White, Male, and Angry: A Reputation-based Rationale

Wolton, Stephane, White, Male, and Angry: A Reputation-based Rationale (September 1, 2022). SSRN http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4206475

Abstract: From the bottom to the top of society, white men are angry. This paper provides a reputation-based rationale for this anger. Individuals care about their social reputation and engage in belief-motivated reasoning. In the presence of uncertainty, white men tend to have too high an opinion of their group, whether they belong to the elite or not. When new information reveal that the elite is biased in favor of white men, the reputation of all white men decreases causing a payoff loss and the anger that comes with it. I also show how policies in favor of disadvantaged groups can be supported by some white men and opposed by some individuals from the minority when social reputation is taken into account. Reducing white men's privileges can have a very different effect than disclosing the advantage this group enjoys.

Keywords: Privileges, Affirmative Action, Discrimination, Bias

Gay males are less likely to be characterized by overweight or obesity than are straight males

Are Gay Men More Fit? Obesity and Overweight Differences Among Gay and Straight Men. Sharon Baker-Hughes & Dudley L. Poston Jr.  Chapter in International Handbook of the Demography of Obesity pp 273–285. September 22 2022. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2_16

Abstract: Despite an expansive literature in the last few decades on the qualities and characteristics of gay and straight men, research exploring the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the gay male population is limited, especially comparing them to the straight male population. In this chapter, we examine the distribution of weight status (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese) in gay men. We also examine the likelihood the likelihood of overweight or obesity in gay males compared to heterosexual males. We find that gay males are less likely to be characterized by overweight or obesity than are straight males. Our empirical findings are consistent with those in the limited literature about the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the gay and straight male populations.

As morning turns to evening, engagement on Twitter shifts away from virtue and toward vice content (celebrity gossip, food, etc.)

Tweets We Like Aren’t Alike: Time of Day Affects Engagement with Vice and Virtue TweetsOzum Zor, Kihyun Hannah Kim, Ashwani Monga. Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 49, Issue 3, October 2022, Pages 473–495, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucab072

Abstract: Consumers are increasingly engaging with content on social media platforms, such as by “following” Twitter accounts and “liking” tweets. How does their engagement change through the day for vice content offering immediate gratification versus virtue content offering long-term knowledge benefits? Examining when (morning vs. evening) engagement happens with which content (vice vs. virtue), the current research reveals a time-of-day asymmetry. As morning turns to evening, engagement shifts away from virtue and toward vice content. This asymmetry is documented in three studies using actual Twitter data—millions of data points collected every 30 minutes over long periods of time—and one study using an experimental setting. Consistent with a process of self-control failure, one of the Twitter data studies shows a theory-driven moderation of the asymmetry, and the experiment shows mediation via self-control. However, multiple processes are likely at play, as time does not unfold in isolation during a day, but co-occurs with the unfolding of multiple events. These results provide new insights into social media engagement and guide practitioners on when to post which content.

Keywords: time of day, vice, virtue, content engagement, self-control failure, Twitter