A Cultural Psychological Model of Cross-National Variation in Gender Gaps in STEM Participation. Nur Soylu Yalcinkaya, Glenn Adams, Personality and Social Psychology Review, August 13, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868320947005
Abstract: Gender gaps in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) participation are larger in societies where women have greater freedom of choice. We provide a cultural psychological model to explain this pattern. We consider how individualistic/post-materialistic cultural patterns in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) settings foster a self-expressive construction of academic choice, whereby affirming femininity/masculinity and ensuring identity fit become primary goals. Striving to fulfill these goals can lead men toward, and women away from, STEM pursuit, resulting in a large gender gap. In Majority World settings, on the contrary, collectivistic/materialistic cultural patterns foster a security-oriented construction, whereby achieving financial security and fulfilling relational expectations become primary goals of academic choice. These goals can lead both women and men toward secure and lucrative fields like STEM, resulting in a smaller gender gap. Finally, gender gaps in STEM participation feed back into the STEM=male stereotype. We discuss the implications of our model for research and theory, and intervention and policy.
Keywords: gender differences, STEM, academic choice, self-expression, cultural psychology
Friday, August 14, 2020
Male secondary sexual characters may have evolved to advertise males that carry large numbers of beneficial sexually transmitted microbes highly potent against pathogens
Reinoculation of Ideas about the Benefits of Copulation: Reply to Rowe et al. Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe, Harry W. Power. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, August 13 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.008
Our bSTM (beneficial sexually transmitted microbes) hypothesis of copulation may explain why female birds either copulate repeatedly with a single mate or with multiple partners when only a single copulation may be sufficient to fertilize an entire clutch. We hypothesized that females may directly benefit from high frequencies of copulation and multiple copulation partners if they are inoculated with bSTMs that function as therapy against current infection or as ‘vaccination’ against future infection. Our hypothesis focused on birds but may apply to other animals.
The bSTM hypothesis requires that beneficial microbes are acquired by females during copulation. Moran and Dunbar [8] experimentally showed that female pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) acquire bSTMs that increase their resistance to parasitoids and fungal infections, increase their tolerance to heat stress, and facilitate their expansion to different host plants. Smith and Mueller [9] reviewed additional examples of bSTMs in humans and mosquitoes.
We predict that careful examination of STMs and their effects on their hosts is likely to identify more bSTMs in wild populations. The bSTM hypothesis assumes that the probability that a female becomes colonized by STMs increases with the number of her copulations with a single partner or with multiple partners. Observations that copulations with multiple partners increases the diversity of the reproductive microbiomes of female lizards [10] and mice [11] satisfy this assumption.
We predicted that male secondary sexual characters may have evolved to advertise males that carry large numbers of bSTMs highly potent against pSTMs, and Rowe et al. [2] reiterated this prediction. By showing a positive correlation between bill coloration, a sexually selected trait in male mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and the bacteria-killing ability of their semen, Rowe et al. [12] demonstrated the possibility that sexual selection can mold signals associated with bSTMs. We expect that future research will discover male secondary sexual characteristics to be associated with a male’s ability to deliver bSTMs to females.
Our bSTM (beneficial sexually transmitted microbes) hypothesis of copulation may explain why female birds either copulate repeatedly with a single mate or with multiple partners when only a single copulation may be sufficient to fertilize an entire clutch. We hypothesized that females may directly benefit from high frequencies of copulation and multiple copulation partners if they are inoculated with bSTMs that function as therapy against current infection or as ‘vaccination’ against future infection. Our hypothesis focused on birds but may apply to other animals.
The bSTM hypothesis requires that beneficial microbes are acquired by females during copulation. Moran and Dunbar [8] experimentally showed that female pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) acquire bSTMs that increase their resistance to parasitoids and fungal infections, increase their tolerance to heat stress, and facilitate their expansion to different host plants. Smith and Mueller [9] reviewed additional examples of bSTMs in humans and mosquitoes.
We predict that careful examination of STMs and their effects on their hosts is likely to identify more bSTMs in wild populations. The bSTM hypothesis assumes that the probability that a female becomes colonized by STMs increases with the number of her copulations with a single partner or with multiple partners. Observations that copulations with multiple partners increases the diversity of the reproductive microbiomes of female lizards [10] and mice [11] satisfy this assumption.
We predicted that male secondary sexual characters may have evolved to advertise males that carry large numbers of bSTMs highly potent against pSTMs, and Rowe et al. [2] reiterated this prediction. By showing a positive correlation between bill coloration, a sexually selected trait in male mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and the bacteria-killing ability of their semen, Rowe et al. [12] demonstrated the possibility that sexual selection can mold signals associated with bSTMs. We expect that future research will discover male secondary sexual characteristics to be associated with a male’s ability to deliver bSTMs to females.
Screening for Dark Personalities: The authors say they uncovered a novel link between sadism and sexuality, but sadists are not maladjusted
Screening for Dark Personalities: The Short Dark Tetrad (SD4). Delroy L. Paulhus et al. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, July 27, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000602
Abstract. Consensus is emerging that the constellation of dark personalities should include the sadistic personality. To build a four-factor measure, we modified and extended the Short Dark Triad (SD3) measure to include sadism. A series of three studies yielded the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), a four subscale inventory with 7 items per construct. Study 1 (N = 868) applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to a diverse 48-item pool using data collected on MTurk. A 4-factor solution revealed a separate sadism factor, as well as a shifted Dark Triad. Study 2 (N = 999 students) applied EFA to a reduced 37-item set. Associations with adjustment and sex drive provided insight into unique personality dynamics of the four constructs. In Study 3 (N = 660), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the final 28 items showed acceptable fit for a four-factor solution. Moreover, the resulting 7-item subscales each showed coherent links with the Big Five and adjustment. In sum, the four-factor structure replicated across student and community samples. Although they overlap to a moderate degree, the four subscales show distinctive correlates – even with a control for acquiescence. We also uncovered a novel link between sadism and sexuality, but no association with maladjustment.
Keywords: dark personalities, questionnaire, sadism
Abstract. Consensus is emerging that the constellation of dark personalities should include the sadistic personality. To build a four-factor measure, we modified and extended the Short Dark Triad (SD3) measure to include sadism. A series of three studies yielded the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), a four subscale inventory with 7 items per construct. Study 1 (N = 868) applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to a diverse 48-item pool using data collected on MTurk. A 4-factor solution revealed a separate sadism factor, as well as a shifted Dark Triad. Study 2 (N = 999 students) applied EFA to a reduced 37-item set. Associations with adjustment and sex drive provided insight into unique personality dynamics of the four constructs. In Study 3 (N = 660), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the final 28 items showed acceptable fit for a four-factor solution. Moreover, the resulting 7-item subscales each showed coherent links with the Big Five and adjustment. In sum, the four-factor structure replicated across student and community samples. Although they overlap to a moderate degree, the four subscales show distinctive correlates – even with a control for acquiescence. We also uncovered a novel link between sadism and sexuality, but no association with maladjustment.
Keywords: dark personalities, questionnaire, sadism
We found that men and women told larger and more frequent lies to their parents, with women telling the largest and most frequent lies of all to their fathers; both men & women frequently say they are chaster than really are
Papa Don’t Preach? Using Lies to Expose the Truth about Who Suppresses Female Sexuality. Dax J. Kellie, Barnaby J. W. Dixson & Robert C. Brooks. Human Nature (2020). Aug 14 2020. https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12110-020-09372-7
Abstract: The suppression of sexuality is culturally widespread, and women’s sexual promiscuity, activity, and enjoyment are almost always judged and punished more harshly than men’s. It remains disputed, however, to what end people suppress sexuality, and who benefits from the suppression of female sexuality. Different theories predict that women in general, men in general, women’s intimate partners, or parents benefit most. Here we use the lies women and men tell—or imagine telling—about their sexual histories as an indirect measure of who is most involved in the suppression of sexuality. We asked men and women what they would reply if asked questions by their mother, father, current partner, attractive confederate, and various same- or opposite-sex friends and colleagues about their number of previous sex partners, age at first romantic kiss, age at first consensual sex, and cheating on a previous partner or spouse. By comparing the size and direction of the lies that subjects told, we tested competing predictions of several cultural and evolutionary theories concerning why female sexuality is suppressed and who is driving its suppression. We found that men and women told larger and more frequent lies to their parents, with women telling the largest and most frequent lies of all to their fathers. Additionally, the majority of lies by both men and women were in sexually conservative directions. Our findings suggest that mothers, and especially fathers, restrict female sexuality.
Abstract: The suppression of sexuality is culturally widespread, and women’s sexual promiscuity, activity, and enjoyment are almost always judged and punished more harshly than men’s. It remains disputed, however, to what end people suppress sexuality, and who benefits from the suppression of female sexuality. Different theories predict that women in general, men in general, women’s intimate partners, or parents benefit most. Here we use the lies women and men tell—or imagine telling—about their sexual histories as an indirect measure of who is most involved in the suppression of sexuality. We asked men and women what they would reply if asked questions by their mother, father, current partner, attractive confederate, and various same- or opposite-sex friends and colleagues about their number of previous sex partners, age at first romantic kiss, age at first consensual sex, and cheating on a previous partner or spouse. By comparing the size and direction of the lies that subjects told, we tested competing predictions of several cultural and evolutionary theories concerning why female sexuality is suppressed and who is driving its suppression. We found that men and women told larger and more frequent lies to their parents, with women telling the largest and most frequent lies of all to their fathers. Additionally, the majority of lies by both men and women were in sexually conservative directions. Our findings suggest that mothers, and especially fathers, restrict female sexuality.
Subjective age changed during a global health crisis, with people feeling younger with the emergence of COVID-19; partly reflects a coping process of psychological distancing from older age (the most vulnerable group)
Changes in Subjective Age During COVID-19. Antonio Terracciano et al. The Gerontologist, gnaa104, August 7 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa104
Abstract
Background and Objectives: To examine change in subjective age with the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Two competing hypotheses were tested: (a) people felt increasingly older due to the stress generated by the pandemic; (b) people felt increasingly younger due to psychological distancing from older age, a vulnerability to COVID-19.
Research Design and Methods: An age and sex stratified sample of adults from across the United States (baseline N = 3,738) was assessed on three occasions: before the COVID-19 outbreak in late-January/early-February and during the outbreak in late-March and again in late-April. Multilevel modeling analysis examined change in subjective age and tested potential moderators of individual differences in the trajectory of subjective age.
Results: The average trajectory of subjective age followed a concave curve, with a nadir (feeling younger) during the second assessment in late-March. Older age, negative expectations about aging, absence of pre-existing conditions, and less stress during COVID-19 were associated with feeling younger but did not predict the rate of change. The only significant predictor of change in subjective age was the belief that the “coronavirus is only a threat to older adults”: The more individuals agreed with this statement, the more likely it was that they felt increasingly younger at follow-up.
Discussion and Implications: Subjective age changed during a global health crisis, with people feeling younger with the emergence COVID-19. The findings support the hypothesis that subjective age partly reflects a coping process of psychological distancing from older age, the age group most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus, Age identity, Longitudinal, Multilevel Modeling
Abstract
Background and Objectives: To examine change in subjective age with the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Two competing hypotheses were tested: (a) people felt increasingly older due to the stress generated by the pandemic; (b) people felt increasingly younger due to psychological distancing from older age, a vulnerability to COVID-19.
Research Design and Methods: An age and sex stratified sample of adults from across the United States (baseline N = 3,738) was assessed on three occasions: before the COVID-19 outbreak in late-January/early-February and during the outbreak in late-March and again in late-April. Multilevel modeling analysis examined change in subjective age and tested potential moderators of individual differences in the trajectory of subjective age.
Results: The average trajectory of subjective age followed a concave curve, with a nadir (feeling younger) during the second assessment in late-March. Older age, negative expectations about aging, absence of pre-existing conditions, and less stress during COVID-19 were associated with feeling younger but did not predict the rate of change. The only significant predictor of change in subjective age was the belief that the “coronavirus is only a threat to older adults”: The more individuals agreed with this statement, the more likely it was that they felt increasingly younger at follow-up.
Discussion and Implications: Subjective age changed during a global health crisis, with people feeling younger with the emergence COVID-19. The findings support the hypothesis that subjective age partly reflects a coping process of psychological distancing from older age, the age group most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus, Age identity, Longitudinal, Multilevel Modeling
How does animal welfare taste? Information regarding animal welfare affects hedonic liking & willingness to pay; consumers rated the organic product higher than those with animal welfare labels
How does animal welfare taste? Combining sensory and choice experiments to evaluate willingness to pay for animal welfare pork. Sabine Gross, Megan E. Waldrop, Jutta Roosen. Food Quality and Preference, August 13 2020, 104055, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104055
Highlights
• Combining sensory and choice experiments to evaluate the importance of animal welfare.
• Information regarding animal welfare affects hedonic liking and willingness to pay.
• Consumers rated the organic product higher than those with animal welfare labels.
• General, but not specific information on husbandry practices affects preferences.
Abstract: Although consumers show considerable interest in higher animal welfare, the market share for such products remains low. To provide consumers with a choice regarding different levels of animal welfare, animal welfare labels have been developed. Such product options are intended to serve as intermediate products between conventional products and more expensive organic options that are often associated with high animal welfare standards. This study aims to evaluate whether information about animal welfare practices affects consumers’ liking and willingness to pay (WTP) for a pork product. Using a within-subject design with three evaluation rounds (blind, expectation, and full information) we combine hedonic liking where subjects rate four different types of ham with a choice experiment. Hams differ in the animal husbandry conditions during the rearing and fattening process: conventional rearing, a specific treatment of mother sows, a general animal welfare label, and organic production. Results show an effect of information on consumers’ sensory evaluation of the different products, although products were evaluated to be similar in the blind condition. Consumers rated the organic product higher than those with animal welfare labels while the conventional option had the lowest liking scores. Results from the choice experiment concur with the hedonic rating. Estimates indicate that consumers are willing to pay more for ham bearing a general animal welfare or organic label in the expectation and full information condition. Consequently, information regarding animal welfare affects both consumers’ hedonic liking and WTP for ham.
Keywords: Animal welfarechoice experimentsensory evaluationwillingness to pay
Highlights
• Combining sensory and choice experiments to evaluate the importance of animal welfare.
• Information regarding animal welfare affects hedonic liking and willingness to pay.
• Consumers rated the organic product higher than those with animal welfare labels.
• General, but not specific information on husbandry practices affects preferences.
Abstract: Although consumers show considerable interest in higher animal welfare, the market share for such products remains low. To provide consumers with a choice regarding different levels of animal welfare, animal welfare labels have been developed. Such product options are intended to serve as intermediate products between conventional products and more expensive organic options that are often associated with high animal welfare standards. This study aims to evaluate whether information about animal welfare practices affects consumers’ liking and willingness to pay (WTP) for a pork product. Using a within-subject design with three evaluation rounds (blind, expectation, and full information) we combine hedonic liking where subjects rate four different types of ham with a choice experiment. Hams differ in the animal husbandry conditions during the rearing and fattening process: conventional rearing, a specific treatment of mother sows, a general animal welfare label, and organic production. Results show an effect of information on consumers’ sensory evaluation of the different products, although products were evaluated to be similar in the blind condition. Consumers rated the organic product higher than those with animal welfare labels while the conventional option had the lowest liking scores. Results from the choice experiment concur with the hedonic rating. Estimates indicate that consumers are willing to pay more for ham bearing a general animal welfare or organic label in the expectation and full information condition. Consequently, information regarding animal welfare affects both consumers’ hedonic liking and WTP for ham.
Keywords: Animal welfarechoice experimentsensory evaluationwillingness to pay
We investigated whether jurors assign more weight to evidence if obtained through technological means-and the impact of crime severity on juror decision-making (CSI Effect & Tech Effect)
Lodge, Chloe, and Mircea Zloteanu. 2020. “Jurors' Expectations and Decision-making: Revisiting the CSI Effect.” PsyArXiv. August 13. doi:10.31234/osf.io/jbwzc
Abstract: It has been argued that the rise in popularity of crime show dramas over the past few years has led to jurors holding unrealistic expectations regarding the type of evidence presented at trial. This has been coined the CSI effect. We investigated the CSI effect and the less well-known Tech effect-assigning more weight to evidence if obtained through technological means-and the impact of crime severity on juror decision-making. However, we argue that as time progresses, such effects will no longer be found to impact juror decision-making processes. We propose that past effects reported in the literature can be explained by considering a novelty bias. Using both frequentist and Bayesian frameworks, we tested this claim. Participants were primed with a newspaper that either contained a forensic, technology, or neutral article. They were then presented with two crime scenarios and asked to provide a verdict and a confidence rating. We find that mock jurors were unaffected by either the priming manipulation or crime severity, finding no evidence for either the CSI or Tech effects. The data suggest jurors are not as easily biased as has been previously argued in the literature, indicating a potential shift in public perceptions and expectations regarding evidence.
Abstract: It has been argued that the rise in popularity of crime show dramas over the past few years has led to jurors holding unrealistic expectations regarding the type of evidence presented at trial. This has been coined the CSI effect. We investigated the CSI effect and the less well-known Tech effect-assigning more weight to evidence if obtained through technological means-and the impact of crime severity on juror decision-making. However, we argue that as time progresses, such effects will no longer be found to impact juror decision-making processes. We propose that past effects reported in the literature can be explained by considering a novelty bias. Using both frequentist and Bayesian frameworks, we tested this claim. Participants were primed with a newspaper that either contained a forensic, technology, or neutral article. They were then presented with two crime scenarios and asked to provide a verdict and a confidence rating. We find that mock jurors were unaffected by either the priming manipulation or crime severity, finding no evidence for either the CSI or Tech effects. The data suggest jurors are not as easily biased as has been previously argued in the literature, indicating a potential shift in public perceptions and expectations regarding evidence.
The positive effect of expressed affection exceeded the effect of received affection
Affectionate communication and health: A meta-analysis. Colin Hesse et al. Communication Monographs, Aug 12 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1805480
ABSTRACT: A robust literature documents the health benefits of affectionate communication. The present study offers a meta-analysis of this literature to estimate general effects of affectionate communication on several areas of health, including cardiovascular, stress hormonal, stress reactivity, and mental health. We also examined potential moderators, including the type of affectionate communication and sex, while predicting that the benefits of expressed affection outweigh the benefits of received affection. We found a weighted mean effect of r = .23 for the relationship between affectionate communication and health, with differences based on type of health outcome but none for type of affection or sex. The effect of expressed affection exceeded the effect of received affection. The paper discusses the implications of these results.
KEYWORDS: Affection, affectionate communication, health, wellness, meta-analysis, affection exchange theory
ABSTRACT: A robust literature documents the health benefits of affectionate communication. The present study offers a meta-analysis of this literature to estimate general effects of affectionate communication on several areas of health, including cardiovascular, stress hormonal, stress reactivity, and mental health. We also examined potential moderators, including the type of affectionate communication and sex, while predicting that the benefits of expressed affection outweigh the benefits of received affection. We found a weighted mean effect of r = .23 for the relationship between affectionate communication and health, with differences based on type of health outcome but none for type of affection or sex. The effect of expressed affection exceeded the effect of received affection. The paper discusses the implications of these results.
KEYWORDS: Affection, affectionate communication, health, wellness, meta-analysis, affection exchange theory
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
