In mental rotation, homosexual men were somewhat in-between heterosexual men and women. There was no significant group difference on spatial location memory. Homosexual men were also sex atypical on male-favoring spatial-related tasks and female-favoring spatial-related tasks. Homosexual women tended to be sex-typical (similar to heterosexual women).

Xu, Yin, Sam Norton, and Qazi Rahman 2017. “Sexual Orientation and Cognitive Ability: A Multivariate Meta-analytic Follow-up”. PsyArXiv. September 25. psyarxiv.com/chg2r

Abstract: A cross-sex shift model of human sexual orientation differences predicts that homosexual men should perform or score in the direction of heterosexual women, and homosexual women in the direction of heterosexual men, in behavioral domains such as cognition and personality. In order to test whether homosexual men and women’s cognitive performance was closer to that of heterosexual men or that of heterosexual women (i.e., sex atypical for their sex), we conducted a multivariate meta-analysis based on data from our previous meta-analysis (Xu, Norton, & Rahman, 2017). A subset of this data was used and comprised a total of 49 samples and 251,393 participants. The multivariate meta-analysis revealed that homosexual men were indeed sex-atypical in mental rotation (Hedges’ g = -0.36) and the Water Level Test (Hedges’ g = -0.55). In mental rotation, homosexual men were somewhat in-between heterosexual men and women. There was no significant group difference on spatial location memory. Homosexual men were also sex atypical on male-favoring spatial-related tasks (Hedges’ g = -0.54), and female-favoring spatial-related tasks (Hedges’ g = 0.38). Homosexual women tended to be sex-typical (similar to heterosexual women). There were no significant group differences on male-favoring other tasks or female-favoring verbal-related tasks. Heterosexual men and women differed significantly on female-favoring other tasks. These results support the cross-sex shift hypothesis which predicts that homosexual men perform in the direction of heterosexual women in sex differentiated cognitive domains. However, the type of task and cognitive domain tested is critical.

Near ovulation, women were willing to accept lesser versions of a product (a $5,000 diamond ring in lieu of a $7,000 one) as long as they had better products than other women. And, ovulating women kept more money for themselves in the Dictator Game rather than give it to another woman

Durante KM, Griskevicius V. Evolution and consumer psychology. Consum Psychol Rev. 2018;1:4–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/arcp.1001

Abstract: An evolutionary theoretical approach considers the adaptive function of behavior. Here we discuss what it means to use an evolutionary approach to generate predictions about consumer behavior and the value of applying an evolutionary lens to the study of consumer psychology. We begin with a discussion of the core insights of evolutionary theory and the common misperceptions associated with an evolutionary approach to the study of behavior. We then detail how specific evolutionarily informed theories can be applied to four core areas of consumer research: risk preference, competition and luxury consumption, self-control and temporal preferences, and the consumer behavior of women and families. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of an evolutionarily informed research program.

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The ovulatory shift hypothesis suggests that mating goals are particularly salient for women near ovulation. For example, when it comes to fashion, research shows that ovulation has a large effect on women’s desire to look more attractive and dress in sexier outfits (Durante, Griskevicius, Hill, Perilloux, & Li, 2011; Durante, Li, & Haselton, 2008; Saad & Stenstrom, 2012). The desire to dress sexy at ovulation was found to be related specifically to outcompeting other women for access to the best men available. For example, ovulation has the strongest effect on women’s desire for sexier clothing when women know that there are many other attractive women in their local environment (Durante et al., 2011), that is, when there is lots of competition for mates.

Thus, if status competition and luxury consumption are related to mating, the ovulatory shift hypothesis may shed light on women’s desire for luxury products. Recent research drawing on this hypothesis proposed the idea that ovulation should not only enhance women’s mating motivations, but also women’s desire to compete with other women for status (Durante, Griskevicius, Cantú, & Simpson, 2014). This idea is consistent with research in nonhuman primates. For example, female rhesus monkeys become more aggressive and competitive with other females (not males) during the ovulatory phase (Walker, Wilson, & Gordon, 1983; Wallen, 2000).

Putting this lens to women’s desire for luxury goods, it was found that, near ovulation, women desire more expensive products and this effect is related to increased competitive tendencies (Durante et al., 2014; Kim, Durante, Griskevicius, & Nikiforidis, 2017). For example, in one study, ovulating and nonovulating women made product choices that could either  maximize absolute gains or maximize gains relative to other women (Durante et al., 2014). The findings showed that ovulation made women more competitive with regard to other women. Near ovulation, women were willing to accept lesser versions of a product (a $5,000 diamond ring in lieu of a $7,000 diamond ring) as long as they had better products than other women. And, ovulating women kept more money for themselves in the Dictator Game rather than give it to another woman. Ovulating women also prefer luxury (compared to nonluxury) products and conspicuous goods as a direct reflection of a desire to outcompete rival women for status and access to mates (Kim et al., 2017). When it comes to wanting multiple versions of products, ovulation enhances this, too (Durante & Arsena, 2014).


Check also The Rival Wears Prada: Luxury Consumption as a Female Competition Strategy. Liselot Hudders et al. Evolutionary Psychology, Volume: 12 issue: 3.  https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491401200306

Abstract: Previous studies on luxury consumption demonstrated that men spend large sums of money on luxury brands to signal their mate value to women and, thus, increase their reproductive success. Although women also spend copious amounts of money on luxuries, research focusing on women's motives for luxury consumption is rather scarce. Relying on costly signaling and intrasexual competition theory, the goal of the current study was to test whether female intrasexual competition in a mate attraction context triggers women's spending on luxuries. The results of the first experiment reveal that an intrasexual competition context enhances women's preferences for attractiveness enhancing, but not for non-attractiveness related luxuries such as a smartphone. This finding indicates that women may use luxury consumption as a self-promotion strategy during within-sex competitions, as these luxuries improve their advantages against same-sex rivals for mates. A follow-up study shows that compared to women who do not consume luxuries, women who do so are perceived as more attractive, flirty, young, ambitious, sexy, and less loyal, mature and smart by other women. These results suggest that luxury consumption may provide information about a women's willingness to engage in sex, as well as her views about other women, and consequently, her success in intrasexual competitions.

Keywords: women, intrasexual competition, luxury consumption, sex differences, status

Physically inactive lifestyle is associated with long-term detrimental personality trajectories: steeper declines in conscientiousness, openness, extraversion and agreeableness

Physical Activity and Personality Development over Twenty Years: Evidence from Three Longitudinal Samples. Yannick Stephan et al. Journal of Research in Personality, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2018.02.005

Highlights
•    Physical activity is related to personality change over 20 years in three samples.
•    Physical inactivity was related to declines in conscientiousness in three samples.
•    A physically inactive lifestyle is associated with detrimental personality trajectories.

Abstract: A physically inactive lifestyle is associated with maladaptive patterns of personality development over relatively short follow-up periods. The present study extends existing research by examining whether this association persists over 20 years. Participants (total N = 8,723) were drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates and Siblings samples and the Midlife in the United States Study. Controlling for demographic factors and disease burden, baseline physical inactivity was related to steeper declines in conscientiousness in all three samples and a meta-analysis (β=-.06). The meta-analysis further showed that lower physical activity was associated with declines in openness (β=-.05), extraversion (β=-.03), and agreeableness (β=-.03). These findings provide evidence that a physically inactive lifestyle is associated with long-term detrimental personality trajectories.

Keywords: Personality development; physical inactivity; adulthood

High parental investment in childhood was associated with increased mate value in adulthood

Antfolk, Jan,and Agneta Sjölund 2018. “Parental Investment and Mate Value”. PsyArXiv. February 10. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.004

Abstract: Stressors in the childhood environment, such as decreased parental investment (PI) regulates an individual’s reproductive behaviors. The effect of these behaviors on fitness is partly determined by individual mate value (MV). We tested whether PI during childhood is associated to MV in adulthood. Adult men and women (N = 1244) reported received maternal and paternal investment, and also current MV. We found that high PI in childhood was associated with increased MV in adulthood. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between maternal and paternal investment and the association between paternal investment and MV was mediated through maternal investment. We conclude that PI, especially maternal investment, might influence MV in offspring.

Finding Meaning at Work: The Role of Inspiring and Funny YouTube Videos on Work-Related Well-Being

Finding Meaning at Work: The Role of Inspiring and Funny YouTube Videos on Work-Related Well-Being. Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Diana Rieger, Winston Connor III. Journal of Happiness Studies, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-018-9959-1

Abstract: Watching online videos on social media is a common activity in today’s digital age, but its’ impact on employee well-being at work has not been investigated yet. The current study tried to fill this gap by investigating the role hedonic and eudaimonic online videos play on employee’s stress levels and well-being at work. An online experiment with 200 full time employees in the US was conducted exploring the role of inspiring affect and positive affect on three distinct well-being outcomes: subjective well-being, psychological well-being and social well-being at the workplace. A path model suggests unique effects for inspiring videos on indicators of subjective (vitality), psychological (meaning at work) and social (relatedness at work) well-being. In addition, appreciating the good things in life mediated the relationship between inspiring affect and meaning and relatedness at work. Furthermore, employees generally felt less stressed after watching any type of online video (including a non-entertaining control video), but felt the highest energy surge after watching an elevating video. Implications about the role of online videos for employees’ well-being are discussed.

A moderate financial incentive can increase effort, but not intelligence test performance in adult volunteers

Gignac, G. E. (2018), A moderate financial incentive can increase effort, but not intelligence test performance in adult volunteers. Br J Psychol. doi:10.1111/bjop.12288

Abstract: A positive correlation between self-reported test-taking motivation and intelligence test performance has been reported. Additionally, some financial incentive experimental evidence suggests that intelligence test performance can be improved, based on the provision of financial incentives. However, only a small percentage of the experimental research has been conducted with adults. Furthermore, virtually none of the intelligence experimental research has measured the impact of financial incentives on test-taking motivation. Consequently, we conducted an experiment with 99 adult volunteers who completed a battery of intelligence tests under two conditions: no financial incentive and financial incentive (counterbalanced). We also measured self-reported test-taking importance and effort at time 1 and time 2. The financial incentive was observed to impact test-taking effort statistically significantly. By contrast, no statistically significant effects were observed for the intelligence test performance scores. Finally, the intelligence test scores were found to correlate positively with both test-taking importance (rc = .28) and effort (rc = .37), although only effort correlated uniquely with intelligence (partial rc = .26). In conjunction with other empirical research, it is concluded that a financial incentive can increase test-taking effort. However, the potential effects on intelligence test performance in adult volunteers seem limited.

By examining online visitation data across mobile and desktop platforms in the months leading up to and following the 2016 presidential election, we indeed find the fake news audience comprises a small, disloyal group of heavy internet users

Nelson, Jacob and Taneja, Harsh, The Small, Disloyal Fake News Audience: The Role of Audience Availability in Fake News Consumption (January 23, 2018). New Media & Society, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3107731

Abstract: In light of the recent U.S. election, many fear that “fake news” has become a force of enormous reach and influence within the news media environment. We draw on well-established theories of audience behavior to argue that the online fake news audience, like most niche content, would be a small subset of the total news audience, especially those with high availability. By examining online visitation data across mobile and desktop platforms in the months leading up to and following the 2016 presidential election, we indeed find the fake news audience comprises a small, disloyal group of heavy internet users. We also find that social network sites play an outsized role in generating traffic to fake news. With this revised understanding, we revisit the democratic implications of the fake news crisis.

Keywords: fake news, news audience, political communication, 2016 election, social media

The echo chamber is overstated: the moderating effect of political interest and diverse media. Elizabeth Dubois & Grant Blank. Information, Communication & Society, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2018/01/the-echo-chamber-is-overstated.html

Check also Processing political misinformation: comprehending the Trump phenomenon. Briony Swire, Adam J. Berinsky, Stephan Lewandowsky, Ullrich K. H. Ecker. Royal Society Open Science, published on-line March 01 2017. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160802, http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/4/3/160802

Competing cues: Older adults rely on knowledge in the face of fluency. By Brashier, Nadia M.; Umanath, Sharda; Cabeza, Roberto; Marsh, Elizabeth J. Psychology and Aging, Vol 32(4), Jun 2017, 331-337. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/07/competing-cues-older-adults-rely-on.html

Stanley, M. L., Dougherty, A. M., Yang, B. W., Henne, P., & De Brigard, F. (2017). Reasons Probably Won’t Change Your Mind: The Role of Reasons in Revising Moral Decisions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/reasons-probably-wont-change-your-mind.html

Science Denial Across the Political Divide — Liberals and Conservatives Are Similarly Motivated to Deny Attitude-Inconsistent Science. Anthony N. Washburn, Linda J. Skitka. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10.1177/1948550617731500. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/liberals-and-conservatives-are.html

Biased Policy Professionals. Sheheryar Banuri, Stefan Dercon, and Varun Gauri. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 8113. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/08/biased-policy-professionals-world-bank.html

Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths. Kelly Macdonald et al. Frontiers in Psychology, Aug 10 2017. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/08/training-in-education-or-neuroscience.html

Individuals with greater science literacy and education have more polarized beliefs on controversial science topics. Caitlin Drummond and Baruch Fischhoff. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 114 no. 36, pp 9587–9592, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1704882114, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/individuals-with-greater-science.html

Expert ability can actually impair the accuracy of expert perception when judging others' performance: Adaptation and fallibility in experts' judgments of novice performers. By Larson, J. S., & Billeter, D. M. (2017). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 43(2), 271–288. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/06/expert-ability-can-actually-impair.html

Public Perceptions of Partisan Selective Exposure. Perryman, Mallory R. The University of Wisconsin - Madison, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2017. 10607943. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/10/citizens-believe-others-especially.html

The Myth of Partisan Selective Exposure: A Portrait of the Online Political News Audience. Jacob L. Nelson, and James G. Webster. Social Media + Society, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/the-myth-of-partisan-selective-exposure.html

Echo Chamber? What Echo Chamber? Reviewing the Evidence. Axel Bruns. Future of Journalism 2017 Conference. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/echo-chamber-what-echo-chamber.html

Fake news and post-truth pronouncements in general and in early human development. Victor Grech. Early Human Development, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/fake-news-and-post-truth-pronouncements.html

Consumption of fake news is a consequence, not a cause of their readers’ voting preferences
Kahan, Dan M., Misinformation and Identity-Protective Cognition (October 2, 2017). Social Science Research Network, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/10/consumption-of-fake-news-is-consequence.html

Free Will, Determinism, and Intuitive Judgments About the Heritability of Behavior: educated mothers with multiple children emerge as particularly accurate in their judgments of trait heritability

Willoughby, Emily A., 2018. “Free Will, Determinism, and Intuitive Judgments About the Heritability of Behavior”. Open Science Framework. February 10. https://osf.io/ezg2j

Abstract: The fact that genes and environment contribute differentially to variation in human behaviors, traits and attitudes is central to the field of behavior genetics. To the public, perceptions about these differential contributions may affect ideas about human agency. We surveyed two independent samples (N = 301 and N = 740) to assess beliefs about free will, determinism, political orientation, and the relative contribution of genes and environment to 21 human traits. We find that beliefs about the heritability of these traits cluster into four distinct groups, which differentially predict both beliefs about human agency and political orientation. Despite apparent ideological influences on these beliefs, the correspondence between lay judgments of heritabilities and published estimates is large (r = .77). Belief in genetic determinism emerges as a modest predictor of accuracy in these judgments. Additionally, educated mothers with multiple children emerge as particularly accurate in their judgments of the heritabilities of these traits.

No matter how far in the past a person behaved greedily or immorally, information about her negative behaviors is hardly discounted at all. In contrast, recent positive behaviors are much more influential than behaviors that occurred a long time ago

Brandimarte, L., Vosgerau, J., & Acquisti, A. (2018). Differential discounting and present impact of past information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 74-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000372

Abstract: How does information about a person’s past, accessed now, affect individuals’ impressions of that person? In 2 survey experiments and 2 experiments with actual incentives, we compare whether, when evaluating a person, information about that person’s past greedy or immoral behaviors is discounted similarly to information about her past generous or moral behaviors. We find that, no matter how far in the past a person behaved greedily or immorally, information about her negative behaviors is hardly discounted at all. In contrast, information about her past positive behaviors is discounted heavily: recent behaviors are much more influential than behaviors that occurred a long time ago. The lesser discounting of information about immoral and greedy behaviors is not caused by these behaviors being more influential, memorable, extreme, or attention-grabbing; rather, they are perceived as more diagnostic of a person’s character than past moral or generous behaviors. The phenomenon of differential discounting of past information has particular relevance in the digital age, where information about people’s past is easily retrieved. Our findings have significant implications for theories of impression formation and social information processing.

Reciprocal altruism among non-human animals is much more widespread than currently assumed: rats in Norway trade food and services

Reciprocal Trading of Different Commodities in Norway Rats. Manon K. Schweinfurth, Michael Taborsky. Current Biology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.058

Highlights
    •    Norway rats reciprocally trade food for allogrooming, and vice versa
    •    Experimental proof of tit-for-tat-like exchange of different services in animals
    •    The study suggests that reciprocal commodity trading in animals may be common

Summary: The prevalence of reciprocal cooperation in non-human animals is hotly debated [1, 2]. Part of this dispute rests on the assumption that reciprocity means paying like with like [3]. However, exchanges between social partners may involve different commodities and services. Hitherto, there is no experimental evidence that animals other than primates exchange different commodities among conspecifics based on the decision rules of direct reciprocity. Here, we show that Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) apply direct reciprocity rules when exchanging two different social services: food provisioning and allogrooming. Focal rats were made to experience partners either cooperating or non-cooperating in one of the two commodities. Afterward, they had the opportunity to reciprocate favors by the alternative service. Test rats traded allogrooming against food provisioning, and vice versa, thereby acting by the rules of direct reciprocity. This might indicate that reciprocal altruism among non-human animals is much more widespread than currently assumed.

Rolf Degen summarizes: Contrary to earlier believes, humans have at least as many - if not more - Olfactory Receptor genes as monkeys and apes, with color vision being no limiting factor

Evolution of Genes for Color Vision and the Chemical Senses in Primates. Shoji Kawamura, Amanda D. Melin. Chapter in Evolution of the Human Genome I. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-4-431-56603-8_10

Abstract: Primates are generally regarded as visually oriented mammals, trading a sense of smell for good sight. However, recent studies have questioned this simplistic view, and it is not well understood the extent to which senses have evolved interactively or in concert with each other in primates including humans. For example, the number of olfactory receptor genes is not as clearly differentiated between species with different color vision as once asserted. Among senses, receptors of stimuli for vision, olfaction, and bitter/sweet/umami tastes all belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, for which the genetic mechanism of signal perception is well understood. Thus, it is now possible to explore the evolutionary correlation among different senses in primates by studying these receptor groups for interspecies divergence, intraspecies diversity, and functional differences among variants. In this chapter, we review recent findings on these receptors and senses in humans and other primates and discuss the future directions of studies on their sensory evolution.



[Screenshot from https://twitter.com/DegenRolf/status/961876566023143424]