National income inequality predicts cultural variation in mouth to mouth kissing

Romantic mouth-to-mouth kissing is culturally widespread, although not a human universal, and may play a functional role in assessing partner health and maintaining long-term pair bonds. Use and appreciation of kissing may therefore vary according to whether the environment places a premium on good health and partner investment. Here, we test for cultural variation (13 countries from six continents) in these behaviours/attitudes according to national health (historical pathogen prevalence) and both absolute (GDP) and relative wealth (GINI). Our data reveal that kissing is valued more in established relationships than it is valued during courtship. Also, consistent with the pair bonding hypothesis of the function of romantic kissing, relative poverty (income inequality) predicts frequency of kissing across romantic relationships. When aggregated, the predicted relationship between income inequality and kissing frequency (r=.67, BCa 95%CI[.32,.89]) was over five times the size of the null correlations between income inequality and frequency of hugging/cuddling and sex. As social complexity requires monitoring resource competition among large groups and predicts kissing prevalence in remote societies, this gesture may be important in the maintenance of long-term pair bonds in specific environments

Men say "I love you" before women do:robust across several countries

Feeling and expressing love is at the core of romantic relationships, but individuals differ in their proclivity to worry about their relationships and/or avoid intimacy. Saying “I love you” signals a commitment to a future with our romantic partner. Contrary to gender stereotypes, research in the United States demonstrates that men are more likely to confess love first. We aimed to replicate this sex difference in an online cross-national sample (seven countries, three continents), while testing for variation according to attachment style and environment (the national sex ratio). Men were more likely to confess love first in a relationship, with preliminary evidence that this was more likely when men had more choice (more female-biased sex ratio). Independent of biological sex, highly avoidant respondents were less happy to hear “I love you” than less avoidant respondents, and highly anxious respondents were happier to hear “I love you” than less anxious respondents. Our findings suggest that prior observations generalize beyond an ethnically homogenous sample and incorporate attachment theory into the study of love confessions. Our research suggests a dissociation between initial declarations of love (moderated by biological sex) and emotional responses to love confessions, moderated by attachment style but not by biological sex

O zoológico como espaço integrador de posturas em educação ambiental

The aim of this project was to promote discussions on environmental matters among Biology undergraduated students and zoo employees. Indirectly, we hope to contribute for the improvement of the zoo workforce through the development of zoo employees in dealing with animals and visitors. Furthermore, we aim to stimulate students to promote environmental educational actions from a zoo experience. The zoo in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, was visited in order to collect data for the preparation of pedagogical material and development courses. Two different courses were ministered for students and zoo employees alone, and the discussions focused on their experiences and doubts. Both groups reported few opportunities to discuss the topics given. Afterwards, the evaluation of zoo employees’ reports about their daily work indicated the practice of the main ideas presented in the course. Also, as a result, students organized a program to monitor visitors on the weekends starting from the following year of their graduation course.El objetivo de este trabajo fue promover discusiones sobre problemas ambientales con estudiantes de biología y funcionarios de un zoológico. Esperamos contribuir indirectamente en la mejoría del trabajo en el zoológico, esto, a través de la capacitación de sus funcionarios en cuanto al tratamiento de los animales y al atendimiento del público. Por otra parte, pretendemos motivar a los estudiantes para que realicen otras acciones en educación ambiental, siguiendo la experiencia del zoológico. El Zoológico Municipal de São José Río Preto, São Paulo, fue visitado con el propósito de colectar datos, estos fueron utilizados para elaborar material didáctico de cursos de capacitación. Los cursos fueron dados separadamente tanto para estudiantes como para funcionarios, siempre basados en sus experiencias y cuestionamientos. Ambos grupos relataron la falta de oportunidad para la discusión del tema. La reinterpretación de los relatos de los funcionarios, después de las discusiones, indica que hubo asimilación de las ideas centrales que fueron tratadas en el curso. Como resultado concreto, a partir del año siguiente, destacamos la organización voluntaria de los estudiantes para organizar visitas guiadas, al zoológico, los fines de semana.O objetivo deste projeto foi promover discussões sobre a problemática ambiental junto a estudantes de biologia e funcionários de um zoológico. Indiretamente, esperamos contribuir para a melhoria do trabalho no zoológico, por meio da capacitação de seus funcionários no tratamento aos animais e no atendimento ao público. Além disso, visamos a estimular os estudantes a realizar outras ações em educação ambiental, a partir de uma experiência no zoológico. O Zoológico Municipal de São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, foi visitado para sondagem e coleta de dados, que foram utilizados para elaboração de material didático e de cursos de capacitação. Os cursos foram ministrados separadamente para estudantes e funcionários, sempre norteados por suas experiências e questionamentos. Ambos relataram poucas oportunidades para discutir o tema até o momento. A reinterpretação de relatos de funcionários, após as discussões, indica que houve a apreensão das idéias centrais tratadas no curso. Como desdobramento concreto, destacamos a organização voluntária dos estudantes para monitorar os visitantes do zoológico aos finais de semana a partir do ano seguinte ao curso

O zoológico como espaço integrador de posturas em educação ambiental

The aim of this project was to promote discussions on environmental matters among Biology undergraduated students and zoo employees. Indirectly, we hope to contribute for the improvement of the zoo workforce through the development of zoo employees in dealing with animals and visitors. Furthermore, we aim to stimulate students to promote environmental educational actions from a zoo experience. The zoo in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, was visited in order to collect data for the preparation of pedagogical material and development courses. Two different courses were ministered for students and zoo employees alone, and the discussions focused on their experiences and doubts. Both groups reported few opportunities to discuss the topics given. Afterwards, the evaluation of zoo employees’ reports about their daily work indicated the practice of the main ideas presented in the course. Also, as a result, students organized a program to monitor visitors on the weekends starting from the following year of their graduation course.El objetivo de este trabajo fue promover discusiones sobre problemas ambientales con estudiantes de biología y funcionarios de un zoológico. Esperamos contribuir indirectamente en la mejoría del trabajo en el zoológico, esto, a través de la capacitación de sus funcionarios en cuanto al tratamiento de los animales y al atendimiento del público. Por otra parte, pretendemos motivar a los estudiantes para que realicen otras acciones en educación ambiental, siguiendo la experiencia del zoológico. El Zoológico Municipal de São José Río Preto, São Paulo, fue visitado con el propósito de colectar datos, estos fueron utilizados para elaborar material didáctico de cursos de capacitación. Los cursos fueron dados separadamente tanto para estudiantes como para funcionarios, siempre basados en sus experiencias y cuestionamientos. Ambos grupos relataron la falta de oportunidad para la discusión del tema. La reinterpretación de los relatos de los funcionarios, después de las discusiones, indica que hubo asimilación de las ideas centrales que fueron tratadas en el curso. Como resultado concreto, a partir del año siguiente, destacamos la organización voluntaria de los estudiantes para organizar visitas guiadas, al zoológico, los fines de semana.O objetivo deste projeto foi promover discussões sobre a problemática ambiental junto a estudantes de biologia e funcionários de um zoológico. Indiretamente, esperamos contribuir para a melhoria do trabalho no zoológico, por meio da capacitação de seus funcionários no tratamento aos animais e no atendimento ao público. Além disso, visamos a estimular os estudantes a realizar outras ações em educação ambiental, a partir de uma experiência no zoológico. O Zoológico Municipal de São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, foi visitado para sondagem e coleta de dados, que foram utilizados para elaboração de material didático e de cursos de capacitação. Os cursos foram ministrados separadamente para estudantes e funcionários, sempre norteados por suas experiências e questionamentos. Ambos relataram poucas oportunidades para discutir o tema até o momento. A reinterpretação de relatos de funcionários, após as discussões, indica que houve a apreensão das idéias centrais tratadas no curso. Como desdobramento concreto, destacamos a organização voluntária dos estudantes para monitorar os visitantes do zoológico aos finais de semana a partir do ano seguinte ao curso

Men’s preferences for women’s breast size and shape in four cultures

The morphology of human female breasts typical for their permanent fat deposits appears to be unique among primates. It has been previously suggested that female breast morphology arose as a result of sexual selection. This is supported by evidence showing that women with larger breasts tend to have higher estrogen levels; breast size may therefore serve as an indicator of potential fertility. However, breasts become less firm with age and parity, and breast shape could thus also serve as a marker of residual fertility. Therefore, cross-culturally, males are hypothesized to prefer breast morphology that indicates both high potential and residual fertility. To test this, we performed a survey on men´s preferences for breast morphology in four different cultures (Brazil, Cameroon, the Czech Republic, Namibia). As stimuli, we used two sets of images varying in breast size (marker of potential fertility) and level of breast firmness (marker of residual fertility). Individual preferences for breast size were variable, but the majority of raters preferred medium sized, followed by large sized breasts. In contrast, we found systematic directional preferences for firm breasts across all four samples. This pattern supports the idea that breast morphology may serve as a residual fertility indicator, but offers more limited support for the potential fertility indicator hypothesis. Future studies should focus on a potential interaction between the two parameters, breast size and firmness, which, taken together, may help to explain the relatively large variation in women's breast sizes

Reasons of Singles for Being Single:Evidence from Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan and the UK

The current research aimed to examine the reasons people are single, that is, not in an intimate relationship, across eight different countries—Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, and the UK. We asked a large cross-cultural sample of single participants (N = 6,822) to rate 92 different possible reasons for being single. These reasons were classified into 12 factors, including one’s perceived inability to find the right partner, the perception that one is not good at flirting, and the desire to focus on one’s career. Significant sex and age effects were found for most factors. The extracted factors were further classified into three separate domains: Perceived poor capacity to attract mates, desiring the freedom of choice, and currently being in between relationships. The domain structure, the relative importance of each factor and domain, as well as sex and age effects were relatively consistent across countries. There were also important differences however, including the differing effect sizes of sex and age effects between countries

Fundamental social motives measured across forty-two cultures in two waves

How does psychology vary across human societies? The fundamental social motives framework adopts an evolutionary approach to capture the broad range of human social goals within a taxonomy of ancestrally recurring threats and opportunities. These motives—self-protection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin care—are high in fitness relevance and everyday salience, yet understudied cross-culturally. Here, we gathered data on these motives in 42 countries (N = 15,915) in two cross-sectional waves, including 19 countries (N = 10,907) for which datawere gathered in both waves. Wave 1 was collected from mid-2016 through late 2019 (32 countries, N = 8,998; 3,302 male, 5,585 female; Mage = 24.43, SD = 7.91). Wave 2 was collected from April through November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic (29 countries, N = 6,917; 2,249 male, 4,218 female; Mage = 28.59, SD = 11.31). These data can be used to assess differences and similarities in people’s fundamental social motives both across and within cultures, at different time points, and in relation to other commonly studied cultural indicators and outcomes

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

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world