Does waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) predict happiness? Belief about a person's essence matters. Ji-eun Shin, Eunkook M. Suh. Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 131, 1 September 2018, Pages 149–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.04.037
Abstract: Physical attractiveness (PAT), despite its allure in everyday life, has been an inconsistent predictor of happiness in past studies. In this research, we find that a lay belief about the locus of a person's “essence” moderates the PAT and happiness link. Specifically, we measured how strongly one believes in the diagnostic value of the visible (e.g., status, appearance) over the invisible (e.g., mood, thoughts) aspects of a person in understanding who s/he is. As expected, the more one believed in the value of the visible features, the more central PAT was in the person's overall life, and appearance was compared more often with others (Study 1). More importantly, PAT and well-being correlated significantly only among those who strongly endorsed the visible selfhood belief (Study 2). Compared to past studies on PAT that relied heavily on self-reports, a highly objective measure of attractiveness (waist-to-hip ratio) was employed in this research. Our research uncovers a novel individual difference factor that helps to clarify why PAT predicts the happiness of some, but not of others. Whether one thinks a person's essence can be judged by one's “cover” seems to matter in the PAT and happiness link.
Keywords: Physical attractiveness; Waist-to-hip ratio; Happiness; Visible selfhood; Lay belief
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Friday, May 4, 2018
Presenting images of baby animals, versus adult animals, as the source of meat reduced appetite for meat, but this effect was weak and found almost exclusively among women
Are Baby Animals Less Appetizing? Tenderness toward Baby Animals and Appetite for Meat. Jared Piazza, Neil McLatchie & Cecilie Olesen. Anthrozoös, Volume 31, 2018 - Issue 3, Pages 319-335. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2018.1455456
Abstract: Three studies investigated whether thoughts and feelings generated by baby animals might oppose appetite for meat. A prestudy established babyness as an important factor predicting moral concern for farmed animals. Study 1 showed that presenting images of baby animals, versus adult animals, as the source of meat reduced appetite for meat, but this effect was weak and found exclusively among women. Study 2 replicated and extended study 1 using a larger sample and two new animal sources. Study 3 included a no animal comparison condition, and found greatest levels of reduced appetite for meat when the meat source was presented as a baby animal, as opposed to an adult animal or with no visual indication of the animal source. A meta-analysis of the results using Bayes factors revealed considerable cumulative evidence in favor of the hypothesis that images of baby animals temporarily reduce women’s appetite for meat. In contrast, the evidence for men was less strong. Our results highlight a tension within some omnivores between caring for baby animals and appetite for meat.
Keywords: appetite, baby animals, cuteness, human–animal interaction, meat, moral concern, tenderness
Abstract: Three studies investigated whether thoughts and feelings generated by baby animals might oppose appetite for meat. A prestudy established babyness as an important factor predicting moral concern for farmed animals. Study 1 showed that presenting images of baby animals, versus adult animals, as the source of meat reduced appetite for meat, but this effect was weak and found exclusively among women. Study 2 replicated and extended study 1 using a larger sample and two new animal sources. Study 3 included a no animal comparison condition, and found greatest levels of reduced appetite for meat when the meat source was presented as a baby animal, as opposed to an adult animal or with no visual indication of the animal source. A meta-analysis of the results using Bayes factors revealed considerable cumulative evidence in favor of the hypothesis that images of baby animals temporarily reduce women’s appetite for meat. In contrast, the evidence for men was less strong. Our results highlight a tension within some omnivores between caring for baby animals and appetite for meat.
Keywords: appetite, baby animals, cuteness, human–animal interaction, meat, moral concern, tenderness
Educational Attainments in Norway, Twins Study: Heritable factors play an important role in the transmission process, and the postulated direct effects of parents own educational attainments are negligible. The family environment does matter, but only those features that are shared between the twins themselves and not those that involve their parents
Lyngstad, Torkild H., Eivind Ystrøm, and Imac M Zambrana 2018. “An Anatomy of Intergenerational Transmission: Learning from the Educational Attainments of Norwegian Twins and Their Parents”. SocArXiv. February 7. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/FBY2T
Abstract: Research on the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment, and transmission of social positions more generally, have long attempted to separate the relative roles of ascription and achievement. In these efforts, the bulk of research has ignored genetic inheritance. We use structural equations models and data on 4590 twin pairs and their parents to distinguish the roles of genetic and environmental influences on educational attainment in Norway, a country with high affordability and easy access to education at all levels. Our quantitative genetic models confirm the status quo; not of sociology, but of behavior genetics. Heritable factors play an important role in the transmission process, and the postulated direct effects of parents own educational attainments are negligible. The family environment does matter, but only those features that are shared between the twins themselves and not those that involve their parents. These results represent a challenge to conventional sociological theory on intergenerational transmission processes and the role of education in social stratification.
Keywords: intergenerational transmission, education, twins, Norway, parents
Abstract: Research on the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment, and transmission of social positions more generally, have long attempted to separate the relative roles of ascription and achievement. In these efforts, the bulk of research has ignored genetic inheritance. We use structural equations models and data on 4590 twin pairs and their parents to distinguish the roles of genetic and environmental influences on educational attainment in Norway, a country with high affordability and easy access to education at all levels. Our quantitative genetic models confirm the status quo; not of sociology, but of behavior genetics. Heritable factors play an important role in the transmission process, and the postulated direct effects of parents own educational attainments are negligible. The family environment does matter, but only those features that are shared between the twins themselves and not those that involve their parents. These results represent a challenge to conventional sociological theory on intergenerational transmission processes and the role of education in social stratification.
Keywords: intergenerational transmission, education, twins, Norway, parents
The Quality of Relationships That Arise From Successful Mate Poaching: Lower in relationship satisfaction, commitment and trust, and higher in jealousy, and had higher rates of romantic and sexuality infidelity
Why Find My Own When I Can Take Yours?: The Quality of Relationships That Arise From Successful Mate Poaching. Charlene F. Belu and Lucia F. O'Sullivan. Journal of Relationships Research, Volume 9, 2018, e6. https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2018.5
Abstract: Mate poaching occurs when a person attracts another, whom he or she knows is already in an exclusive relationship, into a sexual or romantic relationship. Mate poaching is involved in the evolution of many relationships. Yet, little is known about the quality of these relationships. We examined relationship quality between individuals whose relationships were formed via mate poaching versus not (i.e., a relationship formed serially without overlap with another relationship). We compared ratings of quality from the perspectives of poachers, poached, and co-poached individuals. Adult participants (n = 660) in a romantic relationship responded to questions assessing relationship quality. Those in relationships formed from poaching rated their relationships as lower in relationship satisfaction, commitment and trust, and higher in jealousy, and had higher rates of romantic and sexuality infidelity in their current relationship compared to individuals in non-poached relationships. Those who were poached from an existing relationship rated their current relationship as lower in commitment than did those who poached their current partner into a relationship. The study also provides first insights regarding relationship quality for those who identify as co-poached. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for understanding how relationships are formed and the qualities of those that endure.
Abstract: Mate poaching occurs when a person attracts another, whom he or she knows is already in an exclusive relationship, into a sexual or romantic relationship. Mate poaching is involved in the evolution of many relationships. Yet, little is known about the quality of these relationships. We examined relationship quality between individuals whose relationships were formed via mate poaching versus not (i.e., a relationship formed serially without overlap with another relationship). We compared ratings of quality from the perspectives of poachers, poached, and co-poached individuals. Adult participants (n = 660) in a romantic relationship responded to questions assessing relationship quality. Those in relationships formed from poaching rated their relationships as lower in relationship satisfaction, commitment and trust, and higher in jealousy, and had higher rates of romantic and sexuality infidelity in their current relationship compared to individuals in non-poached relationships. Those who were poached from an existing relationship rated their current relationship as lower in commitment than did those who poached their current partner into a relationship. The study also provides first insights regarding relationship quality for those who identify as co-poached. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for understanding how relationships are formed and the qualities of those that endure.
When do we care about political neutrality? The hypocritical nature of reaction to political bias
When do we care about political neutrality? The hypocritical nature of reaction to political bias. Omer Yair, Raanan Sulitzeanu-Kenan. PLOS, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196674
Abstract: Claims and accusations of political bias are common in many countries. The essence of such claims is a denunciation of alleged violations of political neutrality in the context of media coverage, legal and bureaucratic decisions, academic teaching etc. Yet the acts and messages that give rise to such claims are also embedded within a context of intergroup competition. Thus, in evaluating the seriousness of, and the need for taking a corrective action in reaction to a purported politically biased act people may consider both the alleged normative violation and the political implications of the act/message for the evaluator’s ingroup. The question thus arises whether partisans react similarly to ingroup-aiding and ingroup-harming actions or messages which they perceive as politically biased. In three separate studies, conducted in two countries, we show that political considerations strongly affect partisans’ reactions to actions and messages that they perceive as politically biased. Namely, ingroup-harming biased messages/acts are considered more serious and are more likely to warrant corrective action in comparison to ingroup-aiding biased messages/acts. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for the implementations of measures intended for correcting and preventing biases, and for the nature of conflict and competition between rival political groups.
Abstract: Claims and accusations of political bias are common in many countries. The essence of such claims is a denunciation of alleged violations of political neutrality in the context of media coverage, legal and bureaucratic decisions, academic teaching etc. Yet the acts and messages that give rise to such claims are also embedded within a context of intergroup competition. Thus, in evaluating the seriousness of, and the need for taking a corrective action in reaction to a purported politically biased act people may consider both the alleged normative violation and the political implications of the act/message for the evaluator’s ingroup. The question thus arises whether partisans react similarly to ingroup-aiding and ingroup-harming actions or messages which they perceive as politically biased. In three separate studies, conducted in two countries, we show that political considerations strongly affect partisans’ reactions to actions and messages that they perceive as politically biased. Namely, ingroup-harming biased messages/acts are considered more serious and are more likely to warrant corrective action in comparison to ingroup-aiding biased messages/acts. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for the implementations of measures intended for correcting and preventing biases, and for the nature of conflict and competition between rival political groups.
Reflections on violent public executions -- Dubai case of the rapist of what they say was a 5-year-old.
Reflections on violent public executions.
1 After a human nature studies group member posts this May 04 2018:
👆👆👆Quick Justice: 5 year old was raped in Dubai... Within 15 minutes of this rape incident, the judiciary ordered the police to shoot the rapist in public view...
and I asked:
Is there a good link of that? Can we verify that?
the OP posted a video of the botched execution. No date for the video.
2 My first reply (renumbered):
Several preliminary considerations of the many we could write about:
2.1 Such a careless executor (the rapist keeps moving after two bullets to the head and needs more than four to be sure he is dead) should be thoroughly censured --- I hope that he loses his position in the local militia or police force or whatever, and his bosses' heads roll too (figuratively, of course).
2.2 It is a big risk that executions are carried on public, and even more risky with firearms. What if some bystander is accidentally wounded? Killed?
Besides the immediate cost of stray bullets, public morality is damaged in the process. As a consecuence of the little cost of violence against persons, see the reaction of the family or whatever are the women that try to desecrate the criminal's body (we don't know if they really intend to do that or just want to be seen that indignant, but knowing that the militia/police won't let them touch the rapist).
2.3 We don't know why (but this is of interest for this group, and this is what we are here to talk about), but this level of violence when responding to crimes is linked to the big violence of the crimes.
2.3.1 First of all, it is almost unheard of in most of the population of OECD countries the rape of 5-year-olds. As a proxy indicator for those rapes we can use marriage with underage girls. Of course, being underage is something that varies from country to country, but let's leave it at that, underage. Check this work (Child Marriage in the United States: How Common Is the Practice, https://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2018/04/child-marriage-in-united-states-how.html, underage is less than 18 yo in this study):
For those who may think that it is not such a bad idea to be married so young, is also of interest is the prevalence of violence in those marriages: Association between adolescent marriage and marital violence among young adult women in India. Anita Raj et al. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, https://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2018/05/from-2010-association-between.html.
[All papers have big limitations, but even so, they are what we got to study and understand the issues.]
2.3.2 Relevant to this case, the brutality of executions (and the criminal justice system) is correlated (why?) with crime brutality. Any possible reasons I think of are not convincing at all.
Does anyone have papers about this relation of system brutality and criminal's brutal behavior?
2.4 I understand the OP's uneasiness with how "delicately" are going downhill things in OECD countries. Due to abhorrence of violence, more and more things that are perfectly natural and that lots of species do, like eating meat, are getting more and more difficult to understand and, as a consequence, there is a shaming of those who eat meat, and are proposals to ban meat and related activities, and sometimes terrorism against slaughterhouses or the industry more generally. Also, there is a strengthening opinion current to give to other species legal rights beyond not being cruelly handled. I can imagine how discomforting all this is for persons everywhere, but I think we should strive to have both things: less cruel behavior with animals and at the same time keeping for humans the right to behave like many other species do when eating.
What this means for the discussion is, IMHO, that we must not use fear of going downhill as those stupid Western societies (as one can argue) to keep doing unprofessional killings like the one in the video. We should not use the extremes of those opposing the right to have meat or other customs to justify violent, botched executions.
---
Update
1 After a human nature studies group member posts this May 04 2018:
👆👆👆Quick Justice: 5 year old was raped in Dubai... Within 15 minutes of this rape incident, the judiciary ordered the police to shoot the rapist in public view...
and I asked:
Is there a good link of that? Can we verify that?
the OP posted a video of the botched execution. No date for the video.
2 My first reply (renumbered):
Several preliminary considerations of the many we could write about:
2.1 Such a careless executor (the rapist keeps moving after two bullets to the head and needs more than four to be sure he is dead) should be thoroughly censured --- I hope that he loses his position in the local militia or police force or whatever, and his bosses' heads roll too (figuratively, of course).
2.2 It is a big risk that executions are carried on public, and even more risky with firearms. What if some bystander is accidentally wounded? Killed?
Besides the immediate cost of stray bullets, public morality is damaged in the process. As a consecuence of the little cost of violence against persons, see the reaction of the family or whatever are the women that try to desecrate the criminal's body (we don't know if they really intend to do that or just want to be seen that indignant, but knowing that the militia/police won't let them touch the rapist).
2.3 We don't know why (but this is of interest for this group, and this is what we are here to talk about), but this level of violence when responding to crimes is linked to the big violence of the crimes.
2.3.1 First of all, it is almost unheard of in most of the population of OECD countries the rape of 5-year-olds. As a proxy indicator for those rapes we can use marriage with underage girls. Of course, being underage is something that varies from country to country, but let's leave it at that, underage. Check this work (Child Marriage in the United States: How Common Is the Practice, https://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2018/04/child-marriage-in-united-states-how.html, underage is less than 18 yo in this study):
Approximately 6.2 of every 1,000 children surveyed had ever been married. [Prevalence] was especially high among children of American Indian or Chinese descent (10.3 and 14.2, respectively [that is, about double the average]). Immigrant children were more likely than U.S.‐born children to have been married; prevalence among children from Mexico, Central America and the Middle East was 2–4 times that of children born in the United States.
For those who may think that it is not such a bad idea to be married so young, is also of interest is the prevalence of violence in those marriages: Association between adolescent marriage and marital violence among young adult women in India. Anita Raj et al. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, https://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2018/05/from-2010-association-between.html.
[All papers have big limitations, but even so, they are what we got to study and understand the issues.]
2.3.2 Relevant to this case, the brutality of executions (and the criminal justice system) is correlated (why?) with crime brutality. Any possible reasons I think of are not convincing at all.
Does anyone have papers about this relation of system brutality and criminal's brutal behavior?
2.4 I understand the OP's uneasiness with how "delicately" are going downhill things in OECD countries. Due to abhorrence of violence, more and more things that are perfectly natural and that lots of species do, like eating meat, are getting more and more difficult to understand and, as a consequence, there is a shaming of those who eat meat, and are proposals to ban meat and related activities, and sometimes terrorism against slaughterhouses or the industry more generally. Also, there is a strengthening opinion current to give to other species legal rights beyond not being cruelly handled. I can imagine how discomforting all this is for persons everywhere, but I think we should strive to have both things: less cruel behavior with animals and at the same time keeping for humans the right to behave like many other species do when eating.
What this means for the discussion is, IMHO, that we must not use fear of going downhill as those stupid Western societies (as one can argue) to keep doing unprofessional killings like the one in the video. We should not use the extremes of those opposing the right to have meat or other customs to justify violent, botched executions.
---
Update
Thursday, May 3, 2018
From 2010: Association between adolescent marriage and marital violence among young adult women in India
Association between adolescent marriage and marital violence among young adult women in India. Anita Raj et al. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.01.022
Abstract
Objective: To assess whether a history of adolescent marriage (< 18 years) places women in young adulthood in India at increased risk of physical or sexual marital violence.
Methods: Cross‐sectional analysis was performed on data from a nationally representative household study of 124 385 Indian women aged 15–49 years collected in 2005–2006. The analyses were restricted to married women aged 20–24 years who participated in the marital violence (MV) survey module (n = 10 514). Simple regression models and models adjusted for participant demographics were constructed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between adolescent marriage and MV.
Results: Over half (58%) of the participants were married before 18 years of age; 35% of the women had experienced physical or sexual violence in their marriage; and 27% reported such abuse in the last year. Adjusted regression analyses revealed that women married as minors were significantly more likely than those married as adults to report ever experiencing MV (adjusted OR 1.77; 95% CI, 1.61–1.95) and in the last 12 months (adjusted OR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.36–1.67).
Conclusions: Women who were married as adolescents remain at increased risk of MV into young adulthood.
Abstract
Objective: To assess whether a history of adolescent marriage (< 18 years) places women in young adulthood in India at increased risk of physical or sexual marital violence.
Methods: Cross‐sectional analysis was performed on data from a nationally representative household study of 124 385 Indian women aged 15–49 years collected in 2005–2006. The analyses were restricted to married women aged 20–24 years who participated in the marital violence (MV) survey module (n = 10 514). Simple regression models and models adjusted for participant demographics were constructed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between adolescent marriage and MV.
Results: Over half (58%) of the participants were married before 18 years of age; 35% of the women had experienced physical or sexual violence in their marriage; and 27% reported such abuse in the last year. Adjusted regression analyses revealed that women married as minors were significantly more likely than those married as adults to report ever experiencing MV (adjusted OR 1.77; 95% CI, 1.61–1.95) and in the last 12 months (adjusted OR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.36–1.67).
Conclusions: Women who were married as adolescents remain at increased risk of MV into young adulthood.
Demand for heroin was more elastic than demand for saccharin (i.e., heroin had lower essential value than saccharin). When allowed to choose, most rats preferred saccharin. The essential value of heroin, but not saccharin, predicted preference
Heroin and saccharin demand and preference in rats. Lindsay P.Schwartz, Jung S.Kim, Alan Silberberg, David N.Kearns. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Volume 178, 1 September 2017, Pages 87-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.04.031
Highlights
• Rats demand for heroin was more elastic than their demand for saccharin.
• The essential value of heroin predicted subsequent choice of heroin over saccharin.
• The essential value of saccharin was unrelated to preference.
• Increased heroin access made demand for both heroin and saccharin less elastic.
• Similar exposure to saccharin did not alter these reinforcers demand elasticity.
Abstract
Background: Several recent studies have investigated the choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative reinforcer in rats. A common finding in these studies is that there are large individual differences in preference, with some rats preferring heroin and some preferring the non-drug alternative. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in how heroin or saccharin is valued, based on demand analysis, predicts choice.
Methods: Rats lever-pressed for heroin infusions and saccharin reinforcers on fixed-ratio schedules. The essential value of each reinforcer was obtained from resulting demand curves. Rats were then trained on a mutually exclusive choice procedure where pressing one lever resulted in heroin and pressing another resulted in saccharin. After seven sessions of increased access to heroin or saccharin, rats were reexposed to the demand and choice procedures.
Results: Demand for heroin was more elastic than demand for saccharin (i.e., heroin had lower essential value than saccharin). When allowed to choose, most rats preferred saccharin. The essential value of heroin, but not saccharin, predicted preference. The essential value of both heroin and saccharin increased following a week of increased access to heroin, but similar saccharin exposure had no effect on essential value. Preference was unchanged after increased access to either reinforcer.
Conclusion: Heroin-preferring rats differed from saccharin-preferring rats in how they valued heroin, but not saccharin. To the extent that choice models addiction-related behavior, these results suggest that overvaluation of opioids specifically, rather than undervaluation of non-drug alternatives, could identify susceptible individuals.
Highlights
• Rats demand for heroin was more elastic than their demand for saccharin.
• The essential value of heroin predicted subsequent choice of heroin over saccharin.
• The essential value of saccharin was unrelated to preference.
• Increased heroin access made demand for both heroin and saccharin less elastic.
• Similar exposure to saccharin did not alter these reinforcers demand elasticity.
Abstract
Background: Several recent studies have investigated the choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative reinforcer in rats. A common finding in these studies is that there are large individual differences in preference, with some rats preferring heroin and some preferring the non-drug alternative. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in how heroin or saccharin is valued, based on demand analysis, predicts choice.
Methods: Rats lever-pressed for heroin infusions and saccharin reinforcers on fixed-ratio schedules. The essential value of each reinforcer was obtained from resulting demand curves. Rats were then trained on a mutually exclusive choice procedure where pressing one lever resulted in heroin and pressing another resulted in saccharin. After seven sessions of increased access to heroin or saccharin, rats were reexposed to the demand and choice procedures.
Results: Demand for heroin was more elastic than demand for saccharin (i.e., heroin had lower essential value than saccharin). When allowed to choose, most rats preferred saccharin. The essential value of heroin, but not saccharin, predicted preference. The essential value of both heroin and saccharin increased following a week of increased access to heroin, but similar saccharin exposure had no effect on essential value. Preference was unchanged after increased access to either reinforcer.
Conclusion: Heroin-preferring rats differed from saccharin-preferring rats in how they valued heroin, but not saccharin. To the extent that choice models addiction-related behavior, these results suggest that overvaluation of opioids specifically, rather than undervaluation of non-drug alternatives, could identify susceptible individuals.
The Influence of Sexual Orientation on the Perceived Fit of Male Applicants for Both Male- and Female-Typed Jobs
The Influence of Sexual Orientation on the Perceived Fit of Male Applicants for Both Male- and Female-Typed Jobs. Heather M. Clarke and Kara A. Arnold. Front Psychol, May 03 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00656
Abstract: Research demonstrates the bias faced by individuals engaged in occupations that are perceived as inconsistent with their gender. The lack of fit model and role congruity theory explain how gender stereotypes give rise to the perception that an individual lacks the attributes necessary to be successful in a gender-incongruent job. Men employed in jobs traditionally held by women are perceived as wimpy and undeserving of respect. The majority of studies in this area have, however, failed to account for the sexual orientation of the individual being rated. Therefore, we carried out an experiment where 128 adults with experience in recruitment and selection, recruited through Qualtrics, rated heterosexual and gay male applicants applying for a gender-typed job. The heterosexual male was rated less effectual, less respect-worthy, and less hirable in the female-typed job condition than in the male-typed job condition. The gay male applicant, however, was rated similarly on all criteria across job gender-types, suggesting the gay male applicant was viewed as androgynous rather than high in femininity and low in masculinity as inferred by implicit inversion theory. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Abstract: Research demonstrates the bias faced by individuals engaged in occupations that are perceived as inconsistent with their gender. The lack of fit model and role congruity theory explain how gender stereotypes give rise to the perception that an individual lacks the attributes necessary to be successful in a gender-incongruent job. Men employed in jobs traditionally held by women are perceived as wimpy and undeserving of respect. The majority of studies in this area have, however, failed to account for the sexual orientation of the individual being rated. Therefore, we carried out an experiment where 128 adults with experience in recruitment and selection, recruited through Qualtrics, rated heterosexual and gay male applicants applying for a gender-typed job. The heterosexual male was rated less effectual, less respect-worthy, and less hirable in the female-typed job condition than in the male-typed job condition. The gay male applicant, however, was rated similarly on all criteria across job gender-types, suggesting the gay male applicant was viewed as androgynous rather than high in femininity and low in masculinity as inferred by implicit inversion theory. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Four facets of conscientiousness (self-control, organisation, industriousness and responsibility) were related to lower adiposity, healthier metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory markers, and better performance on physical assessments
Facets of conscientiousness and objective markers of health status. Angelina R. Sutin, Yannick Stephan & Antonio Terracciano. Psychology & Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1464165
Abstract
Objective: To examine the association between six facets of conscientiousness (self-control, order, industriousness, traditionalism, virtue, responsibility) and objective markers of health status, including adiposity, blood markers and physical performance.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis of participants from the health and retirement study (N = 12,188).
Main Outcome Measures: Adiposity (body mass index, waist circumference), blood markers (A1c, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, cystatin c, c-reactive protein) and physical performance (lung function, grip strength, walking speed).
Results: Four of the six facets of conscientiousness were associated with nearly all of the health markers: Self-control, organisation, industriousness and responsibility were related to lower adiposity, healthier metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory markers, and better performance on physical assessments. Traditionalism and virtue had fewer associations with these objective markers.
Conclusion: This research took a facet-level approach to the association between conscientiousness and objective markers of health status. This research builds on models of conscientiousness and health to suggest that, in addition to health-risk behaviours, facets of conscientiousness are associated with more favourable biomedical markers of health status.
Keywords: responsibility, industriousness, self-control, conscientiousness, biomarkers, health status, facets
Abstract
Objective: To examine the association between six facets of conscientiousness (self-control, order, industriousness, traditionalism, virtue, responsibility) and objective markers of health status, including adiposity, blood markers and physical performance.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis of participants from the health and retirement study (N = 12,188).
Main Outcome Measures: Adiposity (body mass index, waist circumference), blood markers (A1c, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, cystatin c, c-reactive protein) and physical performance (lung function, grip strength, walking speed).
Results: Four of the six facets of conscientiousness were associated with nearly all of the health markers: Self-control, organisation, industriousness and responsibility were related to lower adiposity, healthier metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory markers, and better performance on physical assessments. Traditionalism and virtue had fewer associations with these objective markers.
Conclusion: This research took a facet-level approach to the association between conscientiousness and objective markers of health status. This research builds on models of conscientiousness and health to suggest that, in addition to health-risk behaviours, facets of conscientiousness are associated with more favourable biomedical markers of health status.
Keywords: responsibility, industriousness, self-control, conscientiousness, biomarkers, health status, facets
If we test subjects at home with everyday tasks (for example, remembering to call someone twice a day), older people do better than younger ones—although the effect is precisely the opposite in the laboratory
Foresee and Forget: How to Remember the Future. Matthias Kliegel and Nicola Ballhausen. Scientific American Mind, Scientific American Mind 29, 29 - 34 (2018), doi 10.1038/scientificamericanmind0518-29
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When Elders Do Better
If we test subjects at home with everyday tasks (for example, remembering to call someone twice a day), older people do better than younger ones—although the effect is precisely the opposite in the laboratory. This finding raises two important questions, which our team and colleagues throughout the world are examining: How is the odd discrepancy between laboratory and everyday life to be explained? And does prospective memory become less reliable with age, or does it not?
Tasks performed under laboratory conditions and those performed in daily life differ in various ways. In the laboratory memory is usually tested using standardized tasks that require multitasking. Under these conditions test subjects are generally unable to come up with mnemonic devices or use such memory aids as kitchen timers or to-do lists. For example, participants may be asked to look at a video and press a button every five minutes, tasks that have no intrinsic meaning to them. This may well be why they perform less well in the laboratory than out in the world, where priorities must be established and forgetting can have real consequences. In addition, the time span over which test subjects must retain something in memory is considerably shorter than it is in everyday life. At the same time, the lives of younger and older people are not really comparable.
The former are often engaged in study, must manage a variety of tasks and navigate unexpected situations; the lives of the latter are usually more predictable and follow a less chaotic rhythm. This circumstance makes it easier to remember. In addition, younger people may be more used to laboratory tests or feel less stressed in this setting. We also cannot rule out that an exaggerated self-image may play a role in the age paradox. Although both age groups underestimate their prospective abilities in the lab, only the younger participants tended to overestimate their performance in their usual, familiar environment. This may lead to their being less well prepared for a task.
Does prospective memory decrease as we age? If we focus only on laboratory experiments the situation is clear: This area of memory, too, becomes less reliable with age. Studies done in people’s own environments, however, have shown the capacity we need to maintain our daily lives remains intact for quite a long time, as long as we stay healthy. We are not yet able to answer the question conclusively, because too few studies have been conducted on the performance of different age groups in everyday life.
Future research must examine at least three dimensions of prospective memory: First, more experiments are needed on everyday life. Only sophisticated methods that do not interfere with the daily lives of test subjects will enable us to measure their prospective memory in a natural setting. Second, we must closely examine noncognitive factors such as motivations, emotions and stresses in order to understand this memory system. Finally, understanding the age-prospective-memory paradox may provide an opening for research aimed at maintaining certain cognitive processes and even improving them over the life span. There is some reason to hope a change in perspective from the deficits experienced by older people to the capacities that remain intact may change considerably our image of aging.
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When Elders Do Better
If we test subjects at home with everyday tasks (for example, remembering to call someone twice a day), older people do better than younger ones—although the effect is precisely the opposite in the laboratory. This finding raises two important questions, which our team and colleagues throughout the world are examining: How is the odd discrepancy between laboratory and everyday life to be explained? And does prospective memory become less reliable with age, or does it not?
Tasks performed under laboratory conditions and those performed in daily life differ in various ways. In the laboratory memory is usually tested using standardized tasks that require multitasking. Under these conditions test subjects are generally unable to come up with mnemonic devices or use such memory aids as kitchen timers or to-do lists. For example, participants may be asked to look at a video and press a button every five minutes, tasks that have no intrinsic meaning to them. This may well be why they perform less well in the laboratory than out in the world, where priorities must be established and forgetting can have real consequences. In addition, the time span over which test subjects must retain something in memory is considerably shorter than it is in everyday life. At the same time, the lives of younger and older people are not really comparable.
The former are often engaged in study, must manage a variety of tasks and navigate unexpected situations; the lives of the latter are usually more predictable and follow a less chaotic rhythm. This circumstance makes it easier to remember. In addition, younger people may be more used to laboratory tests or feel less stressed in this setting. We also cannot rule out that an exaggerated self-image may play a role in the age paradox. Although both age groups underestimate their prospective abilities in the lab, only the younger participants tended to overestimate their performance in their usual, familiar environment. This may lead to their being less well prepared for a task.
Does prospective memory decrease as we age? If we focus only on laboratory experiments the situation is clear: This area of memory, too, becomes less reliable with age. Studies done in people’s own environments, however, have shown the capacity we need to maintain our daily lives remains intact for quite a long time, as long as we stay healthy. We are not yet able to answer the question conclusively, because too few studies have been conducted on the performance of different age groups in everyday life.
Future research must examine at least three dimensions of prospective memory: First, more experiments are needed on everyday life. Only sophisticated methods that do not interfere with the daily lives of test subjects will enable us to measure their prospective memory in a natural setting. Second, we must closely examine noncognitive factors such as motivations, emotions and stresses in order to understand this memory system. Finally, understanding the age-prospective-memory paradox may provide an opening for research aimed at maintaining certain cognitive processes and even improving them over the life span. There is some reason to hope a change in perspective from the deficits experienced by older people to the capacities that remain intact may change considerably our image of aging.
In the UK, supporters of the major parties (Labour, the Conservatives & Liberal Democrats) have substantively different personality traits. Moreover, those not identifying with any party, who are close to holding the majority, are similar to those identifying with the Conservatives
The Big Five personality traits and partisanship in England. Toke Aidt, Christopher Rauh. Electoral Studies, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2018.04.017
Abstract: We propose a new framework for the study of the psychological foundation of party identification. We draw a distinction between the part of an individual's party preference that is stable throughout adult life and the dynamic part responding to lifecycle events and macro shocks. We theorize that the Big Five personality traits exert a causal effect on the stable part of an individual's party preference and provide evidence from a large nationally representative English panel dataset in support of this theory. We find that supporters of the major parties (Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats) have substantively different personality traits. Moreover, we show that those not identifying with any party, who are close to holding the majority, are similar to those identifying with the Conservatives. We show that these results are robust to controlling for cognitive skills and parental party preferences, and to estimation on a subsample of siblings. The relationship between personality traits and party identification is stable across birth cohorts.
Keywords: Big five personality traits; Party identification; Partisanship; England
Abstract: We propose a new framework for the study of the psychological foundation of party identification. We draw a distinction between the part of an individual's party preference that is stable throughout adult life and the dynamic part responding to lifecycle events and macro shocks. We theorize that the Big Five personality traits exert a causal effect on the stable part of an individual's party preference and provide evidence from a large nationally representative English panel dataset in support of this theory. We find that supporters of the major parties (Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats) have substantively different personality traits. Moreover, we show that those not identifying with any party, who are close to holding the majority, are similar to those identifying with the Conservatives. We show that these results are robust to controlling for cognitive skills and parental party preferences, and to estimation on a subsample of siblings. The relationship between personality traits and party identification is stable across birth cohorts.
Keywords: Big five personality traits; Party identification; Partisanship; England
Even when not in the focus, sexual images activate the brains' reward circuitry. Men's higher sensitivity to the rewarding value of sexual cues may be critical for their higher risk of addictive/compulsive sexual behaviors.
Neural correlates of gender differences in distractibility by sexual stimuli. J. Strahler, O. Kruse, S. Wehrum-Osinsky, T. Klucken, R. Stark. NeuroImage, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.072
Highlights
• 50 women and 47 men underwent fMRI during an attentional interference task.
• Sexual distractors led to prolonged response times, independent of gender.
• Men showed stronger activity in the brains’ reward circuitry.
• Trait sexual motivation correlated with nucleus caudatus activity.
• Findings may reflect mechanisms of men’s higher risk for compulsive sexual behaviors.
Abstract: Attentional interference control is a prominent feature of human cognition. To what extent sexual stimuli attract attention and interfere with cognitive tasks has still little been studied. Our study aimed to identify associations between attentional interference, sexual arousal, trait sexual motivation, and neural activity to sexual distractors while accounting for gender differences. Therefore, the present study examined the neural correlates of attentional interference by arousing sexual distractors using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fifty women and 47 men underwent fMRI while indicating the orientation of two lines (equal or unequal) next to an explicit sexual (as compared to a neutral) picture. Results confirm prolonged response times when a sexual image was shown. There was neither a difference between genders nor an effect of sexual arousal ratings or trait sexual motivation on distractibility. Neural activity specific to sexual images was found in brain regions implicated motivation, and reward. Men as compared to women showed stronger responses in nucleus caudatus, anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens. Trait sexual motivation was selectively correlated with nucleus caudatus activity. Taken together, findings support the notion that even when not in the focus, sexual images activate the brains' reward circuitry. Men's higher sensitivity to the rewarding value of sexual cues may be critical for their higher risk of addictive/compulsive sexual behaviors.
Keywords: Attentional interference; Visual sexual stimuli; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Gender
Highlights
• 50 women and 47 men underwent fMRI during an attentional interference task.
• Sexual distractors led to prolonged response times, independent of gender.
• Men showed stronger activity in the brains’ reward circuitry.
• Trait sexual motivation correlated with nucleus caudatus activity.
• Findings may reflect mechanisms of men’s higher risk for compulsive sexual behaviors.
Abstract: Attentional interference control is a prominent feature of human cognition. To what extent sexual stimuli attract attention and interfere with cognitive tasks has still little been studied. Our study aimed to identify associations between attentional interference, sexual arousal, trait sexual motivation, and neural activity to sexual distractors while accounting for gender differences. Therefore, the present study examined the neural correlates of attentional interference by arousing sexual distractors using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fifty women and 47 men underwent fMRI while indicating the orientation of two lines (equal or unequal) next to an explicit sexual (as compared to a neutral) picture. Results confirm prolonged response times when a sexual image was shown. There was neither a difference between genders nor an effect of sexual arousal ratings or trait sexual motivation on distractibility. Neural activity specific to sexual images was found in brain regions implicated motivation, and reward. Men as compared to women showed stronger responses in nucleus caudatus, anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens. Trait sexual motivation was selectively correlated with nucleus caudatus activity. Taken together, findings support the notion that even when not in the focus, sexual images activate the brains' reward circuitry. Men's higher sensitivity to the rewarding value of sexual cues may be critical for their higher risk of addictive/compulsive sexual behaviors.
Keywords: Attentional interference; Visual sexual stimuli; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Gender
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
In contrast to North America results, anxiety, depression and neuroticism showed no increase in two big European samples
Age of anxiety and depression revisited: A meta-analysis of two European community samples (1964-2015). JanSchürmann, JürgenMargraf. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, Volume 18, Issue 2, May–August 2018, Pages 102-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2018.02.002
Abstract: Background/Objective: Based on studies using established psychometric scales, Twenge and coworkers have shown substantial increases in trait anxiety, depressive symptoms and neuroticism in North American population samples since the 1950s. Similar analyses for European samples have not yet been conducted. Our study therefore examined whether similar secular trends exist in German-speaking and British non-clinical samples together with possible connected societal factors. Method: A literature search identified 131 studies (N = 63,269) using the STAI, BDI or EPI in non-clinical samples between 1964 and 2015. Seven societal factors from national statistics were included. We conducted meta-analyses with displayed means and moderation analyses of publication year for all scales. Results: In contrast to North America results, anxiety, depression and neuroticism showed no increase in the two European populations. Publication year correlated negatively with and moderated trait anxiety (GER) and neuroticism (UK). Most societal factors were highly correlated with year of publication. Trait anxiety and neuroticism were significantly predicted by age at marriage and unemployment rate in German-speaking countries. Conclusion: The difference in secular trends between European and North American samples may indicate society specific developments connected to different societal factors.
Abstract: Background/Objective: Based on studies using established psychometric scales, Twenge and coworkers have shown substantial increases in trait anxiety, depressive symptoms and neuroticism in North American population samples since the 1950s. Similar analyses for European samples have not yet been conducted. Our study therefore examined whether similar secular trends exist in German-speaking and British non-clinical samples together with possible connected societal factors. Method: A literature search identified 131 studies (N = 63,269) using the STAI, BDI or EPI in non-clinical samples between 1964 and 2015. Seven societal factors from national statistics were included. We conducted meta-analyses with displayed means and moderation analyses of publication year for all scales. Results: In contrast to North America results, anxiety, depression and neuroticism showed no increase in the two European populations. Publication year correlated negatively with and moderated trait anxiety (GER) and neuroticism (UK). Most societal factors were highly correlated with year of publication. Trait anxiety and neuroticism were significantly predicted by age at marriage and unemployment rate in German-speaking countries. Conclusion: The difference in secular trends between European and North American samples may indicate society specific developments connected to different societal factors.
Odor sensitivity correlated positively with sexual experience: Participants with high olfactory sensitivity reported higher pleasantness of sexual activities; and women with high olfactory sensitivity reported a higher frequency of orgasms during sexual intercourse
Olfactory Function Relates to Sexual Experience in Adults. Johanna Bendas, Thomas Hummel, Ilona Croy. Archives of Sexual Behavior, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-018-1203-x
Abstract: The olfactory system contributes significantly to human social behavior and especially to mate choice and empathic functioning. In this context, previous research examining individuals with impaired olfactory function indicated an influence of the sense of smell on different aspects of sexuality. However, the applied samples, methods, and results are diverse and an involvement of confounding factors, such as breathing problems, depression or social insecurity cannot be ruled out. The present study examined the potential correlation between odor threshold in healthy participants and their sexual desire, sexual experience, and sexual performance. In 70 adults (28 male, 42 female; mean age 24.8 ± 4.1 years), odor threshold was assessed using the “Sniffin’ Sticks.” The participants also responded to a battery of questions on sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory), sexual experience (orgasm frequency, perceived pleasantness of sexual activities on a visual analogue scale) as well as sexual performance (frequency of having sex, average duration of sexual intercourse). Odor sensitivity correlated positively with sexual experience: Participants with high olfactory sensitivity reported higher pleasantness of sexual activities. Further, women with high olfactory sensitivity reported a higher frequency of orgasms during sexual intercourse. These findings were exclusively present for sexual experience; no significant correlations were detected for sexual desire or sexual performance. The experience of sexual interactions appears to be enriched by olfactory input. We discuss that the perception of certain body odors may contribute to the concept of sexual pleasure by enhanced recruitment of reward areas.
Abstract: The olfactory system contributes significantly to human social behavior and especially to mate choice and empathic functioning. In this context, previous research examining individuals with impaired olfactory function indicated an influence of the sense of smell on different aspects of sexuality. However, the applied samples, methods, and results are diverse and an involvement of confounding factors, such as breathing problems, depression or social insecurity cannot be ruled out. The present study examined the potential correlation between odor threshold in healthy participants and their sexual desire, sexual experience, and sexual performance. In 70 adults (28 male, 42 female; mean age 24.8 ± 4.1 years), odor threshold was assessed using the “Sniffin’ Sticks.” The participants also responded to a battery of questions on sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory), sexual experience (orgasm frequency, perceived pleasantness of sexual activities on a visual analogue scale) as well as sexual performance (frequency of having sex, average duration of sexual intercourse). Odor sensitivity correlated positively with sexual experience: Participants with high olfactory sensitivity reported higher pleasantness of sexual activities. Further, women with high olfactory sensitivity reported a higher frequency of orgasms during sexual intercourse. These findings were exclusively present for sexual experience; no significant correlations were detected for sexual desire or sexual performance. The experience of sexual interactions appears to be enriched by olfactory input. We discuss that the perception of certain body odors may contribute to the concept of sexual pleasure by enhanced recruitment of reward areas.
Apes giving first aid: We argue that many of the core components underlying human empathy are deeply rooted in our primate past
Neuronal Correlates of Empathy: From Rodent to Human. 2018, Pages 53–66. Chapter 5 – Ethological Approaches to Empathy in Primates. Zanna Clay, Elisabetta Palagi, Frans B.M. de Waal. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805397-3.00005-X
Abstract: Given that the cognitive and affective processes underlying empathy do not fossilize, studies of the empathic capacities of nonhuman primates provide us with a critical window through which we can explore the evolutionary origins of human empathy. Specifically, the comparative method provides an opportunity to determine which features of empathy are uniquely human and which are shared within the primate lineage. Here, we use the ethological approach to explore the affective and cognitive layers underlying empathy in primates. We review recent research exploring evidence for different layers of empathy, from the more basic forms such as yawn contagion and rapid facial mimicry, to more cognitively complex forms such as sympathetic concern and targeted helping. Combining evidence from both observational and experimental approaches, we argue that many of the core components underlying human empathy are deeply rooted in our primate past.
Keywords: consolation; emotion regulation; great ape; monkey; rapid facial mimicry; sympathetic concern; targeted helping; yawn contagion
Abstract: Given that the cognitive and affective processes underlying empathy do not fossilize, studies of the empathic capacities of nonhuman primates provide us with a critical window through which we can explore the evolutionary origins of human empathy. Specifically, the comparative method provides an opportunity to determine which features of empathy are uniquely human and which are shared within the primate lineage. Here, we use the ethological approach to explore the affective and cognitive layers underlying empathy in primates. We review recent research exploring evidence for different layers of empathy, from the more basic forms such as yawn contagion and rapid facial mimicry, to more cognitively complex forms such as sympathetic concern and targeted helping. Combining evidence from both observational and experimental approaches, we argue that many of the core components underlying human empathy are deeply rooted in our primate past.
Keywords: consolation; emotion regulation; great ape; monkey; rapid facial mimicry; sympathetic concern; targeted helping; yawn contagion
Naïve apes used the shadow of hidden food to locate it; made use of the mirror images to estimate the distance to the hidden food; tended to interpret mirror images and pictures of these mirror images differently depending on their prior knowledge
Intuitive optics: what great apes infer from mirrors and shadows. Christoph J. Völter, Josep Call. Animal Cognition, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-018-1184-0
Abstract: There is ongoing debate about the extent to which nonhuman animals, like humans, can go beyond first-order perceptual information to abstract structural information from their environment. To provide more empirical evidence regarding this question, we examined what type of information great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans) gain from optical effects such as shadows and mirror images. In an initial experiment, we investigated whether apes would use mirror images and shadows to locate hidden food. We found that all examined ape species used these cues to find the food. Follow-up experiments showed that apes neither confused these optical effects with the food rewards nor did they merely associate cues with food. First, naïve chimpanzees used the shadow of the hidden food to locate it but they did not learn within the same number of trials to use a perceptually similar rubber patch as indicator of the hidden food reward. Second, apes made use of the mirror images to estimate the distance of the hidden food from their own body. Depending on the distance, apes either pointed into the direction of the food or tried to access the hidden food directly. Third, apes showed some sensitivity to the geometrical relation between mirror orientation and mirrored objects when searching hidden food. Fourth, apes tended to interpret mirror images and pictures of these mirror images differently depending on their prior knowledge. Together, these findings suggest that apes are sensitive to the optical relation between mirror images and shadows and their physical referents.
Abstract: There is ongoing debate about the extent to which nonhuman animals, like humans, can go beyond first-order perceptual information to abstract structural information from their environment. To provide more empirical evidence regarding this question, we examined what type of information great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans) gain from optical effects such as shadows and mirror images. In an initial experiment, we investigated whether apes would use mirror images and shadows to locate hidden food. We found that all examined ape species used these cues to find the food. Follow-up experiments showed that apes neither confused these optical effects with the food rewards nor did they merely associate cues with food. First, naïve chimpanzees used the shadow of the hidden food to locate it but they did not learn within the same number of trials to use a perceptually similar rubber patch as indicator of the hidden food reward. Second, apes made use of the mirror images to estimate the distance of the hidden food from their own body. Depending on the distance, apes either pointed into the direction of the food or tried to access the hidden food directly. Third, apes showed some sensitivity to the geometrical relation between mirror orientation and mirrored objects when searching hidden food. Fourth, apes tended to interpret mirror images and pictures of these mirror images differently depending on their prior knowledge. Together, these findings suggest that apes are sensitive to the optical relation between mirror images and shadows and their physical referents.
We respond defensively to risk messages impugning our own behavior; participants learned how being overweight could influence their own cancer risk or that of an opposite-sex close other. They expressed higher worry and experiential risk perceptions for their close others than for themselves
On Being More Amenable to Threatening Risk Messages Concerning Close Others (vis-à-vis the Self).William M. P. Klein, Rebecca A. Ferrer. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218769064
Abstract: People often respond defensively to risk messages impugning their own behavior. We explored whether people are more amenable to risk messages impugning a close other’s behavior. In two experiments, participants learned how being overweight could influence their own cancer risk or that of an opposite-sex close other. As predicted, participants expressed higher affective risk perceptions (i.e., worry) and experiential risk perceptions for their close others than for themselves. Participants in the close other condition also reported greater interest in diagnostic testing and additional information (Experiment 1) and greater interest in consulting a provider and more plans for remediation (Experiment 2). These effects were mediated by a combination of worry and experiential risk perceptions. The self/other difference emerged even though participants endorsed the messages as believable and relevant; participants were simply more willing to extrapolate from the message to their close other’s risk than to their own risk.
Keywords: risk messages, defensive responding, risk perceptions
Abstract: People often respond defensively to risk messages impugning their own behavior. We explored whether people are more amenable to risk messages impugning a close other’s behavior. In two experiments, participants learned how being overweight could influence their own cancer risk or that of an opposite-sex close other. As predicted, participants expressed higher affective risk perceptions (i.e., worry) and experiential risk perceptions for their close others than for themselves. Participants in the close other condition also reported greater interest in diagnostic testing and additional information (Experiment 1) and greater interest in consulting a provider and more plans for remediation (Experiment 2). These effects were mediated by a combination of worry and experiential risk perceptions. The self/other difference emerged even though participants endorsed the messages as believable and relevant; participants were simply more willing to extrapolate from the message to their close other’s risk than to their own risk.
Keywords: risk messages, defensive responding, risk perceptions
Prisoner's Dilemma games: With stringent tests, we found no general decline over 300 rounds; we confirmed a puzzling gender difference: men cooperate much more than women
Persistent cooperation and gender differences in repeated Prisoner's Dilemma games: Some things never change. Andrew M. Colman, , Briony D. Pulford , Eva M. Krockow. Acta Psychologica, Volume 187, June 2018, Pages 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.04.014
Highlights
• We investigated cooperation in the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma.
• With stringent tests, we found no general decline over 300 rounds.
• We confirmed an endgame effect as the known final round approaches.
• We confirmed a puzzling gender difference: men cooperate much more than women.
Abstract: In the finite-horizon repeated Prisoner's Dilemma, a compelling backward induction argument shows that rational players will defect in every round, following the uniquely optimal Nash equilibrium path. It is frequently asserted that cooperation gradually declines when a Prisoner's Dilemma is repeated multiple times by the same players, but the evidence for this is unconvincing, and a classic experiment by Rapoport and Chammah in the 1960s reported that cooperation eventually recovers if the game is repeated hundreds of times. They also reported that men paired with men cooperate almost twice as frequently as women paired with women. Our conceptual replication with Prisoner's Dilemmas repeated over 300 rounds with no breaks, using more advanced, computerized methodology, revealed no decline in cooperation, apart from endgame effects in the last few rounds, and replicated the substantial gender difference, confirming, in the UK, a puzzling finding first reported in the US in the 1960s.
Keywords: Cooperation; Endgame effect; Gender difference; Prisoner's Dilemma; Social dilemma
Highlights
• We investigated cooperation in the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma.
• With stringent tests, we found no general decline over 300 rounds.
• We confirmed an endgame effect as the known final round approaches.
• We confirmed a puzzling gender difference: men cooperate much more than women.
Abstract: In the finite-horizon repeated Prisoner's Dilemma, a compelling backward induction argument shows that rational players will defect in every round, following the uniquely optimal Nash equilibrium path. It is frequently asserted that cooperation gradually declines when a Prisoner's Dilemma is repeated multiple times by the same players, but the evidence for this is unconvincing, and a classic experiment by Rapoport and Chammah in the 1960s reported that cooperation eventually recovers if the game is repeated hundreds of times. They also reported that men paired with men cooperate almost twice as frequently as women paired with women. Our conceptual replication with Prisoner's Dilemmas repeated over 300 rounds with no breaks, using more advanced, computerized methodology, revealed no decline in cooperation, apart from endgame effects in the last few rounds, and replicated the substantial gender difference, confirming, in the UK, a puzzling finding first reported in the US in the 1960s.
Keywords: Cooperation; Endgame effect; Gender difference; Prisoner's Dilemma; Social dilemma
Grammar-learning ability is preserved almost to the crux of adulthood (17.4 years old) and then declines steadily. This finding held not only for “difficult” syntactic phenomena but also for “easy” syntactic phenomena that are normally mastered early in acquisition
A critical period for second language acquisition: Evidence from 2/3 million English speakers. Joshua K. Hartshorne, Joshua B. Tenenbaum, Steven Pinker. Cognition, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.04.007
Abstract: Children learn language more easily than adults, though when and why this ability declines have been obscure for both empirical reasons (underpowered studies) and conceptual reasons (measuring the ultimate attainment of learners who started at different ages cannot by itself reveal changes in underlying learning ability). We address both limitations with a dataset of unprecedented size (669,498 native and non-native English speakers) and a computational model that estimates the trajectory of underlying learning ability by disentangling current age, age at first exposure, and years of experience. This allows us to provide the first direct estimate of how grammar-learning ability changes with age, finding that it is preserved almost to the crux of adulthood (17.4 years old) and then declines steadily. This finding held not only for “difficult” syntactic phenomena but also for “easy” syntactic phenomena that are normally mastered early in acquisition. The results support the existence of a sharply-defined critical period for language acquisition, but the age of offset is much later than previously speculated. The size of the dataset also provides novel insight into several other outstanding questions in language acquisition.
Keywords: Language acquisition; Critical period; L2 acquisition
Abstract: Children learn language more easily than adults, though when and why this ability declines have been obscure for both empirical reasons (underpowered studies) and conceptual reasons (measuring the ultimate attainment of learners who started at different ages cannot by itself reveal changes in underlying learning ability). We address both limitations with a dataset of unprecedented size (669,498 native and non-native English speakers) and a computational model that estimates the trajectory of underlying learning ability by disentangling current age, age at first exposure, and years of experience. This allows us to provide the first direct estimate of how grammar-learning ability changes with age, finding that it is preserved almost to the crux of adulthood (17.4 years old) and then declines steadily. This finding held not only for “difficult” syntactic phenomena but also for “easy” syntactic phenomena that are normally mastered early in acquisition. The results support the existence of a sharply-defined critical period for language acquisition, but the age of offset is much later than previously speculated. The size of the dataset also provides novel insight into several other outstanding questions in language acquisition.
Keywords: Language acquisition; Critical period; L2 acquisition
A one pct point reduction in tax rates increases investment by 4.7 pct of installed capital, increases payouts by 0.3 pct of sales, & decreases debt by 5.3 pct of total assets
Ohrn, Eric. 2018. "The Effect of Corporate Taxation on Investment and Financial Policy: Evidence from the DPAD." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 10(2):272-301, doi 10.1257/pol.20150378
Abstract: This study estimates the investment, financing, and payout responses to variation in a firm's effective corporate income tax rate in the United States. I exploit quasi-experimental variation created by the Domestic Production Activities Deduction, a corporate tax expenditure created in 2005. A 1 percentage point reduction in tax rates increases investment by 4.7 percent of installed capital, increases payouts by 0.3 percent of sales, and decreases debt by 5.3 percent of total assets. These estimates suggest that lower corporate tax rates and faster accelerated depreciation each stimulate a similar increase in investment, per dollar in lost revenue.
Check also Trump Tax Windfall Going to Capex Way Faster Than Stock Buybacks
By Lu Wang. Bloomberg, April 26 2018,
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-26/trump-tax-windfall-going-to-capex-way-faster-than-stock-buybacks
Abstract: This study estimates the investment, financing, and payout responses to variation in a firm's effective corporate income tax rate in the United States. I exploit quasi-experimental variation created by the Domestic Production Activities Deduction, a corporate tax expenditure created in 2005. A 1 percentage point reduction in tax rates increases investment by 4.7 percent of installed capital, increases payouts by 0.3 percent of sales, and decreases debt by 5.3 percent of total assets. These estimates suggest that lower corporate tax rates and faster accelerated depreciation each stimulate a similar increase in investment, per dollar in lost revenue.
Check also Trump Tax Windfall Going to Capex Way Faster Than Stock Buybacks
By Lu Wang. Bloomberg, April 26 2018,
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-26/trump-tax-windfall-going-to-capex-way-faster-than-stock-buybacks
After months of heated debate over whether companies would hand the biggest tax break in three decades back to shareholders or reinvest it in their businesses, there’s finally some hard data.
Among the 130 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported results in this earnings season, capital spending increased by 39 percent, the fastest rate in seven years, data compiled by UBS AG show. Meanwhile, returns to shareholders are growing at a much slower pace, with net buybacks rising 16 percent. Dividends saw an 11 percent boost.
From 2014... Pleasure: An Initial Exploration
Pleasure: An Initial Exploration. Robert Biswas-Diener et al. Journal of Happiness Studies 16(2) April 2014, doi 10.1007/s10902-014-9511-x
Abstract: Pleasure has long been implicated as an important aspect of happiness. Unfortunately, the study of pleasure in the science of happiness has largely been relegated to positive affective states. While pleasure and affect are difficult to disentangle there is, we argue, utility in examining pleasure on its own merits rather than using proxy measures such as those of positive affect. Relatively little research exists directly connecting sensual pleasures and similar pleasurable experiences with happiness. In this research, we used a large international sample (N = 229,728) to explore individual and cross-national differences in pleasure. In particular, we examined the dominant pleasure profiles of nations as well as the relations of personality, gender and age to pleasure variables. These pleasure profiles were drawn from an examination of distinct pleasure leanings including those associated with taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing, achievement, relaxation, social connection and thrills. Our findings reveal significant relationships between personality, gender, age and culture—respectively—with pleasure. The specific relationships are discussed in detail.
Abstract: Pleasure has long been implicated as an important aspect of happiness. Unfortunately, the study of pleasure in the science of happiness has largely been relegated to positive affective states. While pleasure and affect are difficult to disentangle there is, we argue, utility in examining pleasure on its own merits rather than using proxy measures such as those of positive affect. Relatively little research exists directly connecting sensual pleasures and similar pleasurable experiences with happiness. In this research, we used a large international sample (N = 229,728) to explore individual and cross-national differences in pleasure. In particular, we examined the dominant pleasure profiles of nations as well as the relations of personality, gender and age to pleasure variables. These pleasure profiles were drawn from an examination of distinct pleasure leanings including those associated with taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing, achievement, relaxation, social connection and thrills. Our findings reveal significant relationships between personality, gender, age and culture—respectively—with pleasure. The specific relationships are discussed in detail.
The US stands out for its positivity among Western countries (44% saying their day was particularly good). Conservatives (48%) & moderates (47%) were significantly more likely than liberals (34%) to describe their day as good
‘Particularly good days’ are common in Africa, Latin America and the U.S. Courtney Johnson. Pew Research Center, January 2, 2018. Full article, with links and images, at http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/02/particularly-good-days-are-common-in-africa-latin-america-and-the-u-s/
[typical, good or bad day? http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2017/12/28120529/FT_18.01.02_typical_day_bars-1.png]
[Human Develoment Index http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/02/particularly-good-days-are-common-in-africa-latin-america-and-the-u-s/ft_18-01-02_typical_day_scatter]
If you live in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America or the United States, you are more likely than people in other regions of the world to say you’re having a particularly good day.
For the past several years, Pew Research Center’s annual Global Attitudes Survey has started with the following question: “How would you describe your day today – has it been a typical day, a particularly good day or a particularly bad day?” In 2017, we asked this question of nearly 42,000 people in 38 countries around the globe.
Although most people worldwide described their day as typical (median of 62%) and relatively few described it as particularly good (median of 30%), people in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America were more likely to view their day positively. Roughly half of Africans (median of 49%) and Latin Americans (48%) surveyed said their day was particularly good. Other regions – especially Europe (73%) – overwhelmingly described their day as typical; only 22% of Europeans said their day was good.
The share of upbeat people was notably higher in several countries surveyed. Half or more responded that their day was good in Nigeria (73%), Colombia (61%), Ghana (60%), Brazil (56%), the Philippines (53%) and Peru (50%).
The U.S. stands out for its positivity among Western countries, with 44% saying their day was particularly good. American conservatives (48%) and moderates (47%) were significantly more likely than liberals (34%) to describe their day as good.
Why would we ask such a conversational question as part of an in-depth research project? As survey researchers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how best to write and organize our questionnaires. We kick off the Global Attitudes Survey with this type of question for a couple of reasons: First, asking people about their day is a pleasant way to start an interview, and it helps build rapport between the interviewer and respondent. Second, starting with an easy-to-answer question helps respondents get comfortable with the format of the survey. As the survey continues, we introduce more difficult questions – but still make an effort to intersperse easier or more interesting questions among the harder ones.
Perhaps surprisingly, responses to this question were negatively correlated with one measure of national well-being, the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI). Countries with higher HDI scores have, on average, higher gross national income per capita, longer expected lifespans and higher educational expectations and attainment. Yet people in countries with higher HDI scores are less likely to say their day has been particularly good. In 2014, we similarly found that a country’s GDP per capita was negatively correlated with the percentage of people who said their day was good.
[typical, good or bad day? http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2017/12/28120529/FT_18.01.02_typical_day_bars-1.png]
[Human Develoment Index http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/02/particularly-good-days-are-common-in-africa-latin-america-and-the-u-s/ft_18-01-02_typical_day_scatter]
If you live in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America or the United States, you are more likely than people in other regions of the world to say you’re having a particularly good day.
For the past several years, Pew Research Center’s annual Global Attitudes Survey has started with the following question: “How would you describe your day today – has it been a typical day, a particularly good day or a particularly bad day?” In 2017, we asked this question of nearly 42,000 people in 38 countries around the globe.
Although most people worldwide described their day as typical (median of 62%) and relatively few described it as particularly good (median of 30%), people in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America were more likely to view their day positively. Roughly half of Africans (median of 49%) and Latin Americans (48%) surveyed said their day was particularly good. Other regions – especially Europe (73%) – overwhelmingly described their day as typical; only 22% of Europeans said their day was good.
The share of upbeat people was notably higher in several countries surveyed. Half or more responded that their day was good in Nigeria (73%), Colombia (61%), Ghana (60%), Brazil (56%), the Philippines (53%) and Peru (50%).
The U.S. stands out for its positivity among Western countries, with 44% saying their day was particularly good. American conservatives (48%) and moderates (47%) were significantly more likely than liberals (34%) to describe their day as good.
Why would we ask such a conversational question as part of an in-depth research project? As survey researchers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how best to write and organize our questionnaires. We kick off the Global Attitudes Survey with this type of question for a couple of reasons: First, asking people about their day is a pleasant way to start an interview, and it helps build rapport between the interviewer and respondent. Second, starting with an easy-to-answer question helps respondents get comfortable with the format of the survey. As the survey continues, we introduce more difficult questions – but still make an effort to intersperse easier or more interesting questions among the harder ones.
Perhaps surprisingly, responses to this question were negatively correlated with one measure of national well-being, the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI). Countries with higher HDI scores have, on average, higher gross national income per capita, longer expected lifespans and higher educational expectations and attainment. Yet people in countries with higher HDI scores are less likely to say their day has been particularly good. In 2014, we similarly found that a country’s GDP per capita was negatively correlated with the percentage of people who said their day was good.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
We find that for men, particularly among younger cohorts, the physically stronger are more likely to be married (no relation for women), consistent with a hypothesis that women increasingly have selected male marital partners based on preferred individual traits
Women’s Spousal Choices and a Man’s Handshake: Evidence from a Norwegian Study of Cohort Differences. Vegard Skirbekk, Melissa Hardy, Bjørn Heine Strand. SSM - Population Health, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.04.004
Abstract: Both high grip strength and being married independently relate to better functional capacity and health at older ages, but the combined effect of marital status and strength have not been investigated. Especially at older ages, declining strength can have adverse health and social consequences, where having a spouse could potentially help with everyday support and alleviate some of the negative effects of sarcopenia. We investigate how grip strength relates to being married among two cohorts of 59–71 year olds (born 1923-35 and 1936-48) in the Norwegian city of Tromsø, controlling for a broad set of health variables and sociodemographic characteristics. The baseline included N=5009 participants of whom 649 died during follow-up. We find that for men, particularly among younger cohorts, the physically stronger are more likely to be married, but no relation is found for women. This is consistent with a hypothesis that women increasingly have selected male marital partners based on preferred individual traits, whereas men do not emphasize strength when selecting women. We find that both marital status and grip strength independently affect mortality, but there is no significant joint effect. However, the distribution of strength and marital status implies that more men than women and increasing shares of later born cohorts have a “double-burden” of low strength and a lack of support from a spouse.
Keywords: Sarcopenia, Marriage, Gender Differences, Older Adults
Abstract: Both high grip strength and being married independently relate to better functional capacity and health at older ages, but the combined effect of marital status and strength have not been investigated. Especially at older ages, declining strength can have adverse health and social consequences, where having a spouse could potentially help with everyday support and alleviate some of the negative effects of sarcopenia. We investigate how grip strength relates to being married among two cohorts of 59–71 year olds (born 1923-35 and 1936-48) in the Norwegian city of Tromsø, controlling for a broad set of health variables and sociodemographic characteristics. The baseline included N=5009 participants of whom 649 died during follow-up. We find that for men, particularly among younger cohorts, the physically stronger are more likely to be married, but no relation is found for women. This is consistent with a hypothesis that women increasingly have selected male marital partners based on preferred individual traits, whereas men do not emphasize strength when selecting women. We find that both marital status and grip strength independently affect mortality, but there is no significant joint effect. However, the distribution of strength and marital status implies that more men than women and increasing shares of later born cohorts have a “double-burden” of low strength and a lack of support from a spouse.
Keywords: Sarcopenia, Marriage, Gender Differences, Older Adults
Why Hate the Good Guy? Antisocial Punishment of High Cooperators Is Greater When People Compete to Be Chosen
Why Hate the Good Guy? Antisocial Punishment of High Cooperators Is Greater When People Compete to Be Chosen. Aleta Pleasant, Pat Barclay. Psychological Science, https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617752642
Abstract: When choosing social partners, people prefer good cooperators (all else being equal). Given this preference, people wishing to be chosen can either increase their own cooperation to become more desirable or suppress others’ cooperation to make them less desirable. Previous research shows that very cooperative people sometimes get punished (“antisocial punishment”) or criticized (“do-gooder derogation”) in many cultures. Here, we used a public-goods game with punishment to test whether antisocial punishment is used as a means of competing to be chosen by suppressing others’ cooperation. As predicted, there was more antisocial punishment when participants were competing to be chosen for a subsequent cooperative task (a trust game) than without a subsequent task. This difference in antisocial punishment cannot be explained by differences in contributions, moralistic punishment, or confusion. This suggests that antisocial punishment is a social strategy that low cooperators use to avoid looking bad when high cooperators escalate cooperation.
Keywords: public-goods games, biological markets, partner choice, competitive altruism, do-gooder derogation, open data, open materials
Abstract: When choosing social partners, people prefer good cooperators (all else being equal). Given this preference, people wishing to be chosen can either increase their own cooperation to become more desirable or suppress others’ cooperation to make them less desirable. Previous research shows that very cooperative people sometimes get punished (“antisocial punishment”) or criticized (“do-gooder derogation”) in many cultures. Here, we used a public-goods game with punishment to test whether antisocial punishment is used as a means of competing to be chosen by suppressing others’ cooperation. As predicted, there was more antisocial punishment when participants were competing to be chosen for a subsequent cooperative task (a trust game) than without a subsequent task. This difference in antisocial punishment cannot be explained by differences in contributions, moralistic punishment, or confusion. This suggests that antisocial punishment is a social strategy that low cooperators use to avoid looking bad when high cooperators escalate cooperation.
Keywords: public-goods games, biological markets, partner choice, competitive altruism, do-gooder derogation, open data, open materials
Identity prediction errors in the human midbrain update reward-identity expectations in the orbitofrontal cortex
Identity prediction errors in the human midbrain update reward-identity expectations in the orbitofrontal cortex. James D. Howard & Thorsten Kahnt. Nature Communications, volume 9, Article number: 1611 (2018), doi 10.1038/s41467-018-04055-5
Abstract: There is general consensus that dopaminergic midbrain neurons signal reward prediction errors, computed as the difference between expected and received reward value. However, recent work in rodents shows that these neurons also respond to errors related to inferred value and sensory features, indicating an expanded role for dopamine beyond learning cached values. Here we utilize a transreinforcer reversal learning task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test whether prediction error signals in the human midbrain are evoked when the expected identity of an appetitive food odor reward is violated, while leaving value matched. We found that midbrain fMRI responses to identity and value errors are correlated, suggesting a common neural origin for these error signals. Moreover, changes in reward-identity expectations, encoded in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), are directly related to midbrain activity, demonstrating that identity-based error signals in the midbrain support the formation of outcome identity expectations in OFC.
h/t: Sadashiva Pai
Abstract: There is general consensus that dopaminergic midbrain neurons signal reward prediction errors, computed as the difference between expected and received reward value. However, recent work in rodents shows that these neurons also respond to errors related to inferred value and sensory features, indicating an expanded role for dopamine beyond learning cached values. Here we utilize a transreinforcer reversal learning task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test whether prediction error signals in the human midbrain are evoked when the expected identity of an appetitive food odor reward is violated, while leaving value matched. We found that midbrain fMRI responses to identity and value errors are correlated, suggesting a common neural origin for these error signals. Moreover, changes in reward-identity expectations, encoded in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), are directly related to midbrain activity, demonstrating that identity-based error signals in the midbrain support the formation of outcome identity expectations in OFC.
h/t: Sadashiva Pai
Antidepressant Use Prospectively Relates to a Poorer Long-Term Outcome of Depression: Results from a Prospective Community Cohort Study over 30 Years
Antidepressant Use Prospectively Relates to a Poorer Long-Term Outcome of Depression: Results from a Prospective Community Cohort Study over 30 Years. Michael P. Hengartner, Jules Angst, Wulf Rössler. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, doi 10.1159/000488802
Despite marked increases in antidepressant drug prescriptions over the last 3 decades, the burden and disability attributed to major depression are still on the rise. This calls into question the sustainable clinical benefits attributed to antidepressants. The efficacy of antidepressants based on mostly industry-funded short-term trials has been challenged due to selective reporting and systematic method biases (e.g., unblinding of outcome assessors), and the long-term benefits of antidepressants have also been debated [1, 2]. Two long-term effectiveness trials of 1 year duration found no clinically important effect in terms of sustained remission for long-term antidepressant use (the sustained remission rate was < 6% [3, 4]), and a meta-analysis of long-term parallel-arm efficacy trials of 6–8 months treatment duration found no significant difference between antidepressants and placebo with respect to both remission and premature treatment discontinuation [5]. Some prospective observational studies with 1- to 9-year follow-ups even reported a poorer outcome in antidepressant users relative to non-users [6–8]. In contrast to these findings, discontinuation trials of commonly 6–18 months duration suggest that long-term antidepressant use may prevent relapses (reviewed in Hengartner [1]). However, the validity of these trials has been questioned, because they include only participants who respond well to the drugs and randomise some of them to have the drug withdrawn rapidly and replaced by placebo, which can cause severe withdrawal syndromes that mimic depression relapse [1, 2]. Since extended observation periods of 10 years and more are not feasible within a randomised placebo-controlled trial design, the aim of the present work was to test in a representative community cohort study over 30 years whether antidepressant use, relative to non-use, would relate to a poorer long-term outcome of depression.
[...]
In this community cohort of 591 adults followed from the age of 20/21 to 49/50 years, we found that, independently of illness severity and distress at baseline, antidepressant use prospectively relates to a poorer long-term outcome in depression. These findings are in line with a growing body of evidence from several naturalistic observational studies suggesting that (long-term) antidepresant use may produce a poor long-term outcome in people with depression [6–8]. A neurobiological mechanism that may causally explain these findings is the oppositional model of tolerance by Fava [10], which proposes that continued antidepressant use may recruit pharmacodynamic processes such as receptor sensitization that results in loss of clinical effect and in some patients even in an increased vulnerability to depression relapse.
The present work is not without limitations. Most importantly, participants were not randomised to antidepressant use, which precludes causal conclusions. Antidepressant use relied on self-report, and we do not have data on the specific drug prescribed, its dosage, and on the duration of medication. Considering these limitations, our findings raise the possibility that antidepressants may worsen the long-term course of depression. It remains to be established whether this effect is causally related to antidepressant use or to uncontrolled aetiological factors differentiating antidepressant users from non-users, such as for instance coping skills, social support, or personality characteristics.
Despite marked increases in antidepressant drug prescriptions over the last 3 decades, the burden and disability attributed to major depression are still on the rise. This calls into question the sustainable clinical benefits attributed to antidepressants. The efficacy of antidepressants based on mostly industry-funded short-term trials has been challenged due to selective reporting and systematic method biases (e.g., unblinding of outcome assessors), and the long-term benefits of antidepressants have also been debated [1, 2]. Two long-term effectiveness trials of 1 year duration found no clinically important effect in terms of sustained remission for long-term antidepressant use (the sustained remission rate was < 6% [3, 4]), and a meta-analysis of long-term parallel-arm efficacy trials of 6–8 months treatment duration found no significant difference between antidepressants and placebo with respect to both remission and premature treatment discontinuation [5]. Some prospective observational studies with 1- to 9-year follow-ups even reported a poorer outcome in antidepressant users relative to non-users [6–8]. In contrast to these findings, discontinuation trials of commonly 6–18 months duration suggest that long-term antidepressant use may prevent relapses (reviewed in Hengartner [1]). However, the validity of these trials has been questioned, because they include only participants who respond well to the drugs and randomise some of them to have the drug withdrawn rapidly and replaced by placebo, which can cause severe withdrawal syndromes that mimic depression relapse [1, 2]. Since extended observation periods of 10 years and more are not feasible within a randomised placebo-controlled trial design, the aim of the present work was to test in a representative community cohort study over 30 years whether antidepressant use, relative to non-use, would relate to a poorer long-term outcome of depression.
[...]
In this community cohort of 591 adults followed from the age of 20/21 to 49/50 years, we found that, independently of illness severity and distress at baseline, antidepressant use prospectively relates to a poorer long-term outcome in depression. These findings are in line with a growing body of evidence from several naturalistic observational studies suggesting that (long-term) antidepresant use may produce a poor long-term outcome in people with depression [6–8]. A neurobiological mechanism that may causally explain these findings is the oppositional model of tolerance by Fava [10], which proposes that continued antidepressant use may recruit pharmacodynamic processes such as receptor sensitization that results in loss of clinical effect and in some patients even in an increased vulnerability to depression relapse.
The present work is not without limitations. Most importantly, participants were not randomised to antidepressant use, which precludes causal conclusions. Antidepressant use relied on self-report, and we do not have data on the specific drug prescribed, its dosage, and on the duration of medication. Considering these limitations, our findings raise the possibility that antidepressants may worsen the long-term course of depression. It remains to be established whether this effect is causally related to antidepressant use or to uncontrolled aetiological factors differentiating antidepressant users from non-users, such as for instance coping skills, social support, or personality characteristics.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Fearmongering, according to Hans Rosling's comments in "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think"
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think.
352 pages. Flatiron Books (April 3, 2018), ISBN-13: 978-1250107817
Half of these are wrong, irrelevant, or a linear combination of both, but even so:
Half of these are wrong, irrelevant, or a linear combination of both, but even so:
Some of the author's comments:
"Without trust, we are lost."
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