Time slows down whenever you are around for women but not for men

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em PsicologiaWhat happens when we unexpectedly see an attractive potential partner? Previous studies in laboratorial settings suggest that the visualization of attractive and unattractive photographs influences time. The major aim of this research is to study time perception and attraction in a realistic social scenario, by investigating if changes in subjective time measured during a speed dating are associated with attraction. In the event, the duration of the dates was variable and participants had to estimate the time that passed. Among other measures, participants also rated the potential partners in terms of their physical attractiveness before and after the dates and reported if they would like to exchange contact with them. Results showed that, in a real speed dating situation, when there is a perception of the partner as being physically more attractive, women tend to overestimate the duration of that meeting, whereas men tend to underestimate its duration. Such changes may reflect evolutionary adaptations which make the human cognitive system more responsive in situations related to reproductive fitness.O que acontece quando inesperadamente vemos um potencial parceiro atraente? Estudos anteriores em contexto laboratorial sugerem que a visualização de fotografias de pessoas atraentes e não atraentes influencia a perceção do tempo. O objetivo principal desta investigação é estudar a relação entre perceção temporal e a atração num cenário mais realista, investigando se alterações no tempo subjetivo durante um speed dating estão associadas com a atração. No evento, a duração dos encontros era variável e os participantes tinham que estimar o tempo que passou. Além disso, entre outras medidas, os participantes avaliaram os potenciais parceiros em termos da sua atratividade física antes e depois dos encontros e reportaram se estavam interessados em trocar contacto com eles. Os resultados mostraram que, numa situação de speed dating real, quando há a perceção do parceiro como sendo fisicamente mais atraente, as mulheres tendem a estimar a duração do encontro como sendo maior, enquanto que os homens tendem a estimar a duração como sendo menor. Estas alterações podem refletir adaptações evolutivas que tornam o sistema cognitivo humano mais responsivo em situações relacionadas com o fitness reprodutivo

Cross-cultural evidence for the influence of positive self-evaluation on cross-cultural differences in well-being

Poster Session F - Well-Being: abstract F197We propose that cultural norms about realism and hedonism contribute to the cross-cultural differences in well-being over and above differences in objective living conditions. To test this hypothesis, we used samples from China and the United States. Results supported the mediating role of positive evaluative bias in cross-cultural differences in well-being.postprin

Values and need satisfaction across 20 world regions

Poster Session F - Motivation/Goals: abstract F78Intrinsic valuing predicts the satisfaction of psychological needs (Niemiec, Ryan, & Deci, 2009). We conceptually replicate and extend this finding across 20 world regions. In multi-level models, Schwartz’s (1992) self-transcendence value was positively related to autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction, even when controlling for the Big Five.postprin

The Influence of Red Colouration on Human Perception of Aggression and Dominance in Neutral Settings

For both humans and nonhuman species, there is evidence that red colouration signals both emotional states (arousal/anger) and biological traits (dominance, health, and testosterone). The presence and intensity of red colouration correlates with male dominance and testosterone in a variety of animal species, and even artificial red stimuli can influence dominance interactions. Depending on the context in which it is perceived, red is associated with reward (e.g., mating) or avoidance of threat. Wearing red can therefore be advantageous in romantic or achievement contexts. It may also increase the probability of winning sporting contests. Both perceiver effects and wearer effects have been proposed as sources of enhanced winning chances for competitors wearing red in sporting competitions. We tested the hypothesis that artificial (clothing) colour can exploit the evolutionary associations between red and dominance/aggression and that this link is even detectable in neutral (non-competitive) settings. The first two experiments investigated whether a person wearing red was perceived as more aggressive/dominant than one wearing blue or grey. We detected a perceiver effect for red-wearers for perceptions of aggression, dominance, and anger that was independent of a wearer effect. This confirmed that the colour red may be a cue used to predict propensity for dominance and aggression in human males. We then explored differences in handgrip strength, self- and peer-assessed dominance, and actual dominant behaviour to test the hypothesis that red-wearers are physically and mentally stronger/more dominant than their blue-wearing opponents. Red-wearers were not stronger or perceived as more dominant or taller than blue-wearers, but we found some evidence that they may have acted more dominantly. However, in an online experiment rather than in a controlled laboratory setting, we found no wearer or perceiver effects on ratings of perceived dominance, height, or strength. Possible limitations of web-based approaches are discussed. Finally, we examined the consequences of allowing participants to choose from the full colour spectrum rather than forcing them to pick from only two or three clothing colours presented. When allowed to choose from the full spectrum, participants predominantly chose red shirts to make a person appear more aggressive or more dominant. There is some qualitative evidence for an “optimal red” in that participants’ choices clustered within a specific part of the red spectrum and no such clustering or colour preference was found for any of the control character traits. Overall, the results demonstrate that, in a laboratory setting, the colour red can have consistent effects on perceptions of aggression and dominance; this opens up a broad array of avenues for future work. These findings also have implications for non-academic contexts (e.g., whether wearing red can impact one’s performance in achievement contexts such as sporting contests or job interviews)

General Psychology: An Introduction

The NOBA Project is a growing collection of expert-authored, open-licensed modules in psychology, funded by the Diener Education Fund. From these open modules, Tori Kearns and Deborah Lee created an arranged open textbook for her introductory psychology class. This textbook was created under a Round One ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Accessible files with optical character recognition (OCR) and auto-tagging provided by the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/psychology-textbooks/1000/thumbnail.jp

The Influence of Mating Motives on Reliance on Form Versus Function in Product Choice

Through five experiments, this research examined and supported the central hypothesis that a casual mating motive promotes higher reliance on form in product evaluation and choice, whereas a committed mating motive promotes higher reliance on function. Particularly, compared to a committed mating motive, a casual mating motive was associated with the relative preference for product options superior in form attributes as opposed to options superior in function attributes (Study 1, Study 2, and Study 4). This research applied three different operationalizations of mating motives. In studies 1 and 5, contextual priming was used. Studies 2 and 3 employed chronic mating motives using sociosexuality. Study 4 utilized a physiological operationalization by assessing fertility in women’s menstrual cycle. It was demonstrated that the underlying mechanism for this effect lied in differential reliance on form- versus function-related product cues (Study 2). In addition, two moderating effects were demonstrated. First, Study 3 provided support for the moderating role of information ambiguity type (form vs. function). Second, Study 5 showed the interactive effect of mating motive and product choice strategy. By directing consumers to pursue a form-based versus a function-based strategy, Study 5 illustrated the effect of congruence between mating motives and choice strategy on product valuation such that consumers with a casual mating motive were willing to spend more on their product choices when they were based on form than when they were based on function, whereas consumers with a committed mating motive indicated higher willingness to pay when the product choices were made based on function than when they were made based on form. Finally, theoretical contributions and managerial implications were discussed

The Ecology and Evolution of Human Reproductive Behavior

The complexity of human reproductive behavior has necessitated its examination through a variety of scientific disciplines, each focusing on specific elements of our biology, behavior, and society. However, this complexity also necessitates that we reintegrate the information learned from each discipline into a single framework, one rooted in the evolutionary principles that have shaped the development of all life on earth. In this dissertation, I use this framework to explore human reproductive behavior, with a particular focus on sexual coercion and fertility-mediated sexual behavior. In Chapter 1, I introduce the approach taken in this document, identify several key limitations, and outline the general structure. In Chapter 2, I conduct a comprehensive and interdisciplinary review that includes the fundamentals of sexual conflict and reproductive strategies; the evolution of human reproductive characteristics in response to socio-cognitive demands; the aspects of human sociality expected to influence reproductive behavior; the identified trends in human mating behavior; the proposed pressures behind concealed ovulation in primates; the essentials of the menstrual cycle; and the existing evidence for behavioral fertility in humans. In Chapter 3, I use a game-theory model to investigate the emergence of sexually coercive behavior across a variety of species, including humans, in which male coercion is a non-developmentally-determined reproductive strategy to identify several ecological and behavioral characteristics that predict the emergence of coercive behavior generally consistent with observed trends. In Chapter 4, I use face-trait research to investigate the degree to which women recognize and discriminate between images of men with personality traits associated with different male reproductive strategies as well as how these preferences might be mediated by her relationship and fertility status. In Chapter 5, explore the intersection of fertility, fertility belief, and sexuality, specifically testing the hypothesis that a woman’s sexual interest shifts in response to her fertility while taking into consideration her beliefs regarding her fertility. Finally, in Chapter 6, I review the primary take-home messages of this work and recommend that future research take these into consideration as they move forward. By taking an interdisciplinary approach rooted in evolutionary biology, this work reveals the need for an understanding of human reproductive behavior that incorporates a wider view of reproductive ecology. In doing so, we can gain a more accurate, comprehensive, and nuanced understanding of human reproductive behavior

The role of apparent health in face preferences

This thesis describes a series of empirical studies that investigated the role of apparent health in face preferences. Chapter 1 summarises previous work showing that facial symmetry, averageness and sexual dimorphism influence judgements of facial attractiveness. Chapter 2 describes studies demonstrating that consideration of the role of apparent health in face preferences offers insight into the motivations that underpin attraction to symmetric faces. Chapters 3-5 describe studies demonstrating that, while people generally prefer faces that appear healthy to those that appear unhealthy, characteristics of the judges (e.g. hormonal, health and developmental factors) contribute to systematic variation in women's preferences for apparent health. In the final chapter, a positive link between lifestyle health (e.g. exercise behaviour) and facial health was demonstrated. The findings described in this thesis are evidence that preferences for healthy faces are influenced by biological factors and evidence for accuracy in attributions of health to faces