Affective interpersonal touch in close relationships: a cross-cultural perspective

Interpersonal touch behavior differs across cultures, yet no study to date has systematically tested for cultural variation in affective touch, nor examined the factors that might account for this variability. Here, over 14,000 individuals from 45 countries were asked whether they embraced, stroked, kissed, or hugged their partner, friends, and youngest child during the week preceding the study. We then examined a range of hypothesized individual-level factors (sex, age, parasitic history, conservatism, religiosity, and preferred interpersonal distance) and cultural-level factors (regional temperature, parasite stress, regional conservatism, collectivism, and religiosity) in predicting these affective-touching behaviors. Our results indicate that affective touch was most prevalent in relationships with partners and children, and its diversity was relatively higher in warmer, less conservative, and religious countries, and among younger, female, and liberal people. This research allows for a broad and integrated view of the bases of cross-cultural variability in affective touch

Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 countries: A large-scale replication

Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives—an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective—offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries

Mitigating salinity stress and improving cotton productivity through integrative use of gypsum and compost amendments with exogenous proline

Abiotic constraints, such as salinity, significantly damage crop yields worldwide. Cotton, though moderately salt-tolerant, suffers from reduced growth and yield under saline-sodic soil conditions. Effective integrated mitigation strategies are crucial to address this challenge. Our study, conducted in Lodhran, Punjab, Pakistan, investigated six treatments using an integrated strategy such as gypsum, compost and exogenous proline combining effect in improving cotton productivity under salinity stress. We assessed plant growth, agronomic traits, physio-chemical parameters, cotton yield, and soil characteristics. Our experimental results showed that the combined application of amendments such as T5: gypsum + proline and T6: compost + proline gave better results as compared to individual treatments (T2, T3 & T4) over the control (T1). A significant improvement was observed in plant length and dry weights of shoot and root by 64 %, 81 % and 47 %, respectively under the effect of T5, also increased cotton yield up to 2 folds (888 kg) over control (324 kg ha−1). Likewise, significant improvement in the plant physio-chemical parameters was recorded such as high activities of antioxidant enzymes and the maximum accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 60–71 %, as well as reduction in the oxidative burst by 55–65 % after the integrated treatments (T5 & T6) as compared to salt-stressed plants (control). Likewise, contents of nutrients are improved in plants viz., N: 70; P: 61 %; K: 33 % and Mg: 86 % under the positive effect of gypsum + proline over control. Results of soil analysis showed that the soil was moderately saline-sodic. Furthermore, soil analysis revealed that there was a significant improvement in NPK, S and Mg content in the soil after treated salt-stressed soil with gypsum and compost (T2, T3, T5 and T6) while a significant reduction was observed in Ca (17 %) and Na content (28 %), as well as EC (dSm−1) was decreased by 38 % and SAR (mmol/L)1/2 by 27 % under the effect of gypsum + proline over the control treatment. The outcomes of the current study reveal that the reclamation potential of gypsum and compost applied individually or together with exogenous proline improved plant growth, yield and plant defense system under salinity stress

Conceptions of happiness and life satisfaction : an exploratory study in 14 national groups

This study examined the relationship between 4 conceptions of happiness and life satisfaction in a sample of 2715 university students across 14 national groups. The 4 conceptions were self-transcendence, self-directed hedonism, conservation, and self-enhancement, which emerged from a principal component analysis of a 19-item scale generated for the purpose of the present study. Results of multi-level modeling showed that self-transcendence and conservation predicted life satisfaction positively and significantly. In addition, we found that self-directed hedonism and self-enhancement interacted in their effects on life satisfaction

Fragility of Happiness Beliefs Across 15 National Groups

The belief that happiness is fragile—that it is fleeting and may easily turn into less favourable states—is common across individuals and cultures. However, not much is known about this belief domain and its structure and correlates. In the present study, we use multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel modelling to investigate the measurement invariance, cross-level isomorphism, predictive validity, and nomological network of the fragility of happiness scale across 15 nations. The results show that this scale has good statistical properties at both individual and cultural levels, and is associated with relevant psycho-social concepts in expected directions. The importance of the results, limitations, and potential directions for future research are discusse

COVID-19 and Social Distancing: A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Distance Preferences and Touch Behaviors Before and During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of unprecedented safety measures, one of them being physical distancing recommendations. Here, we assessed whether the pandemic has led to long-term effects on two important physical distancing aspects, namely interpersonal distance preferences and interpersonal touch behaviors. We analyzed nearly 14,000 individual cases from two large, cross-cultural surveys – the first conducted 2 years prior to the pandemic and the second during a relatively stable period of a decreased infection rate in May-June 2021. Preferred interpersonal distances increased by 54% globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was observable across all types of relationships, all countries, and was more pronounced in individuals with higher self-reported vulnerability to diseases. Unexpectedly, participants reported a higher incidence of interpersonal touch behaviors during than before the pandemic. We discuss our results in the context of prosocial and self-protection motivations that potentially promote different social behaviors

Correction to: ‘Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios’ (2023) by Walter \u3ci\u3eet al.\u3c/i\u3e

The correct first affiliation is: Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw 50137, Poland Note that second and third affiliations are correct. The original has now been corrected. Correction to https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.111