Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Letters To A Spanish Youngster CCLXVII

Letters To A Spanish Youngster CCLXVII

[...]

Your Honor whose being so far from this humble being makes Your follower crushed by aprehension and pain, which at times seem to guiding him to the kingdom of death,/Su Señoría cuyo estar tan alejado de este humilde ser hace a Su seguidor aplastado por la congoja y el dolor, que parecen a veces conducirle al reino de la muerte,

I keep making good use of this poet, the young ibn Gabirol*:/Sigo haciendo uso de este poeta, el joven ibn Gabirol:

[To some Jacob/A un tal Jacob]

                                                      [Mi alma del miedo de amar agoniza,

                                                       [...]

                                                       De ir en su zaga mis juicios se hicieron endebles;

                                                       el hado me acosa

                                                       y yo estoy exangüe.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Estoy hastiado de mis pensamientos,

                                                       combato el tumulto de angustia que encierra mi alma

                                                       y estoy prosternado.

                                                       [...]

                                                       desde hace algún tiempo naufrago en un mar de torpeza.

                                                       ¿Quién es quien camina

                                                       en alas de mi alma

                                                       y planta en el huerto de amores un árbol

                                                       de amor?

                                                       [...]

                                                       Amigo, a ti vienen los versos más dulces:

                                                       con ellos se ablanda mi alma y se hiende.

                                                       Mi espíritu ofrezco en rescate de un canto de loa,

                                                       que surte de fuente preciada

                                                       y fluye de un río esplendente;

                                                       que cae cual rocío encima del heno;

                                                       retorna las almas de aquellos que son sus amantes

                                                       y así las redime de ir al sheol.

                                                       Le son de mis cantos los temas livianos;

                                                       pues tal es la altura de sus cualidades

                                                       que llega hasta el cielo.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Al ver frente a frente su cara, librose

                                                       mi alma que ayer expiraba.]


[On rab Nisim/Sobre rab Nisim]

                                                      [Acerca de mi alma preguntasteis

                                                       quién fuera su sustento;

                                                       y cuando las angustias aumentaron,

                                                       qué quien la mantenía.      Estabais asombrados

                                                       de que la golpearan las tristezas

                                                       y en pie se mantuviera, no logrando

                                                       la pena derribarla.

                                                       Que esto no os asombre: asombraos

                                                       de [Martin], que habita dentro de ella.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Vosotros, mis amigos      más íntimos, llevadle

                                                       saludos a mi amado;

                                                       la bendición reciba de un discípulo

                                                       en cuyos ojos es      más caro que su alma,

                                                       la cual ahora derrama en su presencia.

                                                       [...]

                                                       En ti cavilo siempre:

                                                       si tú fueras el uno,      yo te prolongaría;

                                                       malhaya si olvidara      mi alma tu alianza

                                                       y lloro sin descanso. [...]

                                                       Que paz en abundancia      y gracias tengas cerca

                                                       y tanta salvaguardia      que nadie la calcule.]

The "one" is a reference to "Yahweh is one," and to the reward that the tradition promises to those who extend "one" while making the declaration of faith./El uno es por la cláusula "Yahvé es uno", y el premio que la tradición asigna al que prolonga "uno" al recitar la profesión de fe.


[On rabbi Isaac's leaving/Ante la partida de rabí Isaac]

                                                      [Amigos míos,

                                                       suplicadle mi sueño:

                                                       quizás en sueños logre ver sus relámpagos.

                                                       [...]

                                                       lloremos por los días de adolescencia

                                                       como el mercador llora

                                                       la decadencia de los mercados.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Despojó el corazón de [muchos];

                                                       yo fui de los primeros que ha despojado.

                                                       [...]

                                                       De esperanza y de espera me dejó preso;

                                                       ¿quién me diera que fuera de sus librados?

                                                       [...]

                                                       ¿Y como va a dejar en mi seno el pago

                                                       de mi amor [...]?

                                                       Que justicia y clemencia son sus asiduos;

                                                       le amamantan la ciencia y el buen consejo.

                                                       Ojalá yo no sea sino el amigo

                                                       que retribuye el pago de los amores

                                                       y sus decretos.

                                                       Yo te elogio y tú eres el mismo elogio de mis palabras;

                                                       y un cuello tan hermoso que sus ollares

                                                       los engalana.]


[To a wise and powerful man/A un hombre sabio y poderoso]

                                                      [Exulta, alma mía, y en canto prorrumpa tu habla.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Arranca una rosa, un lirio desprende, un mirto desgaja;

                                                       [...]

                                                       Agarra en las manos un cáliz y un vaso

                                                       tomando al amado por suerte y fortuna

                                                       y huélgate estando los vates reunidos.

                                                       Exige alborozo; expulsa la pena; el júbilo excava;

                                                       [...]

                                                       Profiere alegría; en el campamento

                                                       el juicio aposenta. Adquiere sapiencia

                                                       y alumbra las faces de tu principal.

                                                       Entónale un cántico al noble varón

                                                       cumplido y excelso.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Y ¡qué esplendoroso, qué limpio y qué puro es su dicho!,

                                                       cabeza de honrados, alférez, señor de tu siglo.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Es árbol frondoso, plantel de delicias y fiel mensajero;

                                                       es dulce cual es el maná.

                                                       [...] tiene un rocío que alumbra el camino de todas sus

                                                                                                                           hablas.

                                                       [...] aunque es muy humilde,

                                                       se goza la luna de ser su sirviente.

                                                       [...] tiene la gracia del ciervo

                                                       y un bálsamo lleva en su boca.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Joyel son sus hablas

                                                       [...]

                                                       En el aposento de lo deleitable

                                                       él solo se yergue.

                                                       [...] se recubre

                                                       de luz cual de un manto.

                                                       El brillo del alba lo infunde su aspecto,

                                                       la luz de la luna la emana su lustre

                                                       y de sus destello proviene el destello.

                                                       Es bueno de acciones; humilde y modesto de espíritu;

                                                       [...]

                                                       Saberes expresa;

                                                       [...]

                                                       Su fruto codicias;

                                                       feliz tú si pones en él tu esperanza.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Es roja y radiante la luz del amado y hermano,

                                                       es gozo de aquel que suspira.

                                                       Exulta, alma mía, y en canto prorrumpa tu habla.]


Weeping gently for being so far from Your voice and body features as the merchant weeps for the failing market, Yours faithfully/Llorando suavemente por estar tan lejos de Su voz y formas corporales como el mercader llora por la decadencia de los mercados*, Suyo fielmente

                 a. r. ante Su Señoría

--

Notes

*  Adapted from Selected Poems of Solomon ibn Gabirol, translated by Peter Cole (Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 2001), & the Spanish version from Selomó ibn Gabirol—Poesía secular, by Elena Romero (Madrid: Alfaguara, 1978)


Sexual attraction to men as a risk factor for eating disorders: the role of mating expectancies and drive for thinness

Sexual attraction to men as a risk factor for eating disorders: the role of mating expectancies and drive for thinness. Pedro María Ruiz de Assin Varela, Jose Manuel Caperos & Elena Gismero-González. Journal of Eating Disorders volume 10, Article number: 52. Apr 15 2022. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40337-022-00576-z

Abstract

Background: Men tend to give more importance than women to physical aspects when selecting a partner; thus, the internalization of beauty standards and the ideal of thinness may be greater in populations attracted to men, placing them at a higher risk of eating disorders.

Methods: In a sample (n = 398) of heterosexual and gay men and women, we evaluated the drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and bulimic symptomatology. Using ANCOVAs, we analyzed the differences in symptoms score according to sex, sexual orientation and relational status including body mass index (BMI) as covariate; we also evaluated the mediating role of drive for thinness in the relationship between sexual orientation and body dissatisfaction.

Results: We found an increased drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction in men-attracted compared with women-attracted participants; also, body dissatisfaction was greater in women than in men. Heterosexual women presented higher bulimia scores than lesbian women. Gay men open to relationships presented higher drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction scores than those not-open to relationships. Finally, differences in body dissatisfaction between gay and heterosexual men were fully explained by drive for thinness, while, in the case of women, drive for thinness only partially explained these differences.

Conclusions: Attraction to men seems to be a risk factor for EDs in the case of gay men and heterosexual women. In addition, in the case of heterosexual women, other factors independent of the desire to attract men seem to be important.

Plain English summary: Eating disorders (EDs) are important and common diseases that affect different groups of people differently. Specifically, various studies show a higher prevalence of eating disorders in gay men and heterosexual women. This could be interpreted to be a result of their attraction to men, who tend to place a greater importance on physical attractiveness when looking for a partner. In this study, we compared different ED symptomatology (drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and bulimia) in a sample of heterosexual and gay men and women, addressing their relationship with sex, sexual orientation, and relational status. We found an increased drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction in men-attracted (gay men and heterosexual women) compared with women-attracted participants (heterosexual men and lesbian women); also, body dissatisfaction was greater in women than in men regardless of the sexual orientation. Finally, heterosexual women presented higher bulimia scores than lesbian women, and gay men open to relationships presented higher drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction scores than those not-open to relationships (and therefore less inclined to try to attract other people sexually). In summation, our results seem to support the idea that attraction to men seems to be a risk factor for EDs in the case of gay men and heterosexual women, although, in the case of women other factors that are independent of sexual orientation should also be important.

Discussion

Regarding the first aim of the study, and as previously described in the literature [781216], heterosexual women and gay men presented greater ED symptomatology than lesbian women and heterosexual men, but these differences depended on the specific symptomatology evaluated. In the case of drive for thinness, differences appeared in the men-attracted group, and, in this group, symptomatology was greater in men than women; Body dissatisfaction was greater in men-attracted participants regardless of their sex but was also higher in women regardless of their sexual orientation; Bulimia symptomatology was much greater in heterosexual than in lesbian women and was similar to men, regardless of their sexual orientation.

As proposed by Siever [27], ED risk may be partially driven by mating motivations. Given that men place more importance on body shape and physical features than women when choosing potential partners [26], people attracted to men may be under greater pressure to have an attractive physique, focusing on those aspects that are mainly considered to be attractive. The thin-ideal is typically the most widespread Western ideal of beauty [43]; and the internalization of thin-ideal places men-attracted people at risk of body dissatisfaction symptomatology. In recent years, the use of social media has been widely related to the exposure and internalization of such ideals [44,45,46,47,48]. Social networks affect the self-image of both men and women and, therefore, their idealized content serves as a comparison criterion for both sexes [49].

Gay men presented the highest drive for thinness scores of the four groups, higher than heterosexual women, suggesting a particular vulnerability to thin-ideal internalization. Some studies reported that bisexual and gay men are more susceptible than heterosexual men to social messages focusing on physical appearance [50] and place more importance on physical appearance and attractiveness [51]. Notably, Gigi et al. [50] found that they showed increased attention to social comparison information, increased internalization of cultural ideals presented in the media about appearance, and susceptibility to the influence of advertisements that emphasize appearance, which was interpreted as a consequence of interest to please other men. In this regard, Li et al. [30] reported that, when faced with a context of intrasexual competition, gay men reported more restrictive eating attitudes and more body image concerns than in non-competitive scenarios or than heterosexual men. According to the authors, contexts of intrasexual competition should elicit desires to be especially thin for many individuals given that intrasexual competition is established in relation to those characteristics that are desirable.

In the case of body dissatisfaction, on the one hand, we found a main effect of sexual orientation. Body dissatisfaction was higher in gay men than in heterosexual men, and also in heterosexual woman than in lesbian women. He et al. [52] analyzed 75 primary studies published between 1986 and 2019, finding that sexual minority men had a higher level of body dissatisfaction than heterosexual men (57 studies, 128 effect sizes), with small to medium effect sizes. This result partially support Siever’s view, as well as suggesting that the internalization of thin-ideal by women and gay men places men-attracted people at risk of body dissatisfaction symptomatology. Meanwhile, on the other hand, we also found a main effect of sex, with women presenting higher scores than men, regardless of their sexual orientation. In general, women are under greater sociocultural pressure of an aesthetic ideal and most studies reported a higher prevalence of body dissatisfaction in women [53]. Women, for example, have lower body satisfaction than men regardless of their BMI [54]. Up to 80% of women respondents expressed current dissatisfaction with their bodies [55], and body dissatisfaction was found to be the most potent predictor of EDs [56]. Social pressures mean that women see their appearance as a fundamental factor in their value as individuals and expect others to routinely examine them [57]. This may lead them to scrutinize their body image, increasing the risk of being dissatisfied with it [5859].

In the case of bulimia, lesbian women reported the lowest bulimia scores, being much lower than heterosexual women, while for men there were no differences based on sexual orientation. Higher body dissatisfaction was found to be a predictor of bulimia [53]. Gay men also presented high levels of body dissatisfaction; however, this did not translate into a high rate of reported bulimia symptomatology. Given that gay men still emphasize the importance of a lean but also athletic physique, with a low percentage of body fat [516061], it seems logical that they would seek to minimize behaviors contrary to that ideal. In this sense, some authors already propose that for men, sexual attraction to men would only be a risk factor for restrictive eating symptomatology [1429]. Although there are others who continue to find significant differences in measures of bulimia or impulse regulation [33].

Lesbian women presented the lowest bulimia symptomatology. This result is in line with other studies suggesting that, in women, a lesbian sexual orientation would be a protective factor against EDs [12], being associated with lower body dissatisfaction [1617]. However, similar research has yielded contradictory results: Dotan et al. [62], in a recent meta-analysis examining the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating in women, reported that there was no significant difference in overall disordered eating between lesbians and heterosexual women, however, lesbians reported restricting less and bingeing more than heterosexual women.

The second aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of relationship status on ED symptomatology. According to Siever’s hypothesis, a greater symptomatology would be expected when looking for/or open to a new relationship than when monogamously mated. As expected, we found that gay men presented higher scores for body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness if they were looking for/or open to new romantic or sexual partners. This result would indicate a greater attention/concern to the evaluation of their own physical appearance when looking for partner. As Siever [27] suggested, gay men pursuing a partner suffer increased pressure to be physically attractive, and those who feel they do not meet the high attractiveness ideals of the gay community may experience heightened body image concerns, as they feel their bodies may not be appealing enough to attract a partner. Men in relationships may be less exposed to objectifying experiences within the gay culture compared with single men actively pursuing partners and putting themselves in environments where such pursuits may occur, such as in gay clubs or on dating websites and apps [63]. As Parker and Harriger [64] pointed out, among sexual minority men, the use of dating apps was found to be an ED risk factor, which is likely due to the added pressure to adhere to a certain aesthetic to attract more potential sexual partners. Brown and Keel [65] showed that, although it made no difference to heterosexual men, bisexual and gay men who were single had an increased drive for thinness, and that being in a relationship may be a protective factor for body image concerns and disordered eating among gay men. Cella et al. [33] also found gay sexual orientation associated with greater body dissatisfaction and abnormal eating behaviors in men, especially among those who were not in a sentimental relationship. All these findings support the notion that single men may be more concerned with their appearance than those in relationships; our results also support that gay men are at higher risk when they are open to finding a new partner.

In contrast, we did not find an effect of relationship status on the symptomatology of heterosexual women. As stated previously, Siever’s [27] hypothesis does not seem to apply fully in the case of women. This result is consistent with other studies that found that the symptomatology of lesbian women was not always less than that of heterosexual women [62], and that explanatory models of ED etiology followed similar patterns in lesbian and heterosexual women, but not in heterosexual and gay men [66]. Our mediation analysis pointed suggestively in the same direction. While in men the differences in body dissatisfaction derived from sexual orientation were fully explained by their drive for thinness, in the case of women, thinness only partially explained body dissatisfaction. Thus, the thin-ideal seem to fully explain differences in body dissatisfaction between heterosexual and gay men, but not completely between heterosexual and lesbian women.

The cognitive component of body dissatisfaction has been considered to contain two categories, preoccupation with the body and self-objectification on the one hand, and internalization of the thin-ideal, on the other [43]. Objectification theory [57] posits that girls and women are acculturated to internalize an observer’s perspective as a primary view of their physical selves, and that women could respond to sexual objectification in function of sexuality, age, ethnicity, and other physical and personal attributes. Cultural objectification can be internalized as self-objectification leading to increased body monitoring and body dissatisfaction [67,68,69]. Therefore, differences between lesbian and heterosexual women may lie not only in the direction of the attraction, but in a different internalization of gender roles [7071]. Gender role adoption is related to body dissatisfaction and EDs [72] and femininity has been considered a more critical factor than sexual preference on ED psychopathology [73]. The comparison of women with different sexual orientations could be involving two different issues, differences in the orientation of their attraction (mediated by the interiorization of beauty ideals), and differences in the process of socialization. This would explain both the inconsistency of results found in the literature on the relationship between sexual orientation and EDs in the case of women, as well as the results of the present study.

This study has several limitations. First, given the split of the sample into groups of sex, sexual orientation, and relationship status, some of these groups presented small sample sizes and the associated tests might have low statistical power. Likewise, the absence of significant results in some groups should be taken with caution. Despite this, descriptive measures of effect size seem to point in the direction of our conclusions. Second, we use the drive for thinness measure as a measure of the degree of internalization of thin-ideal, which does not fully correspond. However, different studies show a positive relationship between the two measures [74,75,76], therefore, we consider that the conclusions derived from the results are appropriate. Finally, while aiming to evaluate risk factors, the cross-sectional nature of data collection does not allow us to follow the evolution of the symptoms or to distinguish in the mediation models the antecedent variables from their outcomes.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

The most off-putting flirting dealbreakers included having a slimy approach, bad hygiene, and not demonstrating exclusive interest

What constitutes bad flirting: An explorative study of dealbreakers. Menelaos Apostolou, Chrysovalanto Eleftheriou. Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 194, August 2022, 111665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111665

Highlights

• Identified 69 acts and traits that people find off-putting in flirting

• Identified 11 broader flirting-dealbreakers

• Found that women and older participants were more sensitive to flirting-dealbreakers

Abstract: Flirting is essential for attracting mates yet, many people do poorly in it. Accordingly, the current research aimed to address the question what are dealbreakers in flirting. More specifically, by using open-ended questionnaires in a sample of 212 Greek-speaking participants, Study 1 identified 69 acts and traits that people find off-putting in flirting. Study 2, asked a sample of 734 Greek-speaking participants to rate how off-putting they found these traits in a partner. On the basis of participants' responses, these traits were classified into 11 broader flirting dealbreakers. The most off-putting ones, included having a slimy approach, bad hygiene, and not demonstrating exclusive interest. It was also found that women and older participants were more sensitive to almost all of the identified dealbreakers than men and younger participants.

Keywords: FlirtingFlirting dealbreakersMatingMate preferences


Time was remembered as passing more quickly during alcohol, cocaine and MDMA use, while marijuana was associated with a subjective slowing of time

The Influence of Recreational Drug Use on Experiences of the Passage of Time. Ruth S. Ogden and Joseph Faulkner. Sucht, Apr 13 2022. https://doi.org/10.1024/0939-5911/a000761

Abstract

Background: Laboratory research suggests that alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and MDMA influence the processing of time. Anecdotal reports of recreational drug use also often include descriptions of changes in the speed of the passage of time. Despite this, little is known about how and why recreational drug use influences the passage of time.

Aim: To examine retrospective self-reports of the passage of time during a previous instance of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine or MDMA use. To establish the effect of substance use frequency, substance dose, anxiety, depression and stress on the passage of time.

Methods: Using an online questionnaire, passage of time judgments were collected for the current day as well as recent instances of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana or MDMA use. Measures of affect, typical substance use frequency and substance use amount were taken.

Results: Time was remembered as passing significantly more quickly than normal during alcohol, cocaine and MDMA use. Marijuana was associated with time passing more slowly than normal. Regression analysis revealed that drug induced distortions to the passage of time use were not predicted by drug use frequency, dose, depression, anxiety or stress. Furthermore, comparison of recreational drug users and non-users did not indicate any long-term effects of drug use on the passage of time. 

Conclusions: The results suggest that whilst distortions to the passage of time are a common feature of drug use, their causes are complex.


Similar to animals, humans are endowed with ‘nutritional wisdom’, guiding them to instinctively choose foods that satisfy requirements for specific micronutrients

Micronutrients and food choice: A case of ‘nutritional wisdom’ in humans? Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, Mark Schatzker. Appetite, April 18 2022, 106055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106055

Abstract: Many reports show that non-human animals have the ability to select foods based on their micronutrient composition. However, it is unclear whether humans also have this ability, and we have lacked appropriate methods to investigate this question. In response to this challenge, we developed an approach that derives evidence from patterns of choices across a range of food images. In two studies (Study 1, N = 45; Study 2, N = 83) adults selected one of two pairs of fruits and vegetables in a series of trials (N = 210). Consistent with variety seeking, they preferred ‘varied’ over ‘monotonous’ pairs (same-food pairs were less attractive). However, and even after controlling for explicit nutritional knowledge (Study 2) and food energy density (Study 1 and 2), we observed a significant tendency to select pairings that offered: i) greater total micronutrient intake and ii) greater ‘micronutrient complementarity’ (MC), i.e., a broader range of micronutrients. In a separate analysis, a similar pattern was observed in two-component meals (e.g., steak and fries) drawn from a large national nutrition survey in the UK (1086 records). Specifically, the MC of these meals was greater than would be predicted by chance (p < .0001) and when a meal provided an excess of micronutrients (>100% daily recommended amount) then this occurred less often than by chance (p < .0001), i.e., ‘micronutrient redundancy’ was avoided. Together, this work provides new evidence that micronutrient composition influences food choice (a form of ‘nutritional wisdom’) and it raises questions about whether nutritional requirements are otherwise met through dietary ‘variety seeking’. In turn, it also exposes the potential for a complexity in human dietary decision making that has not been recognised previously.

Keywords: Nutritional wisdomNutritionFood choiceMicronutrientSensory specific satietyVariety seeking


A higher pulse rate predicts lower life satisfaction, poorer health, and lower labor market status

Taking the Pulse of Nations: A Biometric Measure of Well-being. David G. Blanchflower, Alex Bryson. Economics & Human Biology, Apr 18 2022, 101141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101141

Highlights

• We introduce a biometric measure of wellbeing – pulse – that has been little used.

• We show that its correlates are similar in a number of ways to those for happiness, and that it is highly correlated with wellbeing metrics, as well as self-assessed health.

• The probability of working at age 55 is negatively impacted by pulse rate a decade earlier. The pulse rate has an impact over and above chronic pain measured at age 42.

• General health at 55 is lower the higher the pulse rate at age 42, while those with higher pulse rates at 42 also express lower life satisfaction and more pessimism about the future at age 50.

• Taken together, these results suggest social scientists can learn a great deal by adding pulse rates to the metrics they use when evaluating people’s wellbeing.

Abstract: A growing literature identifies associations between subjective and biometric indicators of wellbeing. These associations, together with the ability of subjective wellbeing metrics to predict health and behavioral outcomes, have spawned increasing interest in wellbeing as an important concept in its own right. However, some social scientists continue to question the usefulness of wellbeing metrics. We contribute to this literature in three ways. First, we introduce a biometric measure of wellbeing – pulse – that hs been little used. Using nationally representative data on 165,000 individuals from the Health Survey for England and Scottish Health Surveys we show that its correlates are similar in a number of ways to those for happiness, and that it is highly correlated with wellbeing metrics, as well as self-assessed health. Second, we examine the determinants of pulse rates in mid-life (age 42) among the 9,000 members of the National Child Development Study, a birth cohort born in a single week in 1958 in Britain. Third, we track the impact of pulse measured in mid-life (age 42) on health and labor market outcomes at age 50 in 2008 and age 55 in 2013. The probability of working at age 55 is negatively impacted by pulse rate a decade earlier. The pulse rate has an impact over and above chronic pain measured at age 42. General health at 55 is lower the higher the pulse rate at age 42, while those with higher pulse rates at 42 also express lower life satisfaction and more pessimism about the future at age 50. Taken together, these results suggest social scientists can learn a great deal by adding pulse rates to the metrics they use when evaluating people’s wellbeing.

JEL Classification I10 J1

Keywords: pulsewellbeingmental healthgeneral healthlife satisfactionpaid worklife-coursebirth cohortNCDS


Monday, April 18, 2022

Adverse mental health effects of spanking (delinquency, depression, and alcohol use) can be attributed to a considerable extent to hereditary similarities between parents and children

The effects of spanking on psychosocial outcomes: revisiting genetic and environmental covariation. Nicole Barbaro, Eric J. Connolly, Madi Sogge, Todd K. Shackelford & Brian B. Boutwell. Journal of Experimental Criminology, April 18 2022. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11292-021-09496-5

Abstract

Background: There is a vast literature on the negative associations between spanking in childhood and various psychosocial developmental outcomes; yet, control for potential genetic confounds is rare.

Objectives: The current research aimed to provide probable ranges of estimates of the degree to which genetic and nonshared environmental covariation could explain the reported phenotypic effects in the Gershoff and Grogan-Kaylor (Gershoff and Grogan-Kaylor, Family Relations 65:490–501, 2016a, Gershoff and Grogan-Kaylor, Journal of Family Psychology 30:453, 2016b) meta-analysis of spanking.

Participants and setting: The analytic sample for Study 1 was secured from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (CNLSY) and consisted of 2868 respondents (siblings and half-siblings). The data for Study 2 were secured from the published literature.

Methods: Study 1 analyzed the data from the CNLSY using univariate ACE models and bivariate Cholesky decomposition models. Study 2 used simulation modeling to provide a summative evaluation of the psychosocial effects of spanking with regard to genetic and nonshared environmental covariation.

Results: Study 1 replicated previous work showing that associations between spanking and outcomes of delinquency, depression, and alcohol use were explained by moderate-to-large degrees of genetic covariation and small-to-moderate degrees of nonshared environmental covariation. Simulation estimates from Study 2 suggest that genetic covariation accounts for a substantial amount of the phenotypic effect between spanking and psychosocial outcomes (≈60–80%), with the remainder attributable to nonshared environmental covariation (≈0–40%).

Conclusions: Results of the current research indicate that continued work on the effects of spanking is best served by behavior genetic research on a broader range of outcomes than what is currently available.


Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.

Atheism is not as rare or as rational as you think. Will Gervais. Big Think, Apr 15 2022. https://bigthink.com/the-well/atheism-rare-rational

You are a member of a very peculiar species. Of all our quirks, the human religious impulse may be our most distinctive one. We build skyscrapers? Big deal, bowerbirds construct ornate decorative nests and they have brains the size of almonds. We live in really big societies? Great, so do ants, whose brains are even tinier. We can do math problems? Wonderful, but so can slime molds, and they don’t even have brains!

Religion: distinctively human 

Where humans often appear unique in some regard, a closer look usually shows us to be a mere outlier, rather than a genuine exception. This does not seem to be the case for religion. Most people who have ever lived believe in some sort of god; they are as certain of their gods as of their breath. But not a single organism outside our immediate evolutionary lineage has ever contemplated the existence of a god. Think about that for a moment: as far as we know, every single sentient being in the universe that has ever believed in a god is a member of our odd little species, and almost every member of our species has believed in a god. To scientists interested in evolution and human nature, religion is a puzzle that screams to be solved.


The record percentage of workers who are quitting their jobs, known as the “Great Resignation,” is not a shift in worker attitudes due to the pandemic: Waves of job quits have occurred during all fast recoveries in the postwar period

“Great Resignations” Are Common During Fast Recoveries. Bart Hobijn. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Economic Letters 2022-08, Apr 2022. https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2022/april/great-resignations-are-common-during-fast-recoveries/

The record percentage of workers who are quitting their jobs, known as the “Great Resignation,” is not a shift in worker attitudes in the wake of the pandemic. Evidence on which workers are quitting suggests that it reflects the strong rebound of the demand for younger and less-educated workers. Historical data on quits in manufacturing suggest that the current wave is not unusual. Waves of job quits have occurred during all fast recoveries in the postwar period.



Cannot confirm that always interactions between testosterone and cortisol are negative; sometimes there is a a positive feedback loop whereby elevated testosterone prompts increases in sexual desire and behavior, and cortisol helps in this

Associations Between Sexual Desire and Within-Individual Testosterone and Cortisol in Men and Women. Kevin A Rosenfield, Heather Self, Talia Shirazi, Rodrigo Cardenes, Justin Carré, Triana Ortiz, Khytam Dawood & David A. Puts. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, Apr 18 2022. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-022-00184-w

Abstract

Objective: The dual-hormone hypothesis (DHH) posits that some effects of testosterone on human behavior and psychology related to status-seeking are moderated by cortisol, such that they are stronger when cortisol levels are low. In support of the DHH, studies have found that cortisol negatively moderated the relationship between testosterone and such traits as status-seeking and interest in uncommitted sex. Others indicate a positive moderating influence of cortisol in some cases. Here, we test whether two psychosexual indices—sexual desire and sociosexuality—meet the expectations of the DHH in a large sample of men and women.

Method: 646 women and 185 men attended lab sessions during which they provided saliva samples for hormonal analysis and responded to the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory-Revised and the Sexual Desire Inventory (180 women and 43 men returned for a second session approximately two months later). We quantified salivary hormone concentrations using ELISA and assessed within- and between-participant effects of hormones on psychosexual measures with mixed-effects models.

Results: We observed a positive interaction between within-subjects cortisol and testosterone in models of sexual desire in both men and women. For women, these effects emerged in models of general sexual desire and in models of the dyadic desire subscale and were robust to many analytical configurations. For men, the effects were limited to models of solitary desire, but were also robust to alternative analyses. We present data to quantify our risks of both type I and type II error.

Conclusions: Some of our results contrast with usual dual-hormone hypothesis predictions of negative interactions between testosterone and cortisol. We suggest several potential explanations for these results, including a positive feedback loop whereby elevated testosterone prompts increases in sexual desire and behavior, necessitating cortisol-induced mobilization of energy stores.



Sunday, April 17, 2022

Letters To A Spanish Youngster CCLXVI

Letters To A Spanish Youngster CCLXVI

[...]

Your Honor who even when absent gives some light to us Your admirers and followers,/Su Señoría que incluso cuando ausente da alguna luz a nosotros Sus admiradores y seguidores,

Reading some of ibn Gabirol's poems*, special person of my heart, the person of beautiful forms, is very inspiring:/Leer algunos de los poemas de ibn Gabirol, persona especial de mi corazón, la persona de bellas formas, es muy inspirador:

[Begging friends for pardon for not paying a visit/Disculpas a unos amigos por no ir a visitarlos]

                                                      ["Cual fuego es el anhelo      que tienes en la entraña".

                                                       Os he puesto mi llanto por respuesta,

                                                       si bien remedio alguno      no obtengo de mis lágrimas.

                                                       Pues ¿cómo llegaré,      amados, a vosotros

                                                       si entre nuestros amores      colinas se levantan

                                                       y no hay entre nosotros sino epístolas?]


[Waiting for truth to come to light/Esperando que la verdad salga a la luz]

                                                      [Con lágrimas copiosas

                                                       y el rostro enrojecido de vergüenza

                                                       por ti, te han contestado;      y estaban sus miradas

                                                       sombrías como nubes      repletas de rocío

                                                       que fueran a dejarlo      llover [...]:

                                                       —Seguimos manteniendo      el pacto del amor;

                                                       romper los juramentos no podemos.]


[Praising a poet/Alabanza a un poeta]

                                                      [[frente a los trabajos de los rivales]

                                                       [tus obras] hasta la postrera

                                                       generación han sido cincelad[a]s

                                                       con un punzón de hierro      y en mármol esculpid[a]s.]


The original were verses, not works generally./El original eran versos, no obras en general.


[Illness/La enfermedad]


                                                      [Piedad sobre piedad      añade cuando [me] juzg[ues]                                                       

                                                       [...]

                                                       [...] parecen parturientas

                                                       a quienes han asido      la angustia y el dolor.

                                                       [...]

                                                       Mas hoy han vacilado,      hermano, mis rodillas;

                                                       su puesto y su temblor      de ti se han ocultado.]


[The palace and the garden/El palacio y el jardín]

[Come, my friend, and friend to the spheres, [Ven, amigo, y amigo de las esferas,

come, we’ll rest by fields as we go—              ven conmigo a dormir en las aldeas, que

for winter has passed, and again we hear      ya pasó el invierno y se oyen en nuestra tierra

the call of swifts and doves.                          el clamor de zorzales y de tórtolas.

We’ll lie in the shadow of the apple & palm,   Dejemos que a la sombra del granado

pomegranate trees and citrus.                      de palmas, de manzanos y naranjos

                                                                  el sueño nos invada.

We’ll walk in the shade of the grapevine’s      Vaguemos a la sombra de las parras

                                                       [trellis,

longing for sight of illustrious faces                dejándonos vencer por el deseo

high on the hill over town in the palace           de contemplar imágenes radiantes

with massive foundations and towering walls. en un palacio erguido      sobre sus derredores.

[...]                                                              [...]

[...] and at dusk it recalls                               En los atardeceres su imagen es de cielo,

the panoplied sky with its stars in array:         de noche sus estrellas      en fila se alinean;

the hearts of all who enter are raised,             se encuentra bien en ella      el alma de los

the sorrows of the bitter and poor fade away.  míseros y de los afligidos y

                                                                    los olvidan los amargos y exangües sus pesares.

My troubles vanished when it came into view, La he visto y mis fatigas he olvidado;

and my heart in its straits took comfort—        de angustias consolose mi alma, y de alegría

was nearly lifted away with joy,                       mi cuerpo como en alas de azores, casi vuela.

as though on the wings of an eagle.

[...]                                                               [...]

we lure others’ hearts with their spell—           las almas embrujamos,

[...]                                                               [...]

a priceless soul, a gem to the sky,                 Diadema de los cielos, sensible, generoso;

he fulfills his pledges without any vows.]         con las promesas cumple como si fueran votos.]


[On an ill friend/Sobre un amigo enfermo]

                                                                  [En verdad que no puede un hermano

                                                                   redimir a su hermano; [...]

                                                                   [...]

                                                                   Si pudiera librarse el humano,

                                                                   tu rescate en la muerte estaría,

                                                                   ¡oh, señor de mi alma!, en mi espíritu.

                                                                   Pero ruego de Dios el remedio;

                                                                   que la paz sea contigo y que halles

                                                                   una bizma para tu dolencia.]



[In praise of a friend/Alabando a un amigo]


                                                                 [Angustia del deseo      y amores juveniles

                                                                 dejáronme sin alma entre las gentes.

                                                                 A causa de las puertas      de amores clausuradas

                                                                 quedáronse mis ojos      abiertos del insomnio,

                                                                 y puso Dios sus astros a mi lado

                                                                 cual si pastor yo fuera      y aquéllos los rebaños.

                                                                 Como al probado Abraham      a mí me puso a prueba,

                                                                 diciéndome: "Alza y cuenta      lo que es innumerable".

                                                                 El ver estas congojas y otras tales

                                                                 me arrastra malamente,      amigo, hacia la tumba;

                                                                 las ansias me han cercado,      me tienen oprimido

                                                                 y me han acrisolado      en horno siete veces.

                                                                 [...]

                                                                 ¿Y que diré al respecto      del ensalzado? ¿Y cómo

                                                                 hablar, si mis ideas      menguadas han quedado?]


Suffering much for the distance, the many weeks without Your light, weeping gently when thinking of Your voice and Your   ҉  eyes  ҉  , Yours faithfully/Sufriendo mucho en la distancia, las muchas semanas sin Su luz, llorando suavemente cuando pienso en Su voz y Sus   ҉  ojos  ҉  ,

                 a. r. ante Su Señoría

--

Notes


*  Adapted from Selected Poems of Solomon ibn Gabirol, translated by Peter Cole (Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 2001), & the Spanish version from Selomó ibn Gabirol—Poesía secular, by Elena Romero (Madrid: Alfaguara, 1978)


Passage of rent control in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2021: To the extent that rent control is intended to transfer wealth from high-income to low-income households, the realized impact of the law was the opposite of its intention

Ahern, Kenneth Robinson and Giacoletti, Marco, Robbing Peter to Pay Paul? The Redistribution of Wealth Caused by Rent Control (March 18, 2022). SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4061315

Abstract: We use the price effects caused by the passage of rent control in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2021, to study the transfer of wealth across income groups. First, we find that rent control caused property values to fall by 6-7%, for an aggregate loss of $1.6 billion. Both owner-occupied and rental properties lost value, but the losses were larger for rental properties, and in neighborhoods with a higher concentration of rentals. Second, leveraging administrative parcel-level data, we find that the tenants who gained the most from rent control had higher incomes and were more likely to be white, while the owners who lost the most had lower incomes and were more likely to be minorities. For properties with high-income owners and low-income tenants, the transfer of wealth was close to zero. Thus, to the extent that rent control is intended to transfer wealth from high-income to low-income households, the realized impact of the law was the opposite of its intention.

Keywords: Rent control, real estate valuation, wealth transfers

JEL Classification: R31. R38, G51


16,699 active duty service members in U.S. military: The Air Force had the lowest rates of nearly all substance use and mental health outcomes; many outcomes were 2-3 times higher among Army, Marine Corps & Navy, after adjustment

Military service branch differences in alcohol use, tobacco use, prescription drug misuse, and mental health conditions. Megan S. Schuler, Eunice C. Wong, Rajeev Ramchand. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, April 15 2022, 109461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109461

Highlights

• Study population include 16,699 active duty service members in U.S. military

• We test for differences across service branch in substance use and mental health outcomes

• The Air Force had the lowest rates of nearly all substance use and mental health outcomes

• Many outcomes were 2-3 times higher among Army, Marine Corps and Navy, after adjustment

• Differences are not fully explained by branch differences in deployment/combat experiences

Introduction: Rates of substance use and mental health conditions vary across military service branches, yet branches also differ notably in terms of demographics and deployment experiences. This study examines whether branch differences in substance use and mental health outcomes persist after adjustment for a comprehensive set of demographic and deployment-related factors.

Methods: Data on 16,699 Armed Forces Active Duty service members were from the 2015 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey. Service branch-specific prevalences were estimated for self-reports of heavy episodic drinking (HED), possible alcohol use disorder (AUD), current smoking, e-cigarette use, smokeless tobacco use, prescription drug misuse, probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), probable depression, and probable anxiety. Using logistic regression, we assessed whether branch differences persisted after adjusting for an extensive array of demographic factors (among full sample) and deployment/combat factors (among ever-deployed subgroup).

Results: HED, AUD, smoking, e-cigarette use, smokeless tobacco use, depression, and anxiety were highest in the Marine Corps; prescription drug misuse and PTSD were highest in the Army. HED, AUD, smoking, smokeless tobacco use, PTSD, depression, and anxiety were lowest in the Air Force; e-cigarette use and prescription drug misuse were lowest in the Coast Guard. Demographics and deployment/combat experiences differed across branches. After adjustment, service members in the Army, Marine Corps and Navy exhibited nearly 2-3 times the odds of multiple mental health conditions and substance use behaviors relative to the Air Force.

Conclusion: Service branch differences were not fully explained by variation in demographics and deployment/combat experiences.

Keywords: militaryactive dutyalcoholtobaccoprescription drug misuseanxietydepressionpost-traumatic stress disorder