We report a novel illusion––curvature blindness illusion: a wavy line is perceived as a zigzag line

Curvature Blindness Illusion. Kohske Takahashi. i-Perception, Volume 8, issue 6, https://doi.org/10.1177/2041669517742178



Abstract: We report a novel illusion––curvature blindness illusion: a wavy line is perceived as a zigzag line. The following are required for this illusion to occur. First, the luminance contrast polarity of the wavy line against the background is reversed at the turning points. Second, the curvature of the wavy line is somewhat low; the right angle is too steep to be perceived as an illusion. This illusion implies that, in order to perceive a gentle curve, it is necessary to satisfy more conditions––constant contrast polarity––than perceiving an obtuse corner. It is notable that observers exactly “see” an illusory zigzag line against a physically wavy line, rather than have an impaired perception. We propose that the underlying mechanisms for the gentle curve perception and those of obtuse corner perception are competing with each other in an imbalanced way and the percepts of corner might be dominant in the visual system.

Keywords: contours or surfaces, curvature perception, illusion, perception

Past findings do not seem to indicate that there is a consistent preference for Coke or Pepsi in any condition

The Pepsi Paradox: A Review. George Van Doorn, Beyon Miloyan. Food Quality and Preference, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2017.11.007

Highlights
•    A neural explanation for the Pepsi Paradox is outlined.
•    The evidence for the Pepsi Paradox is highlighted and reviewed.
•    None of the existing research has provided sufficient evidence for the existence of the Pepsi Paradox.
•    Past findings do not seem to indicate that there is a consistent preference for Coke or Pepsi in any condition.

Abstract: The Pepsi Paradox refers to the observation that Pepsi is preferred to Coke in blind taste tests, despite Coke being regarded as the more successful brand. We begin by describing the origins of the Pepsi Paradox. We then outline a neural hypothesis for why it occurs. Next, we carefully assess the published behavioural studies related to the Pepsi Paradox, and on people’s ability to distinguish colas by taste. We conclude that the existing research has failed to provide sufficient evidence for the existence of the Pepsi Paradox. In fact, there does not even seem to be a consistent taste preference for either beverage in the reviewed studies.

Keywords: Coca-Cola; Coke; Identification; Preference; Taste; Choice; Consumer; Brand

Super-recognition in development: A case study of an adolescent with extraordinary face recognition skills

Super-recognition in development: A case study of an adolescent with extraordinary face recognition skills. Rachel J. Bennetts, Joseph Mole & Sarah Bate. Cognitive Neuropsychology, https://doi.org/10.1080/02643294.2017.1402755

ABSTRACT: Face recognition abilities vary widely. While face recognition deficits have been reported in children, it is unclear whether superior face recognition skills can be encountered during development. This paper presents O.B., a 14-year-old female with extraordinary face recognition skills: a “super-recognizer” (SR). O.B. demonstrated exceptional face-processing skills across multiple tasks, with a level of performance that is comparable to adult SRs. Her superior abilities appear to be specific to face identity: She showed an exaggerated face inversion effect and her superior abilities did not extend to object processing or non-identity aspects of face recognition. Finally, an eye-movement task demonstrated that O.B. spent more time than controls examining the nose - a pattern previously reported in adult SRs. O.B. is therefore particularly skilled at extracting and using identity-specific facial cues, indicating that face and object recognition are dissociable during development, and that super recognition can be detected in adolescence.

KEYWORDS: Development, eye movements, face recognition, individual differences, super-recognizers

Examining Women's Tendency To Purchase Appearance-Enhancing Products From Gay Male Sales Associates

Service That Sells: Examining Women's Tendency To Purchase Appearance-Enhancing Products From Gay Male Sales Associates. Eric M. Russell. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2017. PhD dissertation. https://uta-ir.tdl.org/uta-ir/bitstream/handle/10106/26942/RUSSELL-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf?sequence=1

Previous findings indicate that heterosexual female customers are more comfortable working with gay male—relative to straight male or female—sales associates in retail departments where apparel and beauty products are sold. However, researchers have not tested whether women’s comfort with gay male sales associates influences women’s likelihood to purchase the products that are recommended by them. In the present studies, I tested whether women’s increased comfort influences their likelihood to purchase from gay men, andI examined when this effect is most likely to occur. Specifically, I advanced the hypothesis that women are more likely to purchase from gay salesmen who recommend appearance-enhancing products that are used by women to attract potential mates. Study 1 revealed that women’s heightened comfort and trust consulting with a gay male sales associate may be associated with women’s increased intention to purchase from him. Study 2 experimentally emonstrated that women—but not men—are more likely to purchase appearance-enhancing products from gay male sales associates than from straight male or straight female sales associates. Study 3 replicated and extended these results by revealing that women’s increased likelihood to purchase these products from gay men was evident in a context in which women intended to attract a mate with the products. This set of findings not only aligns with previous psychological research examining women’s relational trust in gay men, but it also provides practical implications for business research and managerial decisions in retail settings.

Beards represent dishonest signals of formidability that may curtail escalation of intra-sexual conflict through intimidation rather than providing advantages in direct combat

Contest competition and men's facial hair: beards may not provide advantages in combat. Barnaby J.W. Dixson et al.Evolution and Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.11.004

Abstract: In contemporary human societies, where direct male-male competition is reduced compared to ancestral societies, sporting competitions remains an avenue for status acquisition via intra-sexual competition. Beards are the most visually salient and sexually dimorphic of men's secondary sexual traits and play a strong role in communicating masculinity, dominance and aggressiveness intra-sexually. Hypotheses have been advanced that beards provide advantages in intra-sexual combat, as protective organs and honest signals of fighting ability. Here we provide the first test of these hypotheses using data from professional mixed martial arts fighters competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. We explored whether secondary sexual traits (height, weight, beardedness), fighting stance (southpaw, orthodox), arm reach and past contest experiences impact on contest outcomes. If beards function as protective organs, bearded fighters should succumb to fewer knock-outs, and hence protection to injuries to the jaw, fewer abrasions and lacerations to the face and brain damage than clean-shaven fighters. Alternatively, if beards signal fighting ability then bearded fighters should win more fights. We found no evidence that beardedness was associated with fewer losses by knock-out or greater fighter ability. While fighters with longer reaches won more fights, neither stance nor past experience influenced fight outcomes. We suggest that beards represent dishonest signals of formidability that may serve to curtail the escalation of intra-sexual conflict through intimidation rather than providing advantages in direct combat.

Keywords: Sexual selection; Intra-sexual competition; Facial hair; Human evolution

Higher educated people see the less educated as more blameworthy for their situation than the poor and the working class

Educationism and the irony of meritocracy: Negative attitudes of higher educated people towards the less educated. Toon Kuppens et al. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.11.001

Highlights
•    Higher educated people show education-based intergroup bias.
•    Less educated people do not show education-based intergroup bias.
•    Less educated are seen as more blameworthy for their situation than the poor.
•    Less educated are seen as more blameworthy for their situation than working class.
•    Less educated people have negative view of their own education group.

Abstract: Social psychology has studied ethnic, gender, age, national, and other social groups but has neglected education-based groups. This is surprising given the importance of education in predicting people's life outcomes and social attitudes. We study whether and why people evaluate education-based in-groups and out-groups differently. In contrast with popular views of the higher educated as tolerant and morally enlightened, we find that higher educated participants show education-based intergroup bias: They hold more negative attitudes towards less educated people than towards highly educated people. This is true both on direct measures (Studies 1–2) and on more indirect measures (Studies 3–4). The less educated do not show such education-based intergroup bias. In Studies 5–7 we investigate attributions regarding a range of disadvantaged groups. Less educated people are seen as more responsible and blameworthy for their situation, as compared to poor people or working class people. This shows that the psychological consequences of social inequality are worse when they are framed in terms of education rather than income or occupation. Finally, meritocracy beliefs are related to higher ratings of responsibility and blameworthiness, indicating that the processes we study are related to ideological beliefs. The findings are discussed in light of the role that education plays in the legitimization of social inequality.

Keywords: Educationism; Attribution; Intergroup bias; Education-based groups

A categorization of enjoyable emotions

A categorization of enjoyable emotions. Laura E. Graham, Andrew L. Thomson, Jeanne Nakamura, Irene A. Brandt & Jason T. Siegel. The Journal of Positive Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2017.1402074

Abstract: Responding to burgeoning scholarship examining discrete positive emotions, the overarching goals of the current review are to provide a summary of 28 enjoyable emotions and to offer an initial classification of these emotions into families. The families of discrete enjoyable emotions, many proposed for the first time, are as follows: (1) Self-praising emotions (authentic pride, fiero, naches, feeling respected), (2) other-praising emotions (admiration, elevation, gratitude, inspiration), (3) past-oriented emotions (forgiveness, nostalgia, relief), (4) future-oriented emotions (anticipatory enthusiasm, courage, determination, hope), (5) hazardous emotions (lust, schadenfreude, hubristic pride), (6) affectionate emotions (love, attachment love, tenderness, positive empathy), (7) arousal-defined emotions (euphoria, serenity), (8) violation-elicited emotions (amusement, awe, curiosity, positive surprise).This review describes how the 28 enjoyable emotions were selected, outlines the classification process generating the families of enjoyable emotions, provides a brief summary of current scholarship on each emotion, and concludes with a discussion of fertile future directions.

Keywords: Emotion, positive emotion, enjoyable emotion, discrete emotion

Swearing increases strength and power performance

Effect of swearing on strength and power performance. Richard Stephens, David K. Spierer, Emmanuel Katehis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.014

Highlights
•    Shows that swearing can increase performance of a task of physical power.
•    Shows that swearing can increase performance of a task of physical strength.
•    Does not find any evidence that autonomic arousal may underlie these effects.

Abstract

Objectives: Swearing aloud increases pain tolerance. The hypothesis that this response may be owed to an increase in sympathetic drive raises the intriguing question as to whether swearing results in an improvement in strength and power.

Design: Employing repeated measures designs, we evaluated the effect of repeating a swear word v. a neutral word on strength and power during anaerobic and isometric exercise through two experiments.

Method: Experiment #1 (n = 29) employed the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test (WAnT). Experiment #2 (n = 52) employed an isometric handgrip test.

Results: Greater maximum performance was observed in the swearing conditions compared with the non-swearing conditions for WAnT power (Experiment #1; dz = 0.618, p = 0.002) and hand grip strength (Experiment #2; dz = 0.962, p < 0.001). However, swearing did not affect cardiovascular or autonomic function assessed via heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure and skin conductance.

Conclusions: Data demonstrate increased strength and power performance for swearing v. not swearing but the absence of cardiovascular or autonomic nervous system effects makes it unclear whether these results are due to an alteration of sympathovagal balance or an unknown mechanism.

Keywords: Power; Isometric grip; Wingate Anaerobic Power Test (WAnT); Autonomic function; Swearing

We believe that fake news have greater effects on out-group members than on ouselves or our group mates

Third person effects of fake news: Fake news regulation and media literacy interventions. S. Mo Janga, Joon K. Kimb. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.034

Research Highlights
•    Individuals showed third-person perception concerning the influence of fake news.
•    Social undesirability, partisan identity, and efficacy were positive predictors of third-person perception.
•    Third-perseon perception leads to support for media literacy intervention to combat fake news.
•    Third-person perception leads to rejection of media regulation approach.

Abstract: Although the actual effect of fake news online on voters’ decisions is still unknown, concerns over the perceived effect of fake news online have prevailed in the US and other countries. Based on an analysis of survey responses from national samples (n = 1,299) in the US, we found a strong tendency of the third-person perception. That is, individuals believed that fake news would have greater effects on out-group members than themselves or in-group members. Additionally, we proposed a theoretical path model, identifying the antecedents and consequences of the third-person perception. The results showed that partisan identity, social undesirability of content, and external political efficacy were positive predictors of the third-person perception. Interestingly, our findings revealed that third-person perception led to different ways of combating fake news online. Those with a greater level of third-person perception were more likely to support the media literacy approach but less likely to support the media regulation approach.

Keywords: fake news; third-person effect; fake news regulation; media literacy; partisan identity

Experimental evidence that female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) perceive variation in male facial masculinity

Experimental evidence that female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) perceive variation in male facial masculinity. Kevin A Rosenfield, Stuart Semple, Alexander V Georgiev, Dario Maestripieri, James P HIgham, Constance Dubuc. BioRxiv, Nov 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/222810

Abstract: Among many primate species, face shape is sexually dimorphic, and male facial masculinity has been proposed to influence female mate choice and male-male competition. However, whether conspecifics pay attention to facial masculinity has only been assessed in humans. In a study of free-ranging rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, we used a two alternative look-time experiment to test whether females perceive male facial masculinity. We presented 107 females with pairs of images of male faces, one with a more masculine shape and one more feminine, and recorded their looking behaviour. Females looked at the masculine face longer than at the feminine face in more trials than predicted by chance. Although there was no overall difference in average look-time between masculine and feminine faces across all trials, females looked significantly longer at masculine faces in a subset of trials for which the within-pair difference in masculinity was most pronounced. Additionally, the proportion of time subjects looked toward the masculine face increased as the within-pair difference in masculinity increased. This study provides evidence that female macaques perceive variation in male facial shape, a necessary condition for intersexual selection to operate on such a trait. It also highlights the potential impact of perceptual thresholds on look-time experiments.

Can the positive effects of inspiration be extended to different domains?

Klein JW, Case TI, Fitness J. Can the positive effects of inspiration be extended to different domains? J Appl Soc Psychol. 2017;00:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12487

Abstract: It is presently unknown whether inspiration extends across different domains: can a salesperson, for example, be inspired by a successful athlete? The present study investigated whether inspirational content must be relevant to a subsequent task to improve performance. Participants (N = 70) wrote about a time they felt inspired in a sporting context (domain-relevant), creative context (domain-irrelevant); or amused (positive control). Participants then held a handgrip, with the option of giving up or continuing to exhaustion. Regardless of the relevance of the inspirational content to the performance task, inspired participants were less likely to give up than controls. This is the first research to show that the benefits of inspiration reach beyond the domain defined by the inspiring event.

What kind of love is love at first sight? Frequently unrequited.

ZSOK, F., HAUCKE, M., DE WIT, C. Y. and BARELDS, D. P. H. (2017), What kind of love is love at first sight? An empirical investigation. Pers Relationship. doi:10.1111/pere.12218

Abstract: Love at first sight (LAFS) is a commonly known phenomenon, but has barely been investigated scientifically. Major psychological theories of love predict that LAFS is marked by high passion. However, it could also be a memory confabulation construed by couples to enhance their relationship. We investigated LAFS empirically by assessing feelings of love at the moment participants met potential partners for the first time. Data were collected from an online study, a laboratory study, and three dating events. Experiences of LAFS were marked neither by high passion, nor by intimacy, nor by commitment. Physical attraction was highly predictive of reporting LAFS. We therefore suggest that LAFS is not a distinct form of love, but rather a strong initial attraction that some label as LAFS, either in the moment of first sight or retrospectively.

Dreaming contains abundant references from recent dreamer’s own life, following a surprising 7 day U-shaped timescale (most recent and most old memories in the 7-day period)

Eichenlaub JB., Cash S.S., Blagrove M. (2017) Daily Life Experiences in Dreams and Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation. In: Axmacher N., Rasch B. (eds) Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory Consolidation. Studies in Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavioral Economics. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45066-7_10

Abstract: Memories constitute much of the source material for our dreams. Although waking life events are not faithfully replayed in dreams, dream content arises from recent daily experiences. Numerous empirical studies and theoretical accounts highlight the key function of sleep in the consolidation of newly learned memories, raising the question how reference to waking memories in dreams relates to ongoing memory-related processes that take place during sleep. This review attempts to present first the current knowledge of the incorporation of waking memories in dreams by highlighting three main features of this phenomenon i.e. (1) dreaming contains abundant references from recent dreamer’s own life, (2) the wake-dream relation can follow a surprising 7 day U-shaped timescale and (3) salient/intense waking events are more easily incorporated than indistinct/less-intense waking events. Second, this review attempts to discuss the relationship between this phenomenon and the memory-related processes that take place during sleep. The features of the incorporation of waking memories in dreams are in line with some characteristics of the memory processing hypothesized to take place during sleep, suggesting that dreaming might reflect this memory processing. However, substantial limitations and alternative hypotheses must be regarded and addressed in future studies to clarify the link between dream content and sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

Off-label treatments were not consistently better or worse than approved drug treatments in randomized trials

Off-label treatments were not consistently better or worse than approved drug treatments in randomized trials. Aviv Ladanie et al. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.11.006

Highlights

---What is already known
⁃    Off-label drug use is highly prevalent in clinical practice, but its use is controversial and often discouraged
⁃    Lack of regulatory approval nourishes the assumption that off-label drug treatment effects are systematically less favourable compared to approved drug treatments
⁃    However, this assumption has never been empirically assessed using clinical trial evidence

---What this study adds
⁃    Medical effects associated with off-label drug use are highly heterogeneous and do not appear to be systematically inferior when compared to approved drug treatments
⁃    Relying on the approval status of drugs should not replace thorough assessment of benefits and harms on a case by case basis to ensure that patients receive the best available care

Abstract

Background: Off-label drug use is highly prevalent, but controversial and often discouraged assuming generally inferior medical effects associated with off-label use.

Methods: We searched Medline, PubMed Health and the Cochrane Library up to May 2015 for systematic reviews including meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing off-label and approved drugs head-to-head in any population and on any medical outcome. We combined the comparative effects in meta-analyses providing summary odds ratios (sOR) for each treatment comparison and outcome, and then calculated an overall summary of the sOR across all comparisons (ssOR).

Results: We included 25 treatment comparisons with 153 RCTs and 24 592 patients. In six of 25 comparisons (24%), off-label drugs were significantly superior (five of 25) or inferior (one of 25) to approved treatments. There was substantial statistical heterogeneity across comparisons (I2=43%). Overall, off-label drugs were more favorable than approved treatments (ssOR 0.72; 95% CI=0.54-0.95). Analyses of patient-relevant outcomes were similar (statistical significant differences in 24% (six of 25); ssOR 0.74; 95% CI=0.56-0.98; I2=60%). Analyses of primary outcomes of the systematic reviews (n=22 comparisons) indicated less heterogeneity and no statistically significant difference overall (ssOR 0.85; 95% CI=0.67-1.06; I2=0%).

Conclusions: Approval status does not reliably indicate which drugs are more favorable in situations with clinical trial evidence comparing off-label with approved use. Drug effectiveness assessments without considering off-label use may provide incomplete information. To ensure that patients receive the best available care, funding, policy, reimbursement, and treatment decisions should be evidence based considering the entire spectrum of available therapeutic choices.

Love Influences Reproductive Success in A Traditional Hunter-Gatherer Population

Love Influences Reproductive Success in Humans. Piotr Sorokowski et al. Front. Psychol., 21 November 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01922

Abstract: As love seems to be universal, researchers have attempted to find its biological basis. However, no studies till date have shown its direct association with reproductive success, which is broadly known to be a good measure of fitness. Here, we show links between love, as defined by the Sternberg Triangular Theory of Love, and reproductive success among the Hadza—traditional hunter-gatherer population. We found that commitment and reproductive success were positively and consistently related in both sexes, with number of children showing negative and positive associations with intimacy and passion, respectively, only among women. Our study may shed new light on the meaning of love in humans' evolutionary past, especially in traditional hunter-gatherer societies in which individuals, not their parents, were responsible for partner choice. We suggest that passion and commitment may be the key factors that increase fitness, and therefore, that selection promoted love in human evolution. However, further studies in this area are recommended.

Envy (pity) could involve misperceiving that envied (pitied) others have lives that are uniformly wonderful (awful)

(Mis)imagining the good life and the bad life: Envy and pity as a function of the focusing illusion. Ed O'Brien et al. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 75, March 2018, Pages 41–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.10.002

Highlights
•    People often overweight salient features and neglect small nuances of judgment targets.
•    This “focalism” was applied to better understanding why people feel envy and pity.
•    People neglect everyday ups and downs of envied others, (wrongly) assuming life is uniformly good.
•    People neglect everyday ups and downs of pitied others, (wrongly) assuming life is uniformly bad.
•    These inflated emotional reactions can be reduced by some, not all, defocusing tasks.

Abstract: Envy is a negative state arising when we encounter others with more desirable circumstances than our own. Its converse is pity, a negative state elicited by downward comparisons towards worse-off others. Both classes of emotions first require us to infer what a person's life as a whole must be like. However, the “focusing illusion” suggests these impressions of others are incomplete: we may overweight extreme features (the exceptionally good circumstances of envied others and exceptionally bad circumstances of pitied others) at the cost of overlooking the smaller ups and downs of daily life, which inevitably dilute the other person's overall experience. If so, envy and pity could involve misperceiving that envied others have lives that are uniformly wonderful (overlooking that they still face smaller annoyances) and pitied others have lives that are uniformly awful (overlooking that they still enjoy smaller pleasures). Five studies support this possibility. First, participants evaluated different peers. Consistent with focalism, the more envy and pity they felt, the more disparities they perceived (Study 1)—yet the actual everyday lives of envied and pitied others were similar (Study 2). Participants then completed various defocusing tasks designed to bring to mind others' smaller ups and downs. This indeed reduced envy and pity (Studies 3–4a–4b–5), but pity proved harder to reduce (Studies 4b–5). These studies suggest the same underlying focalism may inflate feelings of envy and pity, with asymmetric regulation strategies: small annoyances spoil perceptions of a good life more than small pleasures enhance perceptions of a bad life.

Keywords: Social judgment; Focalism; Everyday life

About the girls... Alcohol does not influence the selection of short-term partners with dark triad traits

A drunk heart speaks a sober mind: Alcohol does not influence the selection of short-term partners with dark triad traits. Gayle Brewer, Paul Christiansen, Diana Dorozkinaite, Beth Ingleby, Lauren O'Hagan, Charlotte Williams, Minna Lyons. Personality and Individual Differences, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.028

Highlights
•    Women were averse to high dark triad faces.
•    Women perceived men high on dark triad traits as dangerous.
•    Alcohol consumption did not influence ratings of facial composites.

Abstract: Previous research has found that women dislike facial morphs of high dark triad (i.e., psychopathic, Machiavellian, and narcissistic) men. In this study, we tested the influence of alcohol on mate choice and perceptions of danger in dark triad faces. Women (N = 96) were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: control; alcohol; or placebo. In two alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) tasks, participants were first asked to choose between high and low morphs as short-term partners, and then to identify the face they found more dangerous. Analyses indicate that women were averse to male faces with high levels of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism for short-term relationships. Women also perceived men whose faces displayed high levels of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism to be dangerous. Preference for short-term partners with high or low levels of each dark triad trait and perceived danger did not differ across the experimental conditions. Findings are consistent with previous research indicating that women dislike male faces high on dark triad traits. Findings further suggest that faces high on each dark triad trait are perceived to be dangerous and perceptions of dark triad traits are not influenced by alcohol consumption.

Keywords: Alcohol; Dark triad; Facial preference; Machiavellianism; Narcissism; Psychopathy; Threat

Synthetic Copulin Does Not Affect Men’s Sexual Behavior

Synthetic Copulin Does Not Affect Men’s Sexual Behavior. Megan N. Williams, Coren Apicella. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-017-0083-y

Abstract: Chemical communication plays an important role in the social interactions and mating behavior of diverse animal taxa; yet its role in humans remains equivocal. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled experiment involving 243 male participants, we test whether exposure to synthetic copulin – a mixture of volatile fatty acids secreted vaginally in primates, increases 1) men’s sexual motivation using an incentivized behavioral task, 2) self-reported willingness to take sexual risks, 3) preference for short-term mating, 4) perceptions of female attractiveness and 5) self-reported mate value. Because chemical receptors are found throughout the body and human chemosensory pathways have yet to be definitively identified, we also manipulate the location of copulin exposure (i.e. olfactory epithelium versus epidermal keratinocytes in the genital region). Finally, we examine whether prior sexual experience mediate any behavioral effects. Unlike previous reports, we fail to find any effects of copulin exposure on measures of men’s sexual behavior.

Soda Consumption and Taxation as a Test of Self-Interested Voting Behavior

Brock, C. and Kelly, K. J. (2017), Pennies for Pounds: Soda Consumption and Taxation as a Test of Self-Interested Voting Behavior. World Medical & Health Policy, 9: 418–434. doi:10.1002/wmh3.249

Abstract: Utilizing 2014 Texas Lyceum Poll data, we determine whether voters would support instating a soda tax in Texas. We use self-reported statements of political ideology, perceptions of public health, and soda consumption to examine what happens when voters face conflict between ideological preferences and consumption habits. We expect that liberals who do not drink large quantities of soda will support a soda tax in keeping with the liberal philosophy of supporting government involvement in public health; however, for liberals who more frequently drink soda, we expect they will be less likely to support a soda tax because it conflicts with their financial self-interest. We find evidence in support of these expectations. We also find that conservatives who view public health as poor are more likely to think sociotropically and to support a soda tax. These results suggest that soda-tax advocates should prime public health considerations to garner public support.

About the girls... Lack of cyclical shifts in facial symmetry, and facial and body masculinity preferences—a hormone based study

La donna è mobile? Lack of cyclical shifts in facial symmetry, and facial and body masculinity preferences—a hormone based study. Urszula M. Marcinkowska, Andrzej Galbarczyk, Grazyna Jasienska. Psychoneuroendocrinology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.11.007

Highlights
•    Participants’ fertility was measured with LH-based ovulation tests and multiple oestradiol leve measurements per cycle.
•    Each participants attended three meetings throughout one menstrual cycle.
•    We found no significant differences between women’s preferences for either body or facial masculinity, or for facial symmetry.
•    Differences remained non-significant after controlling for participants’ sexual openness, relationship status, and self-judged attractiveness.

Abstract: Although under investigation for more than two decades, a common agreement on the occurrence of cyclical shifts in women’s masculinity and symmetry preferences is still missing. Such shifts are considered to be an important feature of sexual selection as they supposedly direct women’s attention towards cues for “good genes” (e.g. masculinity and symmetry) during times when probability of conception is the highest. Multiple studies have, however, failed to find these shifts. We attempt to address this lack of agreement analysing a sample of 110 healthy women, using intra-participant design and repeated measurements of oestradiol and LH during the cycle. To ensure the reliable detection of increased conception probability, both LH- based ovulation tests and multiple oestradiol measurements were used. We found no significant differences between women’s preferences during different cycle phases for either body or facial masculinity, or for facial symmetry. Differences remained non-significant after controlling for participants’ sexual openness, relationship status, and self-judged attractiveness. We suggest that putative cyclical shifts in preferences for cues for good genes are either very small (impossible to be tracked even with a relatively large sample) or they are far more complex than previously assumed, and further studies accounting for more confounding variables should be undertaken.

Keywords: Sexual preferences; Facial masculinity; Estradiol; LH Surge; Cyclical Changes

Criminals with higher verbal IQs were more likely to avoid arrest for criminal behavior

The role of verbal intelligence in becoming a successful criminal: Results from a longitudinal sample. Cashen M. Boccio, Kevin M. Beaver, Joseph A. Schwartz. Intelligence, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2017.10.003

Highlights
•    We examined the relationship between verbal IQ and criminal success.
•    Verbal IQ was significantly associated with criminal justice processing.
•    Criminals with higher verbal IQs were more likely to avoid arrest for criminal behavior.

Abstract: Intelligence has been linked with success across a wide array of life domains. To date, however, relatively little research has examined whether intelligence may predict criminal success—that is, engaging in criminal behaviors, but escaping detection and arrest. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining the associations among verbal intelligence, criminal involvement, and criminal justice processing (i.e., arrest) using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Our findings reveal that verbal intelligence is associated with criminal justice processing, wherein individuals with higher verbal intelligence scores are more likely to avoid arrest for criminal behavior when compared with individuals with comparatively lower verbal intelligence scores. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research.

Keywords: Arrest; Criminal behavior; Intelligence

There was no significant difference in health status between former drinkers and lifetime abstainers in study of Koreans aged 40-69

The Association Between Health Changes and Cessation of Alcohol Consumption. Ji-Eun Park, Yeonhee Ryu, Sung-Il Cho. Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 52, Issue 3, 1 May 2017, Pages 344–350. https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agw089

Abstract

Aims: To assess whether health changes affect cessation of alcohol consumption and to compare the health status of former drinkers and abstainers.

Methods: Cohort data from 9001 Korean participants aged 40–69 years old were analyzed. Alcohol consumption was assessed every 2 years for 10 years. Participant age, sex, marital status, education level, employment status, smoking, chronic disease, perceived health and changes in these variables were analyzed to identify factors associated with quitting alcohol drinking. The number of diseases and perceived health of former drinkers and people who at baseline were lifetime abstainers were compared.

Results: Among 4037 drinkers at baseline, 673 (16.7%) were classed as quitters and 3364 (83.3%) were classed as non-quitters. Sex, age and worsened perception of health were significantly associated with cessation of drinking. Women and individuals >60 years were more likely to cease drinking. There was a significant association between disease onset or treatment and alcohol cessation for cancer cases, but not for cardiovascular disease or chronic disease cases. There was no significant difference in number of diseases or perceived health between former drinkers and people who at baseline were lifetime abstainers.

Conclusions: The effect of disease onset or treatment on alcohol consumption cessation depended on disease type. Former drinkers did not show significantly worse health than people who at baseline were lifetime abstainers. Further studies of alcohol consumption and its effects on health are needed to consider disease occurrence and changes in alcohol consumption.

Short summary: Disease onset or treatment significantly affected alcohol consumption cessation for cancer cases, but not for cardiovascular disease or other chronic disease cases. There was no significant difference in health status between former drinkers and lifetime abstainers.

Perceived Entitlement Causes Discrimination Against Attractive Job Candidates in the Domain of Relatively Less Desirable Jobs

Lee, M., Pitesa, M., Pillutla, M. M., & Thau, S. (2017). Perceived Entitlement Causes Discrimination Against Attractive Job Candidates in the Domain of Relatively Less Desirable Jobs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000114

Abstract: People generally hold positive stereotypes of physically attractive people and because of those stereotypes often treat them more favorably. However, we propose that some beliefs about attractive people, specifically, the perception that attractive individuals have a greater sense of entitlement than less attractive individuals, can result in negative treatment of attractive people. We examine this in the context of job selection and propose that for relatively less desirable jobs, attractive candidates will be discriminated against. We argue that the ascribed sense of entitlement to good outcomes leads to perceptions that attractive individuals are more likely to be dissatisfied working in relatively less desirable jobs. When selecting candidates for relatively less desirable jobs, decision makers try to ascertain whether a candidate would be satisfied in those jobs, and the stereotype of attractive individuals feeling entitled to good outcomes makes decision makers judge attractive candidates as more likely to be dissatisfied in relatively less (but not more) desirable jobs. Consequently, attractive candidates are discriminated against in the selection for relatively less desirable jobs. Four experiments found support for this theory. Our results suggest that different discriminatory processes operate when decision makers select among candidates for relatively less desirable jobs and that attractive people might be systematically discriminated against in a segment of the workforce.

Although “Lehman Sisters” may have acted quite differently from “Lehman Brothers,” the differences in outcomes may often be substantially smaller than the differences observed in the average behavior of males and females

Do Gender Preference Gaps Impact Policy Outcomes? Ranehill, Eva, and Weber, Roberto A. University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics, Working Papers in Economics #713. https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/gunwpe/0713.html

Abstract: A large body of evidence documents systematic gender differences in a variety of important economic preferences, such as risk-taking, competition and pro-sociality. One potential implication of this literature is that increased female representation in decision-making bodies may significantly affect organizational and policy outcomes. However, research has yet to establish a direct connection from gender differences in simple economic choice tasks, to voting over policy and to the resulting outcomes. We conduct a laboratory experiment to provide a test of such a connection. In small laboratory “societies,” people repeatedly vote for a redistribution policy and engage in a real-effort production task. In this environment, we observe a substantial difference in voting behavior, with women voting for significantly more egalitarian redistribution policies. This gender difference is large relative to other differences based on observable characteristics and is partly explained by gender gaps in economic preferences and in beliefs about relative performance. Gender voting gaps persist with experience and in environments with varying degrees of risk. We also observe policy differences between male- and female-controlled groups, though these are considerably smaller than the mean individual differences—a natural consequence of the aggregation of individual preferences into collective outcomes. Thus, we provide evidence for why substantial and robust gender differences in preferences may often fail to translate into differential policy outcomes with increased female representation in policymaking.

Check also: Individual risk preferences and the demand for redistribution. Manja Gärtner, Johanna Mollerstrom and David Seim. Journal of Public Economics, v 153, September 2017, Pages 49-55. http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/08/individual-risk-preferences-and-demand.html

The Selfish Brain: What Matters Is My Body, not Yours?

The Selfish Brain: What Matters Is My Body, not Yours? Yoshiaki Kikuchi, Madoka Noriuchi. Chp 5 in Emotional Engineering, Vol. 6. https://www.springerprofessional.de/the-selfish-brain-what-matters-is-my-body-not-yours/15234916

Abstract: Our behavioral response to our own crisis situations activates an automatic neural mechanism for protecting ourselves, while our response to others’ crisis situations is not always toward saving them. That is, this automatic neural mechanism is implemented in our brain essentially for protecting not others, but the self, based on a biological principle. In this regard, it can be said that we have a type of Selfish Brain mechanism, which works primarily for protecting the self. Here, we focused on bodily unstable situations, and investigated whether the Selfish Brain could be observed or not, by viewing these bodily unstable situations of the self and others, and comparing the neural and behavioral responses, based on a third-person perspective paradigm. We found significant brain activity specific to one’s own bodily crisis, but no significant activity in others’ crisis situations. These self-specific regions included the regions that would be activated during genuine unstable bodily states: the right parieto-insular vestibular cortex, inferior frontal junction, posterior insula, and parabrachial nucleus. These right-lateralized cortical and brainstem regions may mediate vestibular information processing for detection of vestibular anomalies, defensive motor responding (in which the necessary motor responses are automatically prepared/simulated to protect one’s own body), and sympathetic activity, as a form of alarm response during whole-body instability. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the self and others in terms of subjective feelings. These findings suggest that the Selfish Brain mechanism is integral to our brains, and it works unconsciously and automatically to resolve one’s own crisis.