A 10% increase in the income of relevant others is associated with 6-8 minutes decrease in a person's weekly amount of sleep on average; this effect is strong among the relatively deprived, i.e., upward comparers

Relative Concerns and Sleep Behavior. Alpaslan Akay, Peter Martinsson, Hilda Ralsmark. Economics & Human Biology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2018.12.002

Highlights
•    There is a negative association between relative concerns and quantity and quality of sleep
•    The sleep loss associated to relative concerns is about 6-8 minutes/week on average
•    The loss is stronger among relatively deprived, i.e., upward comparers, with 10-12 minutes/week
•    The relationship is heterogenous among people with different working hours and leisure activities
•    The association is also stronger among unhealthy individuals with higher stress

Abstract: We investigate the relationship between relative concerns with respect to income and the quantity and quality of sleep using a 6-year panel dataset on the sleep behavior of people in Germany. We find a substantial negative association between relative income and number of hours of sleep and satisfaction with sleep, i.e., sleep quality, whereas there is no particular association between absolute level of income and sleep quantity and quality. A 10-percent increase in the income of relevant others is associated with 6-8 minutes decrease in a person's weekly amount of sleep on average, yet this effect is particularly strong among the relatively deprived, i.e., upward comparers, as this group shows a corresponding decrease in sleeping time of 10-12 minutes/week. These findings are highly robust to several specification checks, including measures of relative concerns, reference group, income inequality, and local price differences. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the relationship is mainly driven by people with relatively fewer working hours, a higher demand for household production and leisure activities, and lower physical health and well-being.

Evaluations of Sexually Active Friends and Acquaintances: Women were evaluated more negatively as their number of sexual partners increased, whereas number of partners was not related to evaluations of men

The Sexual Double Standard in the Real World: Evaluations of Sexually Active Friends and Acquaintances. Michael J. Marks, Tara M. Young & Yuliana Zaikman. Social Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000362

Abstract. The sexual double standard (SDS) has traditionally been studied by examining evaluations of hypothetical targets. Although much knowledge has been gained regarding the SDS by using this methodology, the literature thus far has suffered from a lack of ecological validity. The goal of the present study was to determine whether the SDS emerged in evaluations of participants’ real-life friends and acquaintances. Participants (n = 4,455) evaluated a single, randomly assigned male or female friend or acquaintance whose sexual history they were familiar with. Women were evaluated more negatively as their number of sexual partners increased, whereas number of partners was not related to evaluations of men. The SDS was not moderated by the closeness of the relationship between the participant and the target person.

Keywords: sexual double standard, interpersonal relationship type, friends vs. acquaintances, gender roles, gender norms

The impact of immersion on the perception of pornography with virtual reality > Viewing pornographic videos via VR technology had a stronger effect on psychophysiological reactions as well as subjective experience than using the conventional display

The impact of immersion on the perception of pornography: A virtual reality study. Sofia Simon, Tobias Greitemeyer. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.018

Highlights
•    Immersion influenced the perception of pornographic video material
•    Virtual Reality technology (VR) increased presence and arousal
•    Presence in part accounted for the impact of VR on arousal

Abstract: The present study investigated the effects of varying degrees of immersion on the perception of pornographic video material. Concretely, we compared conventional desktop with Virtual Reality (VR) technology, with the latter embedding the observer in a virtual environment. Differences in the participant’s reaction and evaluation between both display modes were explored. Sixty male participants were alternately shown sexually explicit video material on a two-dimensional desktop monitor and a three-dimensional, high-immersive VR head-mounted display (HMD). During the two video sequences, physical arousal was continuously measured as skin conductance response, whereas subjective sexual arousal was measured using a slider. Questionnaire measures of subjective sexual arousal, presence, and sexual presence were also employed. Results showed that viewing pornographic video material via VR technology had a stronger effect on psychophysiological reactions as well as subjective experience than using the conventional desktop display. It thus appears that experiencing pornographic video stimuli in high-immersive virtual environments increases the experience of presence as well as sexual-related perception.

James Bond outnumbers the British men at least fivefold when it comes to the number of sexual partners over a lifetime; nevertheless, over time casual sex is becoming less frequent for 007

(Un)safe sex in James Bond films: what chance for sex education? Lara DA Zegers, Richard HC Zegers. Scottish Medical Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/0036933018809601

Abstract

Background and aims: Many women in Bond films make love to James Bond (alias 007). Our objective was to quantify the practice of (un)safe sex in Bond films.

Methods and results: All 24 Bond films were watched together by the authors and the following data were recorded: if the women had sex with 007, whether the women consumed any alcohol before they had sex, whether contraceptives were mentioned and/or used by 007 or the women and whether the women survived the film. Bond had sexual relations with a total of 58 different women. Twenty-two percent of the women had consumed alcohol. In none of the films was any type of contraception mentioned or used. A total of 28% women did not survive the film.

Conclusion: If he were real, Bond outnumbers the British men at least fivefold when it comes to the number of sexual partners over a lifetime. Nevertheless, over time casual sex is becoming less frequent for 007. Sexually transmitted diseases, safe sex and (unwanted) pregnancies seem not to exist in the films. Some suggestions were made to promote safe sex in future Bond films as movies can play an important role in sex education.

Keywords: 007, Bond (James), condom, safe sex, sexually transmitted disease

Women found the men with the low financial status more attractive, & were only more likely to consider him for a one-night stand (with no behavior showing a dating preference for wealthy men)

Hunter, Hannah & Reid, Geneva & Bourgeois, Catherine & Fisher, Maryanne & Benoit, Taylor. (2018). Hi, my name is wealthy: Women's dating behaviors in regards to perceived mate's wealth.

Abstract: It has been cross-culturally documented that women exhibit a preference for mates who possess resources or traits that signal resource accrual. The present experiment tests whether women’s willingness to date men is influenced by their perceived wealth.  Online dating profiles were created to present photographs of men and information about their current bank account status. Across two versions of the study, the male faces were presented with alternating high and low bank account balances. It was hypothesized that women who viewed men with high bank account values would evaluate them as more desirable than women who viewed men with low bank account values. That is, they would be more likely to engage with him in an online conversation, meet with him for a casual coffee, accept an invitation of a date, consider him for a one-night stand, consider him for a short-term relationship, or consider him for a long-term relationship as is the criteria of being more desirable. It was also hypothesized that women would rate the men with high bank account balances as more physically attractive than the men with the low bank account balances. The results do not support the hypotheses. Women found the men with the low financial status more attractive, and were only more likely to consider him for a one-night stand (with no behavior showing a dating preference for wealthy men).  They also showed more interest in having a one-night stand with men with low financial status, as compared to forming a long-term relationship.

Keywords: dating, wealth, physical attractiveness, mate preferences, men

Attractiveness of Primate Faces as Seen by Human Respondents: The least human-like prosimians were scored as the most attractive group; seems related to “uncanny valley” empirical rule

Judging Others by Your Own Standards: Attractiveness of Primate Faces as Seen by Human Respondents. Silvie Rádlová, Eva Landová and Daniel Frynta. Front Psychol Dec 11 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02439

Abstract: The aspects of facial attractiveness have been widely studied, especially within the context of evolutionary psychology, which proposes that aesthetic judgements of human faces are shaped by biologically based standards of beauty reflecting the mate quality. However, the faces of primates, who are very similar to us yet still considered non-human, remain neglected. In this paper, we aimed to study the facial attractiveness of non-human primates as judged by human respondents. We asked 286 Czech respondents to score photos of 107 primate species according to their perceived “beauty.” Then, we analyzed factors affecting the scores including morphology, colors, and human-likeness. We found that the three main primate groups were each scored using different cues. The proportions of inner facial features and distinctiveness are cues widely reported to affect human facial attractiveness. Interestingly, we found that these factors also affected the attractiveness scores of primate faces, but only within the Catarrhines, i.e., the primate group most similar to humans. Within this group, human-likeness positively affected the attractiveness scores, and facial extremities such as a prolonged nose or exaggerated cheeks were considered the least attractive. On the contrary, the least human-like prosimians were scored as the most attractive group. The results are discussed in the context of the “uncanny valley,” the widely discussed empirical rule.

No Evidence That Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth: Two Failures to Replicate Williams and Bargh (2008)

Chabris, Christopher, Patrick R. Heck, Jaclyn Mandart, Daniel J. Benjamin, and Daniel J. Simons. 2018. “No Evidence That Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth: Two Failures to Replicate Williams and Bargh (2008).” PsyArXiv. December 10. doi:10.1027/1864-9335/a000361

Abstract: Williams and Bargh (2008) reported that holding a hot cup of coffee caused participants to judge a person’s personality as warmer, and that holding a therapeutic heat pad caused participants to choose rewards for other people rather than for themselves. These experiments featured large effects (r = .28 and .31), small sample sizes (41 and 53 participants), and barely statistically significant results. We attempted to replicate both experiments in field settings with more than triple the sample sizes (128 and 177) and double-blind procedures, but found near-zero effects (r = –.03 and .02). In both cases, Bayesian analyses suggest there is substantially more evidence for the null hypothesis of no effect than for the original physical warmth priming hypothesis

Female violence was more often directed towards their close environment (i.e. their children) & driven by relational frustration; also received lower punishments compared to males & were more often considered to be diminished accountable for their offenses due to a mental illness

Gender differences in violent offending: results from a multicentre comparison study in Dutch forensic psychiatry. Vivienne de Vogel, Eva de Spa. Psychology, Crime & Law, https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2018.1556267

ABSTRACT: The past two decades, a disproportionate growth of females entering the criminal justice system and forensic mental health services has been observed worldwide. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the background of women who are convicted for violent offenses. What is their criminal history, what are their motives for offending and in which way do they differ from men convicted for violent offenses? In this study, criminal histories and the offenses for which they were admitted to forensic care were analyzed of 218 women and 218 men who have been treated between 1984 and 2014 with a mandatory treatment order in one of four Dutch forensic psychiatric settings admitting both men and women. It is concluded that there are important differences in violent offending between male and female patients. Most importantly, female violence was more often directed towards their close environment, like their children, and driven by relational frustration. Furthermore, female patients received lower punishments compared to male patients and were more often considered to be diminished accountable for their offenses due to a mental illness.

KEYWORDS: Gender, violence, forensic, criminal history

Big relaxation of views about cannabis: Decrease in religious affiliation, a decline in punitiveness, and a shift in media framing all contributed to changing attitudes

How and why have attitudes about cannabis legalization changed so much? Jacob Felson, Amy Adamczyk, Christopher Thomas. Social Science Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.12.011

Abstract: Since the late 1990s public opinion about cannabis legalization has become drastically more liberal, and some states have begun to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Why have attitudes changed so much? Prior research has considered a few of the reasons for this change, but this is the first comprehensive and empirically-based study to consider the wide range of potential causes for how and why this happened. We use data from the General Social Survey, National Study of Drug Use and Health, and word searches from the New York Times. We find that attitudes largely liberalized via intracohort changes. Most Americans developed more liberal views, regardless of their race and ethnicity, gender, education, religious or political affiliation, or religious engagement. Changes in cannabis use have had minimal effects on attitudes, and legalization of cannabis has not prompted attitude change in neighboring states. As to root causes, evidence suggests that a decrease in religious affiliation, a decline in punitiveness, and a shift in media framing all contributed to changing attitudes.

Bavarian data: Women earn less in majority groups when their supervisor is of the same sex

Same-Sex Employees and Supervisors: The Effect of Homophily and Group Composition on Wage Differences. Christina Klug. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Volume 47, Issue 4, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/zfsoz-2018-0116

Abstract: This article analyzes wage differences according to whether or not employees and their supervisors are of the same sex. The mechanism of homophily predicts that having supervisors of the same sex has a positive effect on wages. Additionally, we introduce four conflicting theories that consider group composition as a moderating factor. The hypotheses are tested with data from the Bavarian Graduate Panel via fixed-effect panel regressions. Results show that relative group sizes must be considered in order to see wage differences. These wage benefits emerge in minority and majority groups for male academics, but women earn less in majority groups when their supervisor is of the same sex.

Keywords: Homophily; Group Composition; Wage Differences; Supervisors; Employees

Rolf Degen‏ summarizing: People were willing to sell football tickets at a lower price to those who shared their political leanings, with partisanship beating team preference

Grand Old (Tailgate) Party? Partisan Discrimination in Apolitical Settings. Andrew M. Engelhardt, Stephen M. Utych. Political Behavior, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-018-09519-4

Abstract: Recent work in political science demonstrates that the American public is strongly divided on partisan lines. Levels of affective polarization are so great, it seems, that partisanship even shapes behavior in apolitical settings. However, this literature does not account for other salient identity dimensions on which people make decisions in apolitical settings, potentially stacking the deck in favor of partisanship. We address this limitation with a pair of experiments studying price discrimination among college football fans. We find that partisan discrimination exists, even when the decision context explicitly calls attention to another social identity. But, importantly, this appears to function mostly as in-group favoritism rather than out-group hostility.

Keywords: Polarization Partisanship Social identity theory Experiments

Fear of death: Nature, development and moderating factors

Menzies, Ross G and Menzies, Rachel E. Fear of death: Nature, development and moderating factors [online]. In: Menzies, RE (Editor); Menzies, RG (Editor); Iverach, L (Editor). Curing the Dread of Death Theory, Research and Practice. Samford Valley, QLD: Australian Academic Press, 2018: 21-39. https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=911350014779621;res=IELHSS

Abstract: How do we come to a mature view of death? Does it emerge in stages and, if so, what do these involve? Does anxiety arise as soon as a child can conceptualise death, or does it only appear with a fully developed, adult understanding of the concept? And what do we regard as an adult conception of death? Slaughter (2005) argues that the defining characteristic is to recognise death as a biological event caused by the failure of body systems. In contrast, young children may claim that the 'bogey man' or some other punishing agent is the cause of death. But would all adults pass Slaughter's (2005) test of death comprehension? After all, as Hoffman, Johnson, Foster, and Wright (2010) point out, adults can't agree on when life begins let alone why we take our last breath. Some will maintain that God has called a person home, and that God is the ultimate cause of death (and its creator, punishing us for the sins in the Garden of Eden). Clearly, death is a complex notion and religious and spiritual positions complicate the matter considerably.

Moralizing of Income Inequality: More liberal ideology was associated with less tolerance for diverging opinions on the issue in one’s social circle

O'Donnell, Michael and Chen, Serena, Political Ideology, the Moralizing of Income Inequality, and Its Social Consequences (September 22, 2018). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3253666

Abstract: Income inequality is at its highest level in decades and is a key political and social issue in the U.S. today. However, there is a stark partisan divide on whether and how to address income inequality. We propose one reason for this: ideological differences in viewing the issue of income inequality in moral terms. Across five studies, involving more than 3,000 participants, conservative relative to liberal ideology was associated with a disinclination to see inequality as a moral issue and a dampened tendency to see it as morally wrong. Moreover, more liberal ideology was associated with less tolerance for diverging opinions on the issue in one’s social circle. Finally, although conservatives were reliably disinclined to moralize inequality, we found that they can be induced to view it as a more serious issue and express support for inequality-reducing political policies.

Keywords: Income Inequality, Morality, Political Ideology, Social Class

Women lowered both voice pitch parameters toward men who were most desired by other women & whom they also personally preferred

Voice pitch modulation in human mate choice. Katarzyna Pisanski et al. REBY Proceedings, http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/80518/1/__smbhome.uscs.susx.ac.uk_sc328_Desktop_Papers%20for%20SRO_REBY_Proceedings_B_NOV_2018_accepted_version.pdf

Abstract: Inter-individual differences in human fundamental frequency (F0, perceived as voice pitch) predict mate quality, reproductive success, and affect listeners’ social attributions. Although humans can readily and volitionally manipulate their vocal apparatus and resultant voice pitch, for instance in the production of speech sounds and singing, little is known about whether humans exploit this capacity to adjust the nonverbal dimensions of their voices during social (including sexual) interactions. Here, we recorded full-length conversations of thirty adult men and women taking part in real speed dating events, and tested whether their voice pitch (mean, range, and variability) changed with their personal mate choice preferences and the overall desirability of each dating partner. Within-individual analyses indicated that men lowered the minimum pitch of their voices when interacting with women who were overall highly desired by other men. Men also lowered their mean voice pitch on dates with women they selected as potential mates, particularly those who indicated a mutual preference (matches). Interestingly, although women spoke with a higher and more variable voice pitch toward men they selected as potential mates, women lowered both voice pitch parameters toward men who were most desired by other women and whom they also personally preferred. Between-individual analyses indicated that men in turn preferred women with lower-pitched voices, wherein women’s minimum voice pitch explained up to 55% of the variance in men’s mate preferences. These results, derived in an ecologically valid setting, show that individual and group-level mate preferences can interact to affect vocal behaviour, and support the hypothesis that human voice modulation functions in nonverbal communication to elicit favourable judgments and behaviours from others, including potential mates.

Keywords: mate choice, sexual selection , speed dating, nonverbal communication, fundamental frequency, vocal control

Life satisfaction favors reproduction. The universal positive effect of life satisfaction on childbearing in contemporary low fertility countries

Life satisfaction favors reproduction. The universal positive effect of life satisfaction on childbearing in contemporary low fertility countries. Letizia Mencarini, Daniele Vignoli, Tugba Zeydanli, Jungho Kim. PLOS Dec 05, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206202

Abstract: Do people with higher life satisfaction have more children? Having children requires considerable energy and investment on the part of parents. However, even in countries where contraceptives are easily available and widely used, where having children is optional and most of time the result of an intended action, parenthood has not gone “out of fashion”. This paper tests the hypothesis that higher life satisfaction fosters reproductive behavior. We argue that people satisfied with their overall life feel better prepared to start the monumental task of childrearing. If, it is suggested, life satisfaction facilitates fertility, then this positive link should be observable in contemporary low fertility societies. The hypothesis is tested by taking overall life satisfaction as a determinant of fertility behavior using long longitudinal data available for developed countries: namely for Australia, Germany, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We find that higher levels of subjective well-being are, indeed, associated with a higher probability of having children in all the countries considered. We, therefore, conclude that life satisfaction favors reproduction, at least in low fertility societies.