Saturday, July 16, 2022

Conflicts and son preference: Micro-level evidence from 58 countries show that both incidence and intensity of conflict exposure are associated with greater son preference leading to higher prevalence of sons over daughter

Conflicts and son preference: Micro-level evidence from 58 countries. SrinivasGoliad et al. Economics & Human Biology, Volume 46, August 2022, 101146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101146

Highlights

• This article tests the association between conflict and son preference using a sample of 1.1 million individuals from 58 countries over the period 2003–2018.

• We show that both incidence and intensity of conflict exposure are associated with greater son preference leading to higher prevalence of sons over daughters.

• Macro-data analysis shows that history of conflict exposure plays an important role in explaining the cross-country differences in sex ratios.

Abstract: Research on the association between armed conflict and son preference has largely been based on single-country studies, often presenting descriptive patterns. This paper empirically analyzes the association between conflict and son preference using a sample of more than 1.1 million individuals from 58 countries over the period 2003–2018. We empirically show that both the incidence and intensity of conflict exposure are associated with greater son preference. Moreover, conflict-exposed individuals are likely to realise their preference for sons, as reflected in the systematically higher prevalence of sons over daughters among these individuals. To explore the aggregate effects of these findings, we conduct a cross-country analysis of sex ratios and show that history of conflict exposure plays an important role in explaining the cross-country differences in sex ratios.

Keywords: ConflictSon preferenceSex ratio at birthSex ratio at last birthChild sex ratios


Receiving mate poaching attempts decreased the appeal of current partners while increasing the desirability of alternatives

Temptation at your door: Receiving mate poaching attempts and perceived Partners' desirability. Gurit E. Birnbaum. Personal Relationships, July 12 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12433

Abstract: Committed individuals cope with the threat of alternative partners by using strategies that undermine their allure. However, in an era, in which alternative mates lurk around every corner, these strategies may lose their effectiveness. Two studies investigated this possibility, examining how being the target of online mate poaching influenced perceptions of current and alternative partners. In both studies, partnered undergraduate students chatted online with a confederate of the other sex who behaved either flirtatiously or neutrally. Then, participants completed a measure of implicit perception of their partner (Study 1) or described a sexual fantasy (Study 2). The fantasies were coded for expressions of desire for current and alternative partners. Results showed that receiving mate poaching attempts decreased the appeal of current partners while increasing the desirability of alternatives. These findings demonstrate the circumstances that weaken resistance to temptations, pointing to a route by which online interactions may impair relationship functioning.

6 GENERAL DISCUSSION

With offspring dependence on biparental caregiving, both men and women evolved to form long-term pair bonds (Eastwick, 2009 Fletcher et al., 2015) that are commonly intended to be monogamous (Anderson, 2010 Conley et al., 2013). The hegemony of monogamy, however, cannot carry the promise of fidelity. The growing demand for applications that facilitate extradyadic affairs (Finkel et al., 2012 Vossler, 2016) indeed demonstrates that sex is often sought outside of what is considered a committed relationship (e.g., Allen et al., 2005 Blow & Hartnett, 2005). Whereas most prior studies have focused on partner and relationship factors that make both online and offline infidelity more likely (see Fincham & May, 2017; Vossler, 2016, for reviews), the present research turns the spotlight on the characteristics of the alternatives that lessen people's ability to resist their allure.

Two studies show that receiving online mate poaching attempts from attractive poachers (versus engaging in a neutral interaction with them) can render romantically involved individuals more vulnerable to infidelity. Study 1 indicated that being the target of mate poaching led participants to view their current partners in a more negative light and to desire them less, as expressed both implicitly and explicitly. Study 2 replicated these findings and extended them, revealing that being the target of mate poaching not only decreased the appeal of current partners but also increased the desirability of alternative mates. Study 2 also spoke to the process by which active mate poaching attempts might weaken partnered individuals' motivation to defend their current relationship. Specifically, being actively courted by attractive mate poachers apparently interfered with the strategy of devaluation of attractive alternatives, which, in turn, further unleased extradyadic desires, at least as manifested in sexual fantasies.

The internet presents endless opportunities for personal and interpersonal growth, such as connecting people all over the globe and improving access to education. However, with these opportunities come challenges that may impair personal and relationship well-being, such as coping with addiction and distraction. The present research demonstrates the destructive potential of the internet for relationship functioning, showing how temptations in the interpersonal domain jeopardize existing romantic relationships. Past studies have already found that spending time on social media may harm existing relationships, as it offers an easy route to behaviors that often lead to jealousy, dissatisfaction, and even breakups (e.g., communicating with alternative partners and engaging in cybersex; Clayton et al., 2013; McDaniel et al., 2017). The present research adds to these studies by focusing on what it is that makes alternative partners difficult to resist, indicating that good looks in and of itself may not encourage infidelity. Rather, active courting attempts are required in order to penetrate through the shield of relationship maintenance strategies and undermine partnered individuals' ability to resist the allure of alternative mates.

Overall, the present research firms up a causal connection between receiving mate poaching attempts and experiencing extradyadic desires, shedding light on when and how interacting online with attractive strangers provides the extra push needed to pursue short-term pleasures rather than the long-term goal of relationship maintenance. And yet, the present results should be interpreted with a degree of caution as overt behavioral expressions of desire, such as engagement in offline involvement, were not assessed. It is therefore unclear whether the effect of receiving mate poaching attempts on the desire for current and alternative partners would translate into actual behavior. To be sure, partnered individuals who interact online with strangers and fantasize about them do not necessarily wish to act out their fantasies, either because it is too risky (e.g., Critelli & Bivona, 2008) or because fantasizing is rewarding in and of itself (Birnbaum, Kanat-Maymon, et al., 2019).

Another limitation of the present research is that it involved brief interactions in an artificial laboratory setting. Thus, it is unclear whether the effect of mate poaching on extradyadic desires would apply in complex natural settings, which make the potential costs of infidelity more difficult to handle. Furthermore, although Study 2 indicates the process by which mate poaching influences the desire for alternatives, it cannot tell whether mate poaching renders poachers more desirable because they seem bold or because targets of poaching like those who make them feel valued. It would be therefore revealing to explore whether the effect of mate poaching on the desirability of the poacher would be observed when an unattractive (rather than an attractive) poacher flirts with participants, possibly making them feel less valued, compared to a condition in which participants receive mate poaching attempts from an attractive poacher. On the whole, more research is needed to explore the long-term outcomes of online mate poaching in more natural settings, examining whether and why it is effective in motivating the targets to form relationships with poachers in the real world.

Notwithstanding these caveats, the present research demonstrates the circumstances that weaken resistance to temptations of alternative partners, pointing to a route by which online interactions may diminish relationship well-being and lead to offline affairs. In doing so, the findings underscore the need to identify couples who are especially susceptible to temptations of attractive alternatives so that they may receive appropriate counseling. Such counseling should focus on the enhancement of appetitive processes, which have proven effective in instigating sexual desire between partners and helping them prioritize the goal of relationship maintenance (e.g., provision of responsiveness and making one's partner feel special; Birnbaum, 2018; Birnbaum et al., 20162021).

Psychopathic traits (primarily those linked to meanness and disinhibition) were associated with improved psychiatric functioning and fewer posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

Batastini, A. B., Lester, M. E., Poindexter, E., & Bozeman, A. R. (2022). Trauma, psychopathic traits, and mental health outcomes: A propensity score matching approach between service member and civilian samples. Traumatology, Jul 2022. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000396

Abstract: A large body of research has been dedicated to examining the antecedents, determinants, and consequences of trauma exposure, particular among those who have served in the U.S. armed forces. Emerging research suggests that psychopathic traits may play a protective role. Yet, no known studies have examined the relationships between trauma exposure, components of psychopathy, posttraumatic symptoms, general mental health, and suicidal ideation. In addition, few studies directly compare military- and nonmilitary-experienced participants. Using propensity score matching, 114 participants (57 military and 57 civilian) were statistically matched based on age, race, and gender. Reported trauma exposure was associated with poorer general psychiatric functioning and increased posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms but was unrelated to historical suicidal ideation. Conversely, psychopathic traits were associated with improved psychiatric functioning and fewer posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms; however, certain facets of psychopathy (primarily those associated with meanness and disinhibition) were the most protective. Military status did not enhance the relationships between trauma exposure and adverse outcomes. Clinical implications, study limitations, and research initiatives aimed at better understanding the nuances of trauma-related responses and mental health are discussed. Identifying which risk and protective factors are unique (or not) to service members can inform the need for tailored interventions.


In contrast to young children, monkeys are unable to perceive illusory faces in inanimate objects

Flessert, M., Taubert, J., & Beran, M. J. (2022). Assessing the perception of face pareidolia in children (Homo sapiens), rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), and capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella). Journal of Comparative Psychology, Jul 2022. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000320

Abstract: Face pareidolia is the misperception of a face in an inanimate object and is a common feature of the face detection system in humans. Whereas there are many similarities in how humans and nonhuman animals such as monkeys perceive and respond to faces, it is still unclear whether other species also perceive certain nonface stimuli as faces. We presented a novel computerized task to capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella), rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), and preschool-aged children (Homo sapiens). This task trained subjects to choose faces over nonface images, and then presented pareidolia images with nonface images. All species selected faces most often on trials that included face images. However, only children selected pareidolia images at levels above chance. These results indicate that while children report perceiving face pareidolia, monkeys do not. These species differences could be due to human-unique experiences that result in an increased aptitude for anthropomorphizing objects with face-like patterns. It could also be due to monkeys showing a greater reliance on stimulus features rather than global, holistically organized cues that faces provide.