Reproductive mode and the shifting arenas of evolutionary conflict

Furness, A. I., Morrison, K. R., Orr, T. J., Arendt, J. D. and Reznick, D. N. (2015), Reproductive mode and the shifting arenas of evolutionary conflict. Ann NY Acad Sci, 1360: 75–100. doi:10.1111/nyas.12835

Abstract: In sexually reproducing organisms, the genetic interests of individuals are not perfectly aligned. Conflicts among family members are prevalent since interactions involve the transfer of limited resources between interdependent players. Intrafamilial conflict has traditionally been considered along three major axes: between the sexes, between parents and offspring, and between siblings. In these interactions, conflict is expected over traits in which the resulting phenotypic value is determined by multiple family members who have only partially overlapping fitness optima. We focus on four major categories of animal reproductive mode (broadcast spawning, egg laying, live bearing, and live bearing with matrotrophy) and identify the shared phenotypes or traits over which conflict is expected, and then review the empirical literature for evidence of their occurrence. Major transitions among reproductive mode, such as a shift from external to internal fertilization, an increase in egg-retention time, modifications of embryos and mothers for nutrient transfer, the evolution of postnatal parental care, and increased interaction with the kin network, mark key shifts that both change and expand the arenas in which conflict is played out.

Rolf Degen's Comments: https://plus.google.com/101046916407340625977/posts/DdWUNNsnKxJ





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The effects of sex drive and paraphilic interests on paraphilic behaviours in a nonclinical sample of men and women

The effects of sex drive and paraphilic interests on paraphilic behaviours in a nonclinical sample of men and women. Katrina N. Bouchard, Samantha J. Dawson and Martin L. Lalumière.  The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, http://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cjhs.262-a8

Abstract: Research on samples of men and women from the general population suggests that paraphilic interests and behaviours are more common in men than in women, but the reasons for this sex difference are unclear. In addition, there is little research on how paraphilic interests lead to engagement in paraphilic behaviours. In this study, we assessed the frequency of engagement in a broad range of paraphilic behaviours in a nonclinical sample of men and women. We expected that men would report engaging in paraphilic behaviours more frequently than women. We also examined whether sex drive explained the sex difference in the frequency of engagement in paraphilic behaviours, as well as whether the relationship between paraphilic interests and frequency of engagement in paraphilic behaviours was stronger at high levels of sex drive. A sample of 305 men and 710 women completed an online survey assessing paraphilic interests and behaviours as well as three measures of sex drive. As expected, sex differences were found, with men reporting more frequent engagement in most paraphilic behaviours. After controlling for socially desirable responding, sex drive fully accounted for the male-biased sex differences. One measure of sex drive–the Sexual Behaviour and Desire Questionnaire–moderated the relationship between paraphilic interests and frequency of engagement in paraphilic behaviours, such that paraphilic interests were most strongly associated with paraphilic behaviours at high levels of sex drive. Taken together, these findings provide further support for the importance of sex drive in understanding the paraphilias.

KEY WORDS: Nonclinical sample, paraphilic behaviours, paraphilic interests, sex differences, sex drive

CEO Turnover and Political Repositioning

CEO Turnover and Political Repositioning. Yosef Bonaparte. University of Colorado Working Paper, June 2017, https://ssrn.com/abstract=2991032

Abstract: This paper examines the relation between political regime change, a new president from a new party, and propensity for CEO turnover. Our key conjecture is that some companies, especially those that are politically sensitive, will politically reposition to adapt to the new political regime, and this political repositioning will be reflected in increased CEO turnover. We find support for this hypothesis, for CEO turnover is at least 24% more likely to happen following political regime change. The economic significance of this CEO political repositioning varies by company characteristics, with repositioning greater among large cap stocks, stocks held by short term investors, and sectors that are politically sensitive. However, political repositioning decreases stock performance relative to the sector, though this effect is weakly significant. These results suggest that political regime change causes firms to reevaluate the required skills of the CEO. Collectively, we find that political repositioning is an important determinant of CEO turnover.

Keywords: CEO turnover and political repositioning
JEL Classification: G02, G11, G12

An evolutionary perspective on cooperative behavior in gamers

Devilly, G. J., Brown, K., Pickert, I., & O'Donohue, R. (2017). An evolutionary perspective on cooperative behavior in gamers. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 6(3), 208-221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000097

Abstract: This research was the first experimental study to investigate the effect of video gaming on measures of cooperative behavior from an evolutionary standpoint. The final sample comprised a total 117 participants (39 male, 78 females), with a mean age of 24 years (SD = 8.93). Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 media conditions (violent book, violent video game, nonviolent video game, and violent TV show) and measured on prosocial behavior before any media exposure and assessed on cooperative behavior after media exposure. Novice and regular gamers did not differ on prosocial behavior before gaming. After media exposure, a self-constructed version of the iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma game was used to measure cooperation. Further analyses were then conducted to measure differences between conditions on cooperative behavior. It was found that ***regular and multiplayer gamers were not significantly higher or lower on measures of cooperative behavior compared to novices or solitary gamers***. Although nonsignificant, effect sizes were consistent with past research which suggests heightened cooperation in regular gamers. Media type exposure did not have a significant effect on cooperative behavior. Findings suggest that cooperative behavior is not less prominent in regular or multiplayer gamers than novices or solitary gamers. These results indicate that, contrary to the predictions one may make from the GAM model of violent gaming (Anderson & Bushman, 2001), violent media exposure does not appear to produce reductions in prosocial or cooperative behavior.

"contrary to the predictions one may make from the general aggression model of violent gaming, violent media exposure does not appear to produce reductions in prosocial or cooperative behavior. Regular gamers were just as prosocial and cooperative as novice gamers"

Check also: Excessive users of violent video games do not show emotional desensitization: An fMRI study. Gregor Szycik et al. Brain Imaging and Behavior, June 2017, Pages 736–743, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27086318

And: Overstated evidence for short-term effects of violent games on affect and behavior: A reanalysis of Anderson et al. (2010). By Hilgard, Joseph; Engelhardt, Christopher R.; Rouder, Jeffrey N. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 143(7), Jul 2017, 757-774. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000074

Elections and Divisiveness: Theory and Evidence

Elections and Divisiveness: Theory and Evidence. Elliott Ash, Massimo Morelli and Richard Van Weelden. Journal of Politics, http://www.nber.org/papers/w21422.pdf

Abstract: This article provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of how politicians allocate their time across issues. When voters are uncertain about an incumbent's preferences, there is a pervasive incentive to "posture" by spending too much time on divisive issues (which are more informative about a politician's preferences) at the expense of time spent on common-values issues (which provide greater benefit to voters). Higher transparency over the politicians' choices can exacerbate the distortions. These theoretical results motivate an empirical study of how Members of the US Congress allocate time across issues in their floor speeches. We find that US senators spend more time on divisive issues when they are up for election, consistent with electorally induced posturing. In addition, we find that US house members spend more time on divisive issues in response to higher news transparency.

Biased Policy Professionals -- World Bank interns are shocked, shocked! by confirmation bias.

Biased Policy Professionals. Sheheryar Banuri, Stefan Dercon, and Varun Gauri. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 8113. https://t.co/Jga1EUEkbF.

A large literature focuses on the biases of individuals and consumers, as well as “nudges” and other policies that can address those biases. Although policy decisions are often more consequential than those of individual consumers, there is a dearth of studies on the biases of policy professionals: those who prepare and implement policy on behalf of elected politicians. Experiments conducted on a novel subject pool of development policy professionals (public servants of the World Bank and the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom) show that policy professionals are indeed subject to decision making traps, including sunk cost bias, the framing of losses and gains, frame-dependent risk-aversion, and, ***most strikingly***, confirmation bias correlated with ideological priors, despite having an explicit mission to promote evidence-informed and impartial decision making. These findings should worry policy professionals and their principals in governments and large organizations, as well as citizens themselves. A further experiment, in which policy professionals engage in discussion, shows that deliberation may be able to mitigate the effects of some of these biases.

My comment: Most strikingly? They are shocked, shocked! that policy professionals show confirmation bias. What they expected? Did they do their homework?

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"If respondents evaluate data objectively and independent of prior beliefs regarding redistribution,
they should have offered equally accurate assessments of the minimum wage study and skin cream
study frames. Alternatively, if respondents are influenced by their ideologies or values, accuracy in
the minimum wage frame should have been lower than in the skin cream frame. In fact, respondents were significantly less accurate in the minimum wage treatments (45% responded with the correct answer) relative to the skin cream treatments (65% responded with the correct answer [...]"

Check also: 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

And: Wisdom and how to cultivate it: Review of emerging evidence for a constructivist model of wise thinking. Igor Grossmann. European Psychologist, in press. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/08/wisdom-and-how-to-cultivate-it-review.html