Zašto svi želimo biti lijepi i mladi (a žene naročito)? iz perspektive evolucijske psihologije

Within social sciences, the standards of beauty were for a long time considered to be culturally determined, meaning that different people with different life experiences in different cultures acquire different standards of beauty, as captured in the famous sentence “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. However, two groups of findings have challenged this common assumption: first, people in different cultures generally agree on which faces are attractive; second, preferences emerge early in life, before cultural standards of beauty are likely to be assimilated. Evolutionary psychology explores the psychological adaptations (evolved psychological mechanisms constructed by natural selection) that constitute human nature. From the perspective of evolutionary psychology, beauty is not a cultural construct and appreciating beauty is not learned but is rather a biological adaptation, a part of universal human nature: the preferences for some physical characteristics reflect adaptations for mate choice because they signal aspects of mate quality. Theory of natural selection explains the adaptations, which help organisms in their tasks of survival. However, an organism can be adapted and survive for many years without passing its qualities to future generations – to pass them it must reproduce. The theory of sexual selection explains the adaptations that have arisen as a consequence of successful mating. In order to gain reproductive success, women and men adopt certain mate selection strategies – integrated sets of adaptations, not necessarily conscious, which organize and guide the individual’s reproductive efforts.Prema postavkama standardnog modela društevenih znanosti standardi ljepote su kulturalno određeni i usvajaju se tijekom socijalizacije. Međutim, dvije su skupine nalaza dovele u pitanje ovu uobičajenu pretpostavku: prvo, pokazalo se da se standardi ljepote javljaju vrlo rano u životu, što sugerira da bi mogli biti urođeni, te drugo, pokazalo se da su standardi ljepote međukulturalno univerzalni. Ovakvi nalazi potkrepljuju stajalište evolucijske psihologije prema kojem ljepota nije kulturalni konstrukt, a poimanje ljepote nij naučeno, nego predstavlja biološku adaptaciju, dio univerzalne ljudske prirode: preferencije za neke osobine tjelesnog izgleda odražavaju adaptacije nastale u svrhu odabira partnera. Budući da se žene i muškarci razlikuju s obzirom na minimalno potrebno ulaganje u potomstvo, razvile su se strategije odabira partnera koje su donekle spolno specifične. Kako je ključni adaptivni problem za postizanje reprodukcijskog uspjeha kod muškaraca predstavljalo pronalaženje plodne žene, oni znatno više vrednuju tjelesni izgled kao signal mladosti, zdravlja i plodnosti nego što to čine žene. No, iako se razlikuju po strategijama izbora partnera, ako je sve drugo izjednačeno, i muškarci i žene će prednost dati partnerima koji su ljepši. Ova je preferencija vjerojatno evoluirala kroz spolni odabir, kao adaptacija za odabir kvalitetnih partnera

Sex differences in mate preferences: Testing some predictions from evolutionary theory

Hypotheses of evolutionary psychologists concerning the mate choice and sex differences in preferred mate characteristics have been tested in various cultures. In this paper some of the basic assumptions that can be drawn from famous Trivers\u27 theory of parental investment and sexual selection are tested on a Croatian sample. The theory predicts sex differences when it comes to choosing a mate due to different parental investment in offspring. Females are expected to be choosier than males and to seek a reliable partner who has the resources and is willing to invest them in potential offspring (in order to increase their survival), while males should mostly seek a healthy and reproductively capable partner. The basic assumptions derived from the theory received empirical support: men seek short-term mates more than women do; sex differences were found in rankings of desirability of certain characteristics of a potential mate, as well as in his/her preferred age; more men than women would express sexual vs. emotional jealousy

Determinants of health - related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

The aim is to examine the contribution of socio-demographic, medical, and psychological factors in predicting health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to examine the differences between those with Crohn\u27s disease and ulcerative colitis, regarding psychosocial factors and quality of life. Methods. Data from 90 participants with Crohn\u27s disease and 63 participants with ulcerative colitis were collected using HBI, SCCAI, HADS, and shortened versions of SIBDQ, SS – A, and COPE, and the measure of self-evaluated disease activity. Data were analyzed by multiple hierarchical regression and discriminant analysis. The results of socio-demographic, medical and psychological factors accounted for 66% of variance of HRQoL in participants with IBD, with disease activity, and levels of anxiety and depression being the strongest independent predictors. Higher disease activity and higher level of psychological disturbances were related to lower HRQoL. Differences between the two diagnostic groups were found in disease activity assessments and disengagement, with participants suffering from Crohn\u27s disease indicating lower levels of disease activity, using disengagement as a coping strategy less often. Conclusion. The findings on independent contribution of psychological disturbances in predicting the HRQoL, positive correlation of anxiety and depression with disease activity, and high representation of clinically relevant anxiety (27.5%) and depression (10.5%) in the sample with a low representation of participants with severe, active phase of disease point towards a need for routine screening for anxiety and depression in IBD patients and inclusion of specific psychological support in IBD treatment

Does the abstract thinking have a significant role in the relationship between extraversion and evoked brain potentials?

Considering the significant number of inconsistent results regarding the relationship between extraversion and evoked potentials within the Eysencks’ arousal theory, a possible significant role of some other variables such as attention, task modality and difficulty, and intelligence level has been analyzed. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between extraversion and its electrophysiological correlates, taking into account the intellectual level of subjects. Forty-three female psychology students, within the age range 19-23 years, participated in the study. Extraversion was measured by EPQ-R and abstract thinking by ATT. The evoked brain potentials (N1, P2, N2, P3, & SW) were elicited by a standard visual oddball paradigm, in two measurement trials for each subject, using two occipital and two parietal electrodes. Correlation analyses of extraversion and evoked potentials partialized for abstract thinking have shown that the intellectual level of subjects represented a significant part of the extraversion-evoked potentials relationship, especially in the SW-latency parameter. Overall, the findings implied the great importance of analyzing individual differences in electro-cortical activity using the measures of both personality and intelligence, as both of them could play a significant and complex role in subjects’ cortical arousal

Guns N` Snakes: How Selective is the Fear Module?

S ciljem ispitivanja evolucijske hipoteze o selektivnosti ulaznih informacija modula za strah metodom vidnoga pretraživanja provedeno je istraživanje brzine reakcije na različite vrste podražaja. Sudionicima (N = 74) su prikazane matrice fotografija opasnih i bezopasnih podražaja za koje su trebali utvrditi jesu li iz iste kategorije ili je jedna od prikazanih fotografija iz različite kategorije. Dobiveni rezultati u skladu su s pretpostavkama modula za strah. Na opasne podražaje sudionici su reagirali brže nego na bezopasne te je zabilježena brža reakcija na zmije kao evolucijski opasne podražaje u odnosu na slične bezopasne životinje. Brža reakcija na pištolje kao moderne opasne podražaje u odnosu na slične bezopasne predmete nije dobivena. Usporedba vremena reakcije za zmije i pištolje pokazala je općenito bržu reakciju na podražaje pištolja, što može sugerirati potencijalnu interakciju modula za strah s procesima socijalnoga učenja. Dobiveni rezultati naglašavaju važnost valencije podražaja u objašnjavanju selektivnosti modula za strah, pri čemu je nužno daljnje utvrđivanje specifičnih perceptivnih faktora koji dovode do brže detekcije i reakcije na pojedine vrste podražaja.Reaction time to different types of stimuli within the visual search task was examined to test the evolutionary hypothesis on the input information selectivity of the fear module. The participants (N = 74) were presented different image matrices, containing dangerous and harmless stimuli, for which they had to determine whether they all belong to the same category or whether there was a discrepant one from a different category. The results are consistent with the basic assumptions of the fear module. Participants reacted faster to dangerous stimuli than to harmless ones, and a faster response rate was found for snakes as evolutionarily dangerous stimuli when compared to similar harmless animals. There was no difference in reaction time to guns as modern dangerous stimuli when compared to similar harmless objects. A comparison of reaction times for snakes and guns showed a generally faster response to gun stimuli, which could indicate a possible interaction of the fear module with social learning processes. The results obtained highlight the importance of stimulus valence for the selectivity of the fear module, while further studies are needed to determine specific perceptual factors that lead to faster detection and reaction time to specific types of stimuli

Women\u27s Hormonal Status and Mate Value Influence Relationship Satisfaction and Perceived Male Attractiveness

Numerous findings suggest that female preferences for certain features of male faces vary during the menstrual cycle. Similarly, changes during the cycle have also been found in women\u27s commitment to a current relationship. Furthermore, from the perspective of securing benefits from extra-pair affairs, the differences between women with high vs. low mate value could be expected. In this study we have tried to connect these sets of findings: first, we explored differences between partnered and single women in their ratings of male facial attractiveness in different phases of the menstrual cycle; and second, their satisfaction with the current relationship in relation to the cycle phase and selfperceived mate value. Two groups of women (single vs. partnered) rated the attractiveness of two sets of male faces (normal vs. symmetrical). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that women in a relationship gave higher ratings of attractiveness for both normal and symmetrical faces in the luteal phase compared to the early follicular phase of a cycle, while single women showed the opposite pattern. Analyses of satisfaction with their current relationship in relation to cycle phase and self-perceived mate value showed that women with higher mate value are generally more satisfied with their current partners, and show smaller differences in satisfaction in various phases of the cycle. The results are interpreted in terms of content-specificity of hormone mediated adaptive design

ISPITIVANJE LATERALIZACIJE FUNKCIJA MOZGOVNIH HEMISFERA TEHNIKOM PVP UZ KORIŠTENJE VERBALNOG MATERIJALA

Tehnika podijeljenog vidnog polja (PVP). često korištena u izučavanju asimetričnog procesiranja u lijevoj i desnoj mozgovnoj hemisferi, uključuje kratku tahistoskopsku prezentaciju vidnog podražaja u lijevo ili desno vidno polje. Njezina prikladnost za ovu vrstu istraživanja temelji se na anatomskoj karakteristici vidnog sustava u kojem se informacija prezentirana u jedno vidno polje prenosi neuralnim putovima do kontralateralne hemisfere. Ako se kao podražaji koriste riječi, bez obzira na vrstu verbalnog zadatka, najčešće se javlja prednost desnog vidnog polja/lijeve hemisfere, i taj se efekt smatra jednim od najbolje dokumentiranih nalaza u proučavanju laterctlizacije. Usprkos jednostavnosti logike koja je u osnovi upotrebe ove tehnike, znatan broj varijabli utječe na procese koji se odvijaju od primanja podražaja do produkcije odgovora. Valjana interpretacija opaženih lateralnih efekata ovisi o identifikaciji tih varijabli, te o razlikovanju onih koje su vezane za karakteristike podražaja i zadatka od onih koje su posljedica razlika u hemisfernom procesiranju. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati utjecaj onih relevantnih varijabli za koje u dosadašnjoj literaturi nema konzistentnih nalaza. Provedena su tri pokusa sa zadatkom leksičke odluke, i u svakom od njih su. uz vidno polje, varirane još po dvije varijable. Rezultati su pokazali da neke od ispitivanih varijabli znatno utječu na opažene lateralne efekte. S udaljavanjem podražaja od točke fiksacije smanjuje se brzina leksičke odluke za riječi iz desnog, ali ne i za one iz lijevog vidnog polja. Leksička odluka brža je za kraće u usporedbi s duljim riječima, podjednako u oba vidna polja. Okomita prezentacija podražaja rezultirala je izostankom uobičajene prednosti desnog vidnog polja te sporijom leksičkom odlukom, što se posebno odrazilo na dulje riječi. Leksička odluka je za visoko predočljive riječi u oba vidna polja bila brža nego za nisko predočljive. Ovi nalazi upozoravaju na potrebu veće metodološke strogosti u istraživanjima s tehnikom PVP, kako zaključci koji se donose o razlikama u funkcioniranju lijeve i desne hemisfere ne bi bili posljedica metodoloških artefakata

Validacijsko istraživanje hrvatske verzije Edinburškog upitnika poslijeporođajne depresivnosti (EPDS)

Validation studies established different cut-off points for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in different countries. The aim of this paper was to validate the Croatian EPDS against DSM-IV-TR for major and minor depression. A community sample of 272 women was followed from pregnancy to six weeks postpartum. They filled out the EPDS and STAI and were diagnosed using the SCID-I-RV. At the 8/9 cut-off score the sensitivity of the EPDS was 77.3% and its specificity was 82.4%. The principal component analysis with oblique rotation resulted in two correlated oblique factors, reflecting depressive and anxiety symptoms. Since the scree plot indicated that a one-factor solution would be appropriate, it is advised to treat the scale as one-dimensional. The Croatian version of the EPDS is a valid screening instrument and can be used by health practitioners for PPD screening.Istraživanja koja su se bavila validacijom Edinburškog upitnika poslijeporođajne depresivnosti (EPDS) utvrdila su različite kritične rezultate u različitim zemljama. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je validirati hrvatsku verziju EPDS-a s obzirom na dijagnozu velike i male depresivne epizode prema DSM-IV-TR. U istraživanju su sudjelovale 272 žene koje su praćene od trudnoće do 6 tjedana nakon porođaja, kad su ispunile EPDS i Spielbergerov upitnik anksioznosti (STAI) te je proveden strukturirani klinički intervju (SCID-I-RV) s ciljem postavljanja dijagnoze depresije. Pri kritičnom rezultatu 8/9 osjetljivost EPDS-a je 77,3%, a specifičnost 82,4%. Metodom glavnih komponenti s kosokutnom rotacijom utvrđena su dva kosokutna faktora koji odražavaju depresivnost i anksioznost, a za koje se pokazalo da su u međusobnoj korelaciji. S obzirom na to da scree plot upućuje na postojanje jednog faktora, preporuča se koristiti upitnik kao jednodimenzionalni. Zaključno se može reći da se hrvatska verzija EPDS-a pokazala valjanim upitnikom za trijažu poslijeporođajne depresije te se preporuča za korištenje u kliničke i zdravstvene svrhe