tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.comments2023-12-01T11:49:46.831+11:00Eye on PsychScott McGrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-60473001218530469152013-04-19T13:01:47.792+10:002013-04-19T13:01:47.792+10:00That looks like a very interesting study, I'll...That looks like a very interesting study, I'll have a read of it to get a better understanding. Thanks for the info. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-83295229410470912812013-04-19T03:20:22.046+10:002013-04-19T03:20:22.046+10:00Farias has written a more recent paper:
'Unus...Farias has written a more recent paper:<br /><br />'Unusual but sound minds: Mental health indicators in spiritual individuals':<br /><br />http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2012.02128.x/abstract<br /><br />Quote from the abstract: "Anxiety, depression variables, and insecure attachment were not significant predictors of spirituality or correlated with them; on the other hand, the results show that spiritual believers report high social support satisfaction and this variable predicts involvement in modern spirituality"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-38538298060198453972013-04-15T00:04:01.569+10:002013-04-15T00:04:01.569+10:00I completely agree with this statement. Yes, there...I completely agree with this statement. Yes, there might be correlations between the "female brain" and eating disorders due to the pressures of today's society, but more science is needed to go as far as saying it has to do with the functioning of the female brain. Also, as far as the male brain, testosterone, and autism link I'm not going to disagree, but I feel more research is going to be needed over the years to truely determine whether this is true or not. I believe these ideas/predictictions might be headed in the right direction, but I would not go as far as to say that they are completely true.Therapist NYChttp://psychny.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-36542661660784463792013-03-29T19:58:13.900+11:002013-03-29T19:58:13.900+11:00General Knowledge is mandatory to pass government ...General Knowledge is mandatory to pass government job exams. Otherwise you don'e need to study general knowledge.General Knowledgehttp://gdl2011.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-67406465249358892232013-01-31T13:35:45.818+11:002013-01-31T13:35:45.818+11:00Thanks for your comment, I'm pleased you found...Thanks for your comment, I'm pleased you found it interesting!Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-61369530889250829312013-01-31T13:34:17.041+11:002013-01-31T13:34:17.041+11:00It is true that ultimately the sex of the child is...It is true that ultimately the sex of the child is determined by the chromosome on the father's sperm. However, there is evidence that the mother's hormones can influence the chemistry of the uterus in ways that make it more probable that a sperm bearing either an X or Y chromosome will fertilise the egg. Specifically, this has been linked to testosterone levels in the follicular fluid surrounding the ovum. Higher testosterone levels appear to increase the chance that the egg will be fertilised by a Y-bearing sperm. I'm not saying this has been conclusively proven, but there does appear to be a plausible mechanism by which the mother could influence the sex of her child. Thanks for taking an interest. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-89219919672359700792013-01-31T12:45:24.996+11:002013-01-31T12:45:24.996+11:00Evolutionary perspective refers to the application...Evolutionary perspective refers to the application of the principles of evolution to explain psychological processes and phenomena(Buss, 2009). The confidence that these male and female performers have, is said to be passed down to their offspring. The evolutionary perspective analyzes behaviors in terms of how it increases a species' chances to survive and reproduce(Hockenbury, 2010). I think that the idea that these women, that reproduce with attractive men that are more reproductively succesful, have a tendancy to have sons that will be good looking as well as be reproductively successful. From my understanding of the evolutionary perspective of psychology, I agree with this post and thought it was very interesting!Brookenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-22798817014435596472013-01-31T11:22:57.667+11:002013-01-31T11:22:57.667+11:00Most of the above blog is a contradiction of the B...Most of the above blog is a contradiction of the Biological Perspective which has to do with genetics. Gender is decided by the x or y chromosome in the sperm, which is in the father. The mother just has the egg. No matter the level of interpersonal dominance in the female performer, the male sperm will decide the gender. However, this is a very interesting conclusion from the evolutionary point of view. Congradulations Darwin and goodbye Brad Pitt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-15588233757543117332013-01-27T21:09:45.457+11:002013-01-27T21:09:45.457+11:00Another factor raised by Cochran is the high pater...Another factor raised by Cochran is the high paternal age in polygamous societies. Over time this would increase the mutational load.<br /><br />"The poster-boy population for checking out the consequences of a long-term pattern of advanced paternal age has to be the Australian Aborigines. They are not the only population of interest – there are other cultural patterns that change average paternal age. Like polygamy.<br /><br />Someone should have noticed this a long time ago. Weinberg noticed increasing levels of trouble with parental age 100 years ago. Haldane had figured out that most mutations were contributed by males in 1947. He also developed the theory of genetic load before 1960. The atypical paternal age of Australian Aborigines has been well-documented for a long time."<br /><br />http://westhunt.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/obvious-yessss-it-was-obvious/Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01133142115539961665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-24355783336480280382013-01-27T21:06:20.857+11:002013-01-27T21:06:20.857+11:00Peter Frost discusses this also:
"Recent sel...Peter Frost discusses this also:<br /><br />"Recent selection<br /><br />Thus, one theoretical model cannot account for all or even most variation in cognitive capacity among present-day humans. The higher IQ of East Asians, for example, almost certainly came about during historic times and was probably favored by the widespread use of exams as a means of social advancement. Likewise, the higher IQ of Ashkenazi Jews and other European populations is probably post-medieval in origin and driven by the high fertility of successful entrepreneurs, particularly those in cottage industries who could expand their workforces only by having larger families (Frost, 2007).<br /><br />Another relevant factor is the rise of the State, particularly its monopoly on violence (Frost, 2010). This is discussed with respect to English society in Gregory Clark’s Farewell to Alms. Clark (2007) argues that the slow but steady demographic expansion of the English middle class from the 12th century onward gradually raised the population mean for predispositions to non-violence, deferment of pleasure, and other future-oriented behavior. Although the embryonic middle class was initially a small minority in medieval England, its descendants grew in number and gradually replaced the lower class through downward mobility. By the 1800s, its lineages accounted for most of the English population...<br /><br />Today, most of the human gene pool is derived from populations that only 15,000 years ago were confined to the northern tier of Eurasia. These populations have since expanded southward into temperate and even tropical Eurasia, as well as Oceania and the Americas. In the process, they have displaced other populations that were nonetheless better adapted in terms of climate and ecology.<br /><br />What was their competitive advantage? It could not have been a K-type reproductive strategy. If we look at present-day hunter-gatherers from the northern arctic and sub-arctic, we find that they pursue a moderately r-type strategy despite high levels of paternal investment. Traditional Inuit, for instance, have short inter-birth intervals, with menstruation being a rare occurrence.<br /><br />The competitive advantage seems to involve three characteristics of ancestral northern Eurasians:<br /><br />1. A predictable yearly cycle, which favored the ability to plan ahead and make future decisions in the present. Indeed, early modern humans had more complex tools and weapons at arctic latitudes than at tropical latitudes, apparently because of the yearly cycle of resource availability: “Technological complexity in colder environments seems to reflect the need for greater foraging efficiency in settings where many resources are available only for limited periods of time.” (Hoffecker, 2002, p. 135)<br /><br />2. A low incidence of polygyny, which reduced male-male competition for mates and the consequent disruptive effects on social organization.<br /><br />3. A high level of paternal investment in the family, which in turn emancipated women from food provisioning and enabled them to develop a ‘family workshop’ of garment making, structure building, food processing, etc. (Kelly 1995, p. 262-270).<br /><br />These northern Eurasians were thus mentally pre-adapted, despite their simple social organization, for later technological developments, even though such developments were possible only in more southern environments for which these populations were less ecologically adapted. It is perhaps no surprise that they were able to expand southward into the temperate and tropical zones, eventually peopling almost all of Eurasia, Oceania, and the Americas."<br /><br />http://evoandproud.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/rethinking-intelligence-and-human.htmlMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01133142115539961665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-29337193249630149162013-01-27T21:05:26.225+11:002013-01-27T21:05:26.225+11:00As Peter Frost observes, there is unlikely to be a...As Peter Frost observes, there is unlikely to be a single explanation for group differences. Ed Miller has noted that one consequence of the colder climate is in the importance of paternal provisioning ('Paternal Provisioning versus Mate Seeking in Human Populations' Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 17, August 1994, No. 2, 227-255). <br /><br />Also, Harpending & Cochran have noted a similar distinction in cad/dad cultures. For example, in tropical environments where women do a greater proportion of the work (eg. female farming societies), are less dependent on male provisioning, there's greater polygamy, you get more selection for charismatic big men, or strong warriors. As Cochran & Harpending note:<br /><br />"These different subsistence ecologies are not only products of evolution and natural selection, they are also important contexts for it. If belligerent violent warriors, killers, have a reproductive advantage as the do among the Yanomamo of the Amazon basin (Chagnon 1988) then over a time scale of centuries males will become better and better at being belligerent and violent. If instead the social system favors white collar skills, like the niche of northern European Jews in Medieval times, intelligence and other related skill will increase. Centuries of peasant farming should select for being a good peasant farmer and related abilities. A system with a high interest rate, social stability, and the rule of law should select for the ability to defer rewards, against violence, and in favor of the ability to work hard. Gregory Clark (2007) suggests that precisely these circumstances in Medieval Europe led to the Industrial Revolution, that evolution forged a new kind of human that could sustain an industrial society."<br /><br />http://the10000yearexplosion.com/human-cultural-diversity/<br />Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01133142115539961665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-49565567673200948222013-01-16T18:08:38.662+11:002013-01-16T18:08:38.662+11:00Neanderthal immediate ancestors were probably H er...Neanderthal immediate ancestors were probably H erectus or related species like H heidelberg. Neanderthals have larger brains (1500cc) and possibly higher intelligence than their immediate ancestor tropical H erectus (900cc) so yes cold does select for bigger brains.<br /><br />It is possible an H erectus population evolved to H sapeins in Asian then colonized africa.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-73926244652544199542013-01-11T16:30:15.463+11:002013-01-11T16:30:15.463+11:00Living in cold climate is a challenge. You can su...Living in cold climate is a challenge. You can survive a night in the tropics, you can not survive a night in a cold climate, unless you take some type of precaution. Huge selection pressure. People in colder climates have fewer children than people in tropical climates.<br /><br />In cold climates it is not about how many females you can knock up, it is about how many of your offspring actually survive. Every race has their specialities, cold climate people were selected to be able to solve the problems and challenges of the cold. Warm climate people have far superiour abilities in other areas, and not a lot of research looks at these abilities. But certainly some of the abilities of cold climate people show as measurable abilities in the modern world. So yes, I do believe cold climate selects for these abilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-11016715612457550082013-01-09T19:12:31.361+11:002013-01-09T19:12:31.361+11:00I've just come across an article that critique...I've just come across an <a href="http://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2013/1/7/does-internet-porn-really-cause-memory-loss.html" rel="nofollow">article</a> that critiques the claim that porn decreases working memory. The study actually found that viewing pornography makes it more difficult to correctly remember what other pornography one has previously viewed, but there was no evidence for a more general effect of impairment of memory of non-erotic stimuli. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-75942403977748207802013-01-04T14:29:00.384+11:002013-01-04T14:29:00.384+11:00Very nice post, Scott Mc.
>>...not an act o...Very nice post, Scott Mc.<br /><br />>><i>...not an act of "violence" in any sensible use of the word</i><br /><br />Yet moral debates aren't contests to determine the most sensible linguists. Jihadists can describe their acts as violent self-defense, and that evidently makes sense to other Salafist sympathisers protecting their Religion of Peace. With religious leaders successfully charming the like-minded, they needn't craft narratives that persuade an outsider's mind. Least of all we rationalists!<br /><br />Moralizing itself --the act of putting moral sentiments into words-- evidently "causes divisiveness". Yet we needn't conclude that such discourse is "therefore unwise".<br /><br />It seems important for real peace, to keep describing grey events and people --hypothetical or historical-- as either good(ish) or as wrong(ish). Primarily the violent events and people. And to significant extent the influential.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-18598142135805378222012-12-27T10:55:57.103+11:002012-12-27T10:55:57.103+11:00Actually, scientific research in this area is maki...Actually, scientific research in this area is making something of a comeback, as there have been a number of published studies in recent years. There was in fact one study on psilocybin (similar in effects to LSD, although with subtle differences) using MRI that I discuss in this <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/unique-everybody-else/201210/psilocybin-and-brain-function" rel="nofollow">post</a>.Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-90833939168516115962012-12-27T00:10:05.960+11:002012-12-27T00:10:05.960+11:00Hundreds of clinical trials of psychedelic drugs s...Hundreds of clinical trials of psychedelic drugs such as LSD were carried out in the 1950s and 1960s, and successful treatments, including one for alcohol addiction, came out of the work. Since LSD was banned around the world, however, the number of scientific studies has dropped to virtually zero, and there have been no studies using modern imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at what parts of the brain are affected by it.Science Productshttp://scienceproduct.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-33653365915976640562012-12-17T13:03:03.142+11:002012-12-17T13:03:03.142+11:00You ask an interesting question. I am aware of a n...You ask an interesting question. I am aware of a number of different evolutionary theories about the origins of religions. Being such a complex phenomenon, I am sure there are multiple factors at work. One theory I found particularly interesting is that religions bind people into moral communities that promote in-group loyalty. Religious observances usually involving personal inconveniences, such as giving up enjoyable activities. This theory proposes that such observances serve as a signal of one's commitment to group loyalty and willingness to make sacrifices in collective interests. Giving up sexual pleasures could serve such a function. But this still leaves the question of why some cultures and religions are more prudish than others about sexual matters. I think this is still an open question. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-39560914084264617092012-12-17T12:56:55.579+11:002012-12-17T12:56:55.579+11:00This sound interesting, I will have a look. The st...This sound interesting, I will have a look. The study I wrote about had participants imagine themselves having a casual sexual encounter. This probably does have different effects from focusing very intently on pornography. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-18482436493530111332012-12-17T05:06:58.681+11:002012-12-17T05:06:58.681+11:00Interestingly, researchers also recently discovere...Interestingly, researchers also recently discovered that intense focus on erotic imagery can decrease working memory - which could impair cognitive function. In other words, it looks like balance is important. For a discussion of the new research, see "No Porn, Better Working Memory?" http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/201212/no-porn-better-working-memoryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-85855551848007912622012-12-17T02:09:47.540+11:002012-12-17T02:09:47.540+11:00You discuss the possible reasons why religions opp...You discuss the possible reasons why religions oppose "lust without love": "thinking about sex could weaken religious belief, whereas thoughts about love might strengthen it."<br /><br />This asks about what's at stake in human behavior from the perspective of organized religion, i.e. how a religious institution benefits from the ideals it promotes. This is a worthy question, but one could also "back up" a bit from an evolutionary perspective and ask why religion evolved at all. The question would be flipped around: what's at stake in the behavior of organized religion from the perspective of humans? Why do people develop and sustain institutional reminders to restrict their own sexual activity?Tucker Liebermanhttp://www.moralrelativism.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-38391293167156507402012-12-11T13:48:51.306+11:002012-12-11T13:48:51.306+11:00Your question about why eating disorders are more ...Your question about why eating disorders are more prevalent in females while autism is more prevalent in males (a factor of 4:1) is difficult to answer. Firstly, only a subset of females with eating disorders have autistic symptoms. For example, some studies have found that 16 - 23% of teenage girls with anorexia had autistic symptoms prior to the onset of their eating disorder. Additionally, one of the references I cited notes that: "Eating disturbances such as refusal<br />of certain types of foods, sensitivity to texture or<br />types of foods and unusual behaviours at mealtimes are<br />common in individuals with [Autism Spectrum Disorders]" (Oldershaw et al.). Some scholars have noted that men and women with similar underlying conditions tend to manifest their symptoms in ways that are stereotypical of their gender. In relation to eating disorders, preoccupation with being thin seems to be core component, and this is generally more important to women than men. So it might be that in people with autistic tendencies having a belief that one must be very thin in order to have good self-esteem poses a particular risk of anorexia or bulimia. Interestingly, I have read that a high proportion of men with eating disorders are also gay. Apparently, thin men are considered quite attractive in the gay community, so some gay men restrict their eating in the hope of becoming thin. I don't know if there is also a connection with autism in these men though. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-28824125055356794422012-12-11T11:35:43.953+11:002012-12-11T11:35:43.953+11:00I had no idea that autism and eating disorders had...I had no idea that autism and eating disorders had anything in common. I never would have guessed that either until I read your article. It's very interesting. But, if eating disorders do have a lot to do with autism. Then why is autism more common in males if about 95% of people who experience an eating disorder are females. Here's some more facts about eating disorders: The two main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the central features of eating disorders are similar to males and females, some of the disturbances can include extreme reduction of food intake, severe bouts of overeating, and obsessive concerns about body shape or weight.Alexa Hennesseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-9445403512333435532012-12-04T19:03:46.406+11:002012-12-04T19:03:46.406+11:00Thanks for your interest. There does seem to be ev...Thanks for your interest. There does seem to be evidence that autism has been over-diagnosed. Recently, the diagnostic criteria were revised for DSM-V, and apparently this will lead to fewer diagnoses because the criteria are supposed to be tighter. Scott McGrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757633582829269183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304269645366413372.post-73141460738785200792012-12-03T07:06:05.007+11:002012-12-03T07:06:05.007+11:00I think that this is interesting research that has...I think that this is interesting research that has been done. I believe that this could be true because you tend to see more women with eating disorders than men. I however, don't believe that men are more likely to have autism than women. I feel this way because I think more and more cases of autism are being reported and they are not all men. I think that we are diagnosing more people with autism now than before because they show some symptoms of it. This means that the amount of people that actually have autism is probably lower than the amount of people that have been diagnosed. Lindsey Robinsonnoreply@blogger.com