effects, more research focused on different infectious diseases is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Kopecky
- Institute of Philosophy of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Lenka Příplatová
- Institute of Philosophy of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Silvia Boschetti
- Institute of Philosophy of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Jaroslav Flegr
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology,
Department of Philosophy and History of Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Prague, Czechia
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40
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Child attachment in adjusting the species-general contingency between environmental adversities and fast life history strategies. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:719-730. [PMID: 34983700 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Extrinsic mortality risks calibrating fast life history (LH) represent a species-general principle that applies to almost all animals including humans. However, empirical research also finds exceptions to the LH principle. The present study proposes a maternal socialization hypothesis, whereby we argue that the more human-relevant attachment system adds to the LH principle by up- and down-regulating environmental harshness and unpredictability and their calibration of LH strategies. Based on a longitudinal sample of 259 rural Chinese adolescents and their primary caregivers, the results support the statistical moderating effect of caregiver-child attachment on the relation between childhood environmental adversities (harshness and unpredictability) and LH strategies. Our theorizing and findings point to an additional mechanism likely involved in the organization and possibly the slowdown of human LH.
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Tybur JM, Croijmans IM, van Huijstee D, Çınar Ç, Lal V, Smeets MA. Disgust sensitivity relates to affective responses to – but not ability to detect – olfactory cues to pathogens. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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The Behavioral Immune System and Intergroup Bias: Evidence for Asian-Specific Bias at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:333-342. [PMID: 35462877 PMCID: PMC9013740 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-022-00321-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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van Leeuwen F, Inbar Y, Petersen MB, Aarøe L, Barclay P, Barlow FK, de Barra M, Becker DV, Borovoi L, Choi J, Consedine NS, Conway JR, Conway P, Adoric VC, Demirci E, Fernández AM, Ferreira DCS, Ishii K, Jakšić I, Ji T, Jonaityte I, Lewis DMG, Li NP, McIntyre JC, Mukherjee S, Park JH, Pawlowski B, Pizarro D, Prokop P, Prodromitis G, Rantala MJ, Reynolds LM, Sandin B, Sevi B, Srinivasan N, Tewari S, Yong JC, Žeželj I, Tybur JM. Disgust sensitivity relates to attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women across 31 nations. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13684302211067151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has reported a relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice toward various social groups, including gay men and lesbian women. It is currently unknown whether this association is present across cultures, or specific to North America. Analyses of survey data from adult heterosexuals ( N = 11,200) from 31 countries showed a small relation between pathogen disgust sensitivity (an individual-difference measure of pathogen-avoidance motivations) and measures of antigay attitudes. Analyses also showed that pathogen disgust sensitivity relates not only to antipathy toward gay men and lesbians, but also to negativity toward other groups, in particular those associated with violations of traditional sexual norms (e.g., prostitutes). These results suggest that the association between pathogen-avoidance motivations and antigay attitudes is relatively stable across cultures and is a manifestation of a more general relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice towards groups associated with sexual norm violations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Leah Borovoi
- National Institute for Testing and Evaluation, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David M. G. Lewis
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, and Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pavol Prokop
- Comenius University, Slovakia
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
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Salmon CA, Hehman JA. Perceptions of Sexual Images: Factors Influencing Responses to the Ubiquitous External Ejaculation. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:1271-1280. [PMID: 34773216 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The debate over pornography has drawn attention to sex differences not only in the frequency of pornography consumption but also in the different ways males and females may perceive sexually explicit images and respond to them. Some of these differences may be due to sex differences in a variety of factors including sexual strategies and disgust, in particular, disgust related to pathogen avoidance. There is a large literature that focuses on how pathogen avoidance has shaped human behavior from political ideology to in-group/outgroup behavior to sexual risk taking/avoidance. This study examined sex differences in perceptions and how they are influenced by the emotional context of the image as well as individual difference factors, including disgust sensitivity, mate value, sociosexuality, and sexual orientation. Participants viewed a series of sexually explicit images of external ejaculations and rated them in terms of being positive, neutral, or negative. The factors accounting for the greatest variance in perceptions were target affect and sex, sexual orientation, and respondent sex, followed by pathogen and sexual disgust, self-perceived mate value, and sociosexual attitudes and desire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Salmon
- Psychology Department, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, 92373, USA.
| | - Jessica A Hehman
- Psychology Department, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, 92373, USA
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O'Shea BA, Vitriol JA, Federico CM, Appleby J, Williams AL. Exposure and Aversion to Human Transmissible Diseases Predict Conservative Ideological and Partisan Preferences. POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 43:65-88. [PMID: 34230726 PMCID: PMC8251465 DOI: 10.1111/pops.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The objective prevalence of and subjective vulnerability to infectious diseases are associated with greater ingroup preference, conformity, and traditionalism. However, evidence directly testing the link between infectious diseases and political ideology and partisanship is lacking. Across four studies, including a large sample representative of the U.S. population (N > 12,000), we demonstrate that higher environmental levels of human transmissible diseases and avoidance of germs from human carriers predict conservative ideological and partisan preferences. During the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 848), we replicated this germ aversion finding and determined that these conservative preferences were primarily driven by avoidance of germs from outgroups (foreigners) rather than ingroups (locals). Moreover, socially conservative individuals expressed lower concerns of being susceptible to contracting infectious diseases during the pandemic and worried less about COVID-19. These effects were robust to individual-level and state-level controls. We discuss these findings in light of theory on parasite stress and the behavioral immune system and with regard to the political implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Flitton A, Currie TE. Assessing different historical pathways in the cultural evolution of economic development. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022; 43:71-82. [PMID: 35110961 PMCID: PMC8785121 DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A huge number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain the substantial diversity in economic performance we see in the present-day. There has been a growing appreciation that historical and ecological factors have contributed to social and economic development. However, it is not clear whether such factors have exerted a direct effect on modern productivity, or whether they influence economies indirectly by shaping the cultural evolution of norms and institutions. Here we analyse a global cross-national dataset to test between hypotheses involving a number of different ecological, historical, and proximate social factors and a range of direct and indirect pathways. We show that the historical timing of agriculture predicts the timing of the emergence of statehood, which in turn affects economic development indirectly through its effect on institutions. Ecological factors appear to affect economic performance indirectly through their historical effects on the development of agriculture and by shaping patterns of European settler colonization. More effective institutional performance is also predicted by lower-levels of in-group bias which itself appears related to the proportion of a nation's population that descends from European countries. These results support the idea that cultural evolutionary processes have been important in shaping the social norms and institutions that enable large-scale cooperation and economic growth in present-day societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Flitton
- Human Behaviour and Cultural Evolution Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Currie
- Human Behaviour and Cultural Evolution Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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48
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Cao Q, Sun J, Peng M, Chen BB. Behavioral Responses to Familiar Versus Unfamiliar Older People as a Source of Disgust. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 20:14747049221077187. [PMID: 35238226 PMCID: PMC10355294 DOI: 10.1177/14747049221077187] [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: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Disgust, as a part of the behavioral immune system, leads people to avoid behaviors of pathogens so as to reduce the probability of infection. Disgust also shows the source effects based on familiarity. However, these source effects have not been tested on the older population. Thus, we tested the source effects of emotional and behavioral reactions from the disgust toward older adults and the possible moderating effects of filial piety on disgust. In the first study, we employed the self-report method to test the source effects of emotional feelings of disgust amongst undergraduates. In the second study, we measured whether filial piety among community adults produced moderating effects of the disgust toward older adults. In the third study, we employed the shape discrimination task to test the source effects of behavioral avoidance to older adults among undergraduates. The first and third studies show stronger negative emotional/avoidance reactions towards unfamiliar older adults than familiar older adults, affirming the source effects of disgust towards older adults that we expected. However, we did not find moderating effects of filial piety associated with disgust. These findings can help us understand the evolutionary origin of disgust toward older adults, which is likely activated more intensely and quickly in response to unfamiliar individuals as compared with familiar individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Cao
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Ming Peng
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, China
| | - Bin-Bin Chen
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University, China
- Fudan Institute on Ageing, China
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Ketterman A, Makhanova A, Reynolds TA, Case CR, McNulty JK, Eckel LA, Nikonova L, Flynn HA, Maner JK. Prevalence and predictors of “nesting”: Solutions to adaptive challenges faced during pregnancy. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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50
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Lu HJ, Wang XR, Liu YY, Chang L. Disease Prevalence and Fatality, Life History Strategies, and Behavioral Control of the COVID Pandemic. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 8:20-29. [PMID: 34777951 PMCID: PMC8576458 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00306-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caught the world by surprise and raised many questions. One of the questions is whether infectious diseases indeed drive fast life history (LH) as the extent research suggests. This paper challenges this assumption and raises a different perspective. We argue that infectious diseases enact either slower or faster LH strategies and the related disease control behavior depending on disease severity. We tested and supported the theorization based on a sample of 662 adult residents drawn from all 32 provinces and administrative regions of mainland China. The findings help to broaden LH perspectives and to better understand unusual social phenomena arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jing Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Rui Wang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Yuan Yuan Liu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
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