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(https://www.psypost.org/dating-dynamics-men-more-likely-to-admit-poor-hygiene-women-confess-moral-lapses/) Dating dynamics: Men more likely to admit poor hygiene, women confess moral lapses
Jul 26th 2024, 10:00

When it comes to dating, everyone wants to put their best foot forward. But what if you had to disclose something less flattering? In a study published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2024.102159) Telematics and Informatics, researchers recently investigated this tricky question, exploring how people manage self-presentation on dates when they have to reveal both negative and positive traits. The findings indicate that women more often disclosed morally disgusting behaviors and artistic abilities, while men tended to reveal pathogenically disgusting behaviors and kindness.
The researchers were motivated by a desire to understand how individuals manage the delicate balance of self-presentation in dating contexts, especially when it involves revealing both positive and negative traits. While extensive research has been conducted on the traits people prefer in potential partners, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding how people choose to disclose their own less desirable qualities. The study aimed to fill this gap by examining which traits individuals prefer to highlight or conceal when trying to make a favorable impression on a date.
Another key motivation was to explore the role of different types of disgust in shaping these self-presentation choices. Disgust, being a fundamental factor influencing social and romantic interactions, can significantly impact one’s image in the eyes of a potential partner. By focusing on three specific types of disgust—pathogen, sexual, and moral—the researchers hoped to uncover patterns in how these different forms of disgust affect dating dynamics.
“I was interested in the subject as it is part of my broader research on disgust and disgust sensitivity, with particular weight put on sex differences in the latter,” said study author Michal Mikolaj Stefanczyk, a PhD student at the University of Wrocław. “Cross-culturally and robustly, women are more disgust sensitive than men, but the reasons on it remain unexplored, and empirical approach in addressing this issue is scarce.”
“In this particular study, I wanted to test whether men and women not only are different in their disgust sensitivity levels, but also if they differ in how they operate when it comes to self-presentation. My previous study on that ((https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjop.12556) Stefanczyk et al., 2022) showed that we tend to bend reality and declare increased sexual disgust in presence of an attractive audience; how far does the self-presentation disgust-wise go? And do men and women differ in that?
The study involved a total of 1,017 adults from two countries: Poland and the United States. The Polish participants (512 individuals) were recruited using a snowball sampling method, while the American participants (505 individuals) were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform. The sample included 540 women and 477 men, with an average age of 28.78 years.
The research utilized a dating simulation game to explore self-presentation strategies. Participants interacted with a virtual date, choosing from different dialogue options to disclose positive and negative traits. The game was designed to appear realistic, with the virtual date reacting positively to any positive trait and negatively to any negative trait disclosed by the participants.
The positive traits included physical attractiveness, financial prospects, health, kindness, and artistic ability. The negative traits were categorized into three types of disgust: pathogen (e.g., poor hygiene), sexual (e.g., inappropriate sexual behavior), and moral (e.g., dishonest behavior).
The researchers found differences in how men and women chose to disclose negative traits. Women, on average, were more likely to admit to morally disgusting behaviors, while men more frequently chose to reveal pathogenically disgusting behaviors.
“The take home message is: men and women most probably differ in their perception of severity of damage that certain disgust-related declaration do in the eyes of others; in other words, and what was directly found: they prefer to admit to transgression of norms of different kinds of disgust, namely women prefer to admit to moral disgust transgressions, whereas men prefer to admit to pathogen disgust transgressions,” Stefanczyk told PsyPost.
“In short, it means that women more often than men prefered to admit that they lied, manipulated others or stole from them (i.e., transgressed moral disgust norms), whereas men more often than women admitted to be be stinky, physically/sensorially repulsive, or have symptoms of illness (i.e., transgressed pathogen disgust norms).”
There were no significant differences in the disclosure of sexual transgressions between the sexes.
“It’s interesting that men and women did not differ in the frequency of admitting to sexual disgust transgressions, since we expected the differences to be the biggest here, as in this domain sex discrepancy is in general large (really, really large, meta-analysis of (https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/emo0000389) Sparks et al. (2018) shows a Cohen’s d of over 1.15!),” Stefanczyk said. “Perhaps when the dating context is present, we no longer differ in sexual openness?”
In terms of positive traits, artistic ability was the most frequently chosen trait to highlight, with women selecting this option more often than men. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to emphasize kindness.
Surprisingly, the study found no significant sex differences in the frequency of choosing to display physical attractiveness. Similarly to physical attractiveness, there were no significant sex differences in the frequency of choosing to display wealth. Both men and women chose to highlight their financial prospects at similar rates.
“No sex differences were found in the ‘traditional’ field of sex differences, i.e., wealth and physical attractiveness,” Stefanczyk explained. “Perhaps it is too obvious, in our times, to directly boast about money or to highlight one’s physical attractiveness, and each of the sexes chooses a different ‘second best’ option to astonish their date, without falling into cliches?”
The researchers also found that sexual orientation played a role in the choices. Participants with higher Kinsey scores, indicating a higher degree of non-heterosexual orientation, were less likely to choose morally disgusting dialogue options. Non-heterosexual individuals might be more cautious about disclosing traits that could damage their social image, especially in contexts where they might already face bias. But more research is needed to understand this.
“It seems sex and sexual orientation influence how we perceive certain unfavourable statements about self, and we differently play the game of holding the best image possible when in the context of dating (and mating),” Stefanczyk said. “A rotten rose smells unevenly bad, depending on the nose of the beholder.”
“We do not know why that happened, but currently there is too little research done on these kinds of comparisons, yet our empirical study of, I dare to say, quite fun design, showed that the two groups do think differently when dating. Different things are perceived as the worst, it seems. But why?”
As with all research, the study has some limitations to consider. “The two cultures we conducted the study in are both WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic), there are no good reasons why Poles and Americans should differ that much,” Stefanczyk noted. “But I think performing this study in a different culture would show different results, perhaps greater differences. In the West, everything slowly becomes permissible, at least when in the heat of a date, when both sides are interested in each other. But outside of the Western culture, it should be different.”
Future research could include more diverse samples, further examine why individuals choose “second best” traits to display, or explore the perceiver’s perspective on these traits, Stefanczyk said.
“Here, the participants chose what they believed was the best/the least bad option,” he explained. “But would they actually perceive these options as the best/least bad, if they were the ones who listened to such statements? Perhaps we would rather see men boasting more about their wealth, and women underscoring their physical attractiveness more?”
“There is far more self-promotion when we are the ones who express things, whereas more ‘true to the heart’ responses could be found when we are the ones who get the impression about others. For instance, think about going on a date with a person of your preferred sex. Let’s say – it’s a woman. Would you really rather hear her admit to lying to the police, or maybe you’d prefer to hear that she enjoys casual sex with strangers? And this is what we should really care about, if we are in the game of self-presentation – what the other person would like to hear about us.”
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585324000637) Disgust in the mating context – choosing the best and the least bad self-presentation option in a date simulation game,” was authored by Michal Mikolaj Stefanczyk, Daniel Conroy-Beam, Bartosz Ujma, Kathryn V. Walter, Zuzanna Zborowska, and Agnieszka Sorokowska.

(https://www.psypost.org/online-trolls-enjoy-trolling-but-not-being-trolled/) Online trolls enjoy trolling, but not being trolled
Jul 26th 2024, 08:00

A recent study has explored the intriguing relationship between dark humor, online trolling, and certain dark personality traits. The findings reveal that individuals who enjoy dark humor often possess traits such as sadism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Furthermore, these traits are linked to a greater propensity for online trolling. Online trolls enjoyed trolling others, but did not like being trolled themselves. The research was published in (https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14060493) Behavioral Sciences.
The rise of social media has provided individuals with new ways to express humor but also to engage in antisocial behaviors online. A survey in the UK found that 75% of individuals between 13 and 36 years of age shared memes online, while over 25% reported being victims of online trolling.
Memes are pieces of media that are “passed very quickly from one internet user to another, often with slight changes that make them humorous.” One reason for their popularity is their ability to communicate about controversial and taboo topics humorously, typically by individuals who are not affected by the topic.
Online trolling is another behavior that has caught the attention of researchers. Trolling involves behaving in a deceptive or disruptive manner on the internet with no apparent instrumental purpose. Trolls typically do not gain any material benefit from their behaviors but engage in trolling for personal enjoyment or to provoke reactions from others.
Study authors Sophie Voisey and Sonja Heintz hypothesized that enjoying dark humor online might be associated with Dark Tetrad personality traits. They also sought to explore the relationship between the enjoyment of dark humor, Dark Tetrad traits, and online trolling abilities, behavior, and enjoyment. They believed that individuals with heightened Dark Tetrad personality traits would be better at online trolling and that dark humor enjoyment and ability would be associated with enjoyment of trolling and the ability to troll.
The Dark Tetrad traits encompass four personality traits associated with malevolent behaviors and attitudes: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Narcissism is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with oneself, including a need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. Machiavellianism is defined by manipulative and deceitful behavior, often driven by a focus on personal gain and strategic advantage. Psychopathy is marked by impulsivity, a lack of remorse or guilt, and a propensity for antisocial and violent behavior. Sadism involves deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.
The study involved 165 students from the University of Plymouth in the UK. They received course credit for their participation. These students completed assessments of the Dark Tetrad traits (using the Short Dark Tetrad), online trolling trait (measured by the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling-Revised), online trolling enjoyment (rating how much they enjoy being trolled in an online game), and online trolling ability (writing down ways they could troll players in an online game). Additionally, they were assessed on the dark humor trait (using the Dark Humor Scale), dark humor enjoyment (rating memes), dark humor ability (producing punchlines for blank meme templates), and humorous temperament (using the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory Trait Version).
The results revealed that individuals with a higher tendency towards dark humor also exhibited higher levels of all four Dark Tetrad traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Those who found dark humor particularly enjoyable showed more pronounced traits of Machiavellianism and sadism. Additionally, the ability to create dark humor was more pronounced in individuals with higher levels of narcissism and sadism.
Participants with a strong interest in dark humor were also more likely to engage in online trolling. They enjoyed trolling others more, but their dark humor traits, enjoyment, or abilities were weakly associated, if at all, with how much they enjoyed being trolled themselves. Among the Dark Tetrad traits, only sadism was strongly associated with online trolling, indicating that online trolls tend to have more pronounced sadistic traits. However, all four Dark Tetrad traits were linked to how much participants enjoyed trolling others in return.
“Findings indicated that the Dark Tetrad traits, particularly sadism and Machiavellianism, were related to certain elements of dark humor. This illustrates the potential dark psychological motivations behind the appreciation and use of dark humor. Moreover, online trolling appeared to be underpinned by certain aspects of dark humor,” the study authors concluded.
“This research also allowed for deeper insights into online trolls. Interestingly, online trolls did not appear to enjoy being trolled, but they enjoy trolling, highlighting a disconnect between the two experiences. Overall, these results indicate that dark humor may be fueled by dark motivations (e.g., sadistic/Machiavellian ones) and that online trolling is related to darker forms of humor.”
The study sheds light on the personality underpinnings of dark humor and online trolling. However, the study was conducted on a relatively small and homogeneous group of university students. It is possible that findings might differ in other age and demographic groups.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14060493) Do Dark Humour Users Have Dark Tendencies? Relationships between Dark Humour, the Dark Tetrad, and Online Trolling,” was authored by Sophie Voisey and Sonja Heintz.

(https://www.psypost.org/an-intriguing-connection-between-finger-ratios-and-narcissism-has-been-discovered/) An intriguing connection between finger ratios and narcissism has been discovered
Jul 26th 2024, 06:00

New research suggests that prenatal exposure to different levels of testosterone and estrogen, as estimated through 2D:4D finger length ratios, is linked to narcissistic traits in adulthood. The study, published in the journal (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886924002162) Personality and Individual Differences, highlights a potential biological basis for gender differences in narcissism.
The 2D:4D ratio refers to the comparative lengths of the index finger (second digit) and the ring finger (fourth digit). This ratio is considered a marker of prenatal hormone exposure, with lower ratios indicating higher prenatal testosterone levels and higher ratios indicating higher prenatal estrogen levels.
Men typically have lower 2D:4D ratios than women, which aligns with the higher testosterone exposure that is typical in male fetal development. This ratio has been linked to various biological and psychological traits, reflecting how prenatal hormone exposure influences development.
Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by grandiosity, self-importance, and a lack of empathy, has also been examined in relation to 2D:4D ratios. Some studies have suggested a link between lower 2D:4D ratios and higher narcissism levels, particularly in women, while others (https://www.psypost.org/higher-prenatal-testosterone-exposure-is-linked-to-machiavellianism-and-psychopathy-study-suggests/#google_vignette) have found no significant correlations. Most of these studies, however, measured narcissism as a unidimensional construct within the “Dark Triad,” which also includes psychopathy and Machiavellianism, potentially overlooking nuances in how narcissism manifests in different forms.
The motivation behind the new study stems from the need to address these inconsistencies and provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and two dimensions of narcissism: grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism.
Grandiose narcissism is characterized by traits such as dominance, self-assurance, and an inflated sense of self-importance, often accompanied by a need for admiration and a tendency to exhibit aggressive or competitive behaviors. Vulnerable narcissism, on the other hand, involves a more fragile self-esteem, emotional instability, and sensitivity to criticism, with individuals often oscillating between feelings of superiority and inferiority and displaying defensive, withdrawn, or hostile behaviors.
By distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, the researchers aimed to explore whether prenatal hormone exposure differentially influences these two dimensions of narcissism in men and women. Given the distinct gender differences in narcissism — men generally exhibiting more grandiose traits and women more vulnerable traits — the study sought to examine these associations in a gender-specific manner.
The study involved 400 participants, predominantly university students aged 18 to 44, with a significant majority being women (312 women and 88 men). The researchers conducted the study in supervised group sessions, where participants completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire and had both hands scanned to measure their 2D:4D ratios. The scanning was done using a high-resolution “Brother” scanner, and the distances between the base of the metacarpal bone and the fingertip of each finger were measured with digital calipers.
To assess narcissism, researchers used two distinct scales. Grandiose narcissism was measured using the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ), which includes subscales for admiration (self-promotion and self-enhancement) and rivalry (competitive and aggressive traits). Vulnerable narcissism was measured using the vulnerability subscale from the Brief Pathological Narcissism Scale (BPNI), capturing aspects like contingent self-esteem and emotional defensiveness.
As expected, women generally had higher 2D:4D ratios than men, reflecting higher prenatal estrogen exposure. In terms of narcissistic traits, men scored higher on grandiose narcissism, while women scored higher on vulnerable narcissism, consistent with prior research.
In women, a lower 2D:4D ratio (indicating higher prenatal testosterone exposure) was associated with higher grandiose narcissism. This suggests that prenatal testosterone may contribute to traits like dominance and self-assurance in women.
In men, a higher 2D:4D ratio (indicating higher prenatal estrogen exposure) was linked to higher vulnerable narcissism, indicating that prenatal estrogen may influence traits like emotional instability and sensitivity to criticism in men.
These findings are significant because they demonstrate that prenatal hormone exposure can influence the development of different forms of narcissism in gender-specific ways. The study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that biological factors, such as prenatal hormone exposure, play a role in shaping complex personality traits.
“By separating the women and men in our sample, we provide evidence of relationships between narcissism and prenatal estrogen/testosterone exposure (which is assumed to result in ‘feminized/masculinized’ fetal development and subsequent brain structure) that are specific to each gender… It also fits well with the theoretical discussion by (https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211027322) Green et al. (2022), who described grandiose narcissism as more stereotypically masculine and vulnerable narcissism as more stereotypically feminine,” the researchers wrote.
But the study includes some caveats to consider. The sample included significantly more women than men, which could impact the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, while the 2D:4D ratio is a useful proxy for prenatal hormone exposure, it is not a direct measure, and other factors might also contribute to narcissistic traits.
Future research should aim to replicate these findings in larger, more balanced samples. Exploring other biological markers and integrating psychological and social factors could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the development of narcissism.
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886924002162) Vulnerable women and grandiose men? A 2D:4D study on the links between narcissism and prenatal estrogen/testosterone exposure in women and men,” was authored by Tobias Altmann and Marcus Roth.

(https://www.psypost.org/sharing-false-political-information-is-associated-with-heightened-schizotypy/) Sharing false political information is associated with heightened schizotypy
Jul 25th 2024, 18:00

A recent study published in the open-access journal (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0304855) PLOS ONE explores how personality traits influence the sharing of false political information on social media. The research reveals that positive schizotypy — a set of traits including paranoia, suspicion, and disrupted thinking patterns — may play a significant role in both accidental and deliberate sharing of misinformation.
Misinformation and disinformation are pervasive online and can result in severe consequences such as political unrest, diminished trust in genuine news, and the proliferation of harmful conspiracy theories. By identifying the specific personality traits and motivations that predispose certain individuals to spread false information, the researchers aimed to deepen the understanding of this behavior and contribute to the development of more effective interventions to curb the spread of misinformation.
Previous studies had suggested that individual differences, such as personality traits and cognitive styles, might influence the sharing of false information, but there was no consensus on which traits were most important. Furthermore, motivations for sharing false information were underexplored. By examining both personality traits (like positive schizotypy) and various motivations, the researchers sought to create a comprehensive framework that could explain why certain individuals are more likely to share false information.
To this end, they conducted a series of four separate studies.
In the first study, the researchers conducted a preregistered cross-sectional online survey to examine the extent to which various individual differences predict the sharing of false information, both accidentally and deliberately. Data collection was carried out using the Qualtrics platform, with participants recruited from the Prolific participant panel. The initial sample consisted of 670 individuals, but after excluding incomplete responses and inauthentic data, the final sample included 614 participants, predominantly women, with an average age of 30.
Participants completed several background measures, including age, gender, education, country of residency, occupational status, and political ideology. Social media usage was assessed through frequency of use, trust in political information, and the extent of political information sharing. The primary variables of interest were the accidental and deliberate sharing of false information, assessed through two specific questions about whether participants had shared political news stories they later found to be false or knew were false at the time of sharing.
The results indicated that cognitive perceptual schizotypy was significantly associated with accidental sharing of false information. Higher levels of schizotypy were linked to a greater likelihood of reporting having shared false information inadvertently. Additionally, a general tendency to share political information online was associated with accidental sharing. However, need for chaos did not predict deliberate sharing of false information, contradicting initial hypotheses.
Building on the findings of Study 1, the second study aimed to include motivational factors in predicting the sharing of false information. This study also used a cross-sectional online survey, again with participants recruited from Prolific. The final sample included 562 U.S. residents with an equal number of participants identifying as Democrat and Republican.
Participants completed similar background and social media measures as in Study 1. Additionally, they answered questions about their motivations for sharing political information, using an 18-item questionnaire that covered six motivational clusters: Prosocial Activism, Attack or Manipulation of Others, Entertainment, Awareness, Political Self-expression, and Fighting False Information.
Participants were asked about their accidental and deliberate sharing of false information, similar to Study 1. Those who reported sharing false information were further queried on their motivations for sharing the specific false story.
The findings revealed that motivations significantly influenced the sharing of false information. The motivation to attack or manipulate others was associated with deliberate sharing of false information. The desire to entertain was linked to accidental sharing, indicating that some people may share false stories because they find them amusing, only to later discover their inaccuracy. The motivation to raise awareness was also significant, suggesting that individuals who believe in spreading information to counter media biases or alert others about perceived threats were more likely to share false information.
Study 3 shifted from self-reports of past behavior to a scenario-based methodology to assess participants’ likelihood of sharing false information. This study again used a cross-sectional online survey, targeting a specific sample of Prolific users who voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The final sample included 627 participants.
Participants first completed demographic and social media measures, followed by a task where they rated their likelihood of sharing ten political stories (five true and five false). These stories were right-leaning headlines previously rated for partisanship. Participants indicated their willingness to share each story and their perception of its truthfulness.
The results showed that positive schizotypy was associated with a higher likelihood of sharing false stories. This association was modest but significant. Motivations such as raising awareness and sharing for entertainment purposes were also significant predictors of the likelihood of sharing false stories. However, when controlling for other variables, the attack or manipulation motive did not significantly predict sharing behavior, suggesting that its influence might be mediated by other factors.
The fourth study aimed to observe real-world behavior by analyzing participants’ Twitter activity. This two-stage study began with a pre-selection phase involving 2,999 participants who reported sharing political material on social media and having an active, publicly visible Twitter account. Of these, 134 participants completed the follow-up study, with 113 providing usable data.
Participants completed the same background and social media measures as in previous studies, including self-reports of sharing false information. Motivations for sharing political information were assessed using the 18-item questionnaire from earlier studies. Cognitive Perceptual Schizotypy was again measured with the SPQ-BRU.
The researchers then analyzed the participants’ 100 most recent retweets and quote-retweets on Twitter, coding for the presence of false political information based on a database of fact-checked content. The main variable of interest was the number of false posts retweeted without debunking information.
The findings indicated that a minority of participants had shared false stories. Those who did tended to score higher on the magical thinking subscale of schizotypy, suggesting a link between this trait and real-life sharing of false information. Additionally, motivations such as raising awareness and prosocial activism were associated with actual sharing behavior. However, the attack or manipulation motive did not significantly predict real-life sharing, aligning with the findings from Study 3.
“In summary, our four studies provide evidence that positive schizotypy is associated with measures of sharing false political information,” the researchers wrote. “It emerges as more important than any of the personality, cognitive style, or other individual differences we considered. They also provide evidence for the importance of motivation. While a range of motivations for sharing political information online were associated with sharing false information, two appeared particularly important: a desire to share political stories to attack or manipulate others, and to share political stories in order to raise awareness.”
“While individuals reported different motivations for sharing specific false stories, these two factors appeared to influence both deliberate and accidental sharing of false stories. However, it is possible that the Attack motive is associated more with views about whether it is acceptable to share false information, or increased reporting of doing so, rather than the behavior itself. Understanding the role of motivation in more detail, as well as the effects of positive schizotypy, are likely to be productive themes for future misinformation research.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304855) Individual differences in sharing false political information on social media: Deliberate and accidental sharing, motivations and positive schizotypy,” was authored by Tom Buchanan, Rotem Perach, Deborah Husbands, Amber F. Tout, Ekaterina Kostyuk, James Kempley, and Laura Joyner.

(https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-shapes-hand-gestures-comparing-italian-and-swedish-storytelling/) How culture shapes hand gestures: Comparing Italian and Swedish storytelling
Jul 25th 2024, 16:00

When talking, we commonly use our hands to stress, re-enact, or signal breaks or new information. But is it true that some cultures gesture more than others? A team of researchers has set out to learn if the stereotype that Italians gesture more than Swedes is true – and found it is. The team’s results, however, also showed that speakers coming from different cultures tended to use different types of gestures when they tell a story. This may mean that members of certain cultures construct stories differently than members of others.
When we talk, we often use our hands in addition to words. Gesturing is a phenomenon that has been observed across languages and cultures. Some cultures are typically thought to use more gestures than others.
To find out if the deeply rooted stereotype of Italians gesturing more than other cultures is true, researchers in Sweden have examined the differences in gesture rate and function between Italians and Swedes who were telling a story to a friend.
“We show that Italians do gesture more than Swedes, which was expected,” said Dr Maria Graziano, the first author of the Frontiers in Communication article and associate professor at Lund University Humanities Lab. “More interestingly, we demonstrate that people from different cultures use gestures differently, due to varying rhetorical styles and different ways of constructing a story.”
Talking hands
Together with Prof Marianne Gullberg, a psycholinguist at the same lab, Graziano had 12 Italian and 12 Swedish participants retell the story of a 90-second clip from the cartoon ‘Pingu’ to a friend who had not watched the cartoon. Researchers who study gestures commonly use cartoons because the characters often do not speak, and viewers can retell the story using their own words without input from the source.
As expected, the findings showed that Italian speakers did gesture more frequently overall. Per 100 words, Italians used an average of 22 gestures, whereas Swedes used just 11.
Example gestures from the study. In image 5, a Swedish speaker produces a representational gesture with her palms pointing down, fingers bending slightly around a loose, round shape. The gesture represents the action of pressing the molds for shaping the dough. Image: Dr Maria Graziano.
In addition to gesture frequency, the researchers observed who used which gestures to what end. “When we tell stories we combine several kinds of information: we introduce characters and events, describe actions, and explain why. We check that our listener understands what we’re saying. And if we are telling a story based on cartoon, we refer to the act of watching, too,” Graziano explained. “When we describe an action, it is more likely that we produce a gesture that represents that action; while if we talk about characters or settings, it is more likely that we make a gesture that ‘offers’ this information to the listener.”

(https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1314120/full) Read and download the original article

Italians tended to use more pragmatic gestures – those that mainly comment on the story and present new parts of it to the listener. Swedes, instead, tended to use more representational gestures, which mostly represent the events and actions of the story. “This indicates that Italians and Swedes adopt different rhetorical styles in telling a story and that they conceptualize it in a different way,” Graziano pointed out.
Example gestures from the study. In images 3 and 4, an Italian speaker opens her hands, with the palms facing up with a slight inward rotation and brings her hands up and down in the space immediately in front of her. The gestures follow each other rapidly. This pragmatic gesture is used to present what she is saying to the listener. Image: Dr Maria Graziano.
How cultures think about stories
Currently, it is unclear why Swedes and Italians may conceptualize narratives differently. A possible explanation is that some cultures attribute different values to narration than others, which could lead to varying ways of organizing speech content and impact gesturing. This, however, needs to be confirmed by further studies, the researchers pointed out.
Future studies should also include more participants, including participant pairs who do not know each other, as familiarity may impact rhetorical choices made by speakers. Taking an approach that looks closely at both the content of the speech and the function of gestures can also help understand why cultures differ in narrative production, the researchers said.
“I hope that this study helps people consider gestures from a different perspective and go beyond stereotypical and folkloristic views. Gestures are produced in all languages and cultures, and they are not a mere embellishment of speech; they are closely related to what we are saying and how we want to say it,” Graziano concluded.
(https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2024/03/26/italians-swedes-gestures-storytelling) 

(https://www.psypost.org/abstinence-only-sex-education-linked-to-higher-pornography-use-among-women/) Abstinence-only sex education linked to higher pornography use among women
Jul 25th 2024, 14:00

A recent study published in the (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02905-6) Archives of Sexual Behavior has found a relationship between the type of sexuality education women receive and their subsequent use of pornography. Women who were taught abstinence-only education reported higher frequencies of pornography use compared to those who received comprehensive sexuality education. This finding adds to the ongoing conversation about the effectiveness and impacts of different sexuality education approaches.
The researchers aimed to explore how different forms of sexuality education influence women’s engagement with pornography. Understanding this relationship can help policymakers and educators improve sexuality education programs to better support healthy sexual development and mitigate potential negative impacts of pornography use. The study also sought to fill gaps in the literature regarding the specific effects of abstinence-only versus comprehensive sexuality education on adult behaviors.
The study employed a quantitative approach, surveying 866 women aged 18-34 who attended public schools in the United States. Participants were recruited through Qualtrics Online Panels and were asked about their pornography use and the type of sexuality education they received during high school. The survey included detailed questions about the frequency and types of pornography consumed, as well as demographic information.
Participants were divided into two groups based on the type of sexuality education they received: abstinence-only sexuality education and comprehensive sexuality education. Abstinence-only programs typically emphasize waiting until marriage for sexual activity and often exclude information on contraception and safe sex practices. In contrast, comprehensive sexuality education covers a broad range of topics, including contraception, safe sex, consent, and sexual orientation, aiming to provide medically accurate and inclusive information.
The researchers found that both groups reported similar rates of hardcore pornography use, suggesting that the type of sexuality education does not significantly impact the consumption of highly explicit content. However, significant differences emerged when the researchers examined overall frequencies of general pornography use. Women who received abstinence-only education reported using pornography more often compared to their counterparts who received comprehensive education.
The researchers also found that a significant portion of women, 36.38%, were first exposed to pornography between the ages of 12 and 15, while 25.17% encountered it between 16 and 18 years old. Troublingly, 5.66% were exposed as early as ages 4 to 8.
These findings have important implications for sexuality education policies and practices. The higher frequency of pornography use among women who received abstinence-only education suggests that these programs may not adequately address the informational needs of young people. As a result, these individuals may seek out pornography to learn about sex, which can lead to distorted perceptions of sexual behavior and relationships.
“The alarming exposure of girls to pornography prior to adulthood, notably before adolescence, highlights an educational gap,” the researchers wrote. “This reliance on unregulated sources for sexual information should concern both researchers and policymakers… Policymakers should focus on inclusive and comprehensive sexuality education that addresses youth interests and needs, aiming to prevent reliance on unreliable sources like pornography. Such education should prioritize sexual consent and safety in the digital age.”
The researchers controlled for age and religiosity. But the study, like all research, includes some caveats. The cross-sectional design only captures data at one point in time, which prevents establishing causality between sex education type and pornography use. In addition, the reliance on self-reported data can introduce biases such as underreporting or overreporting due to social desirability or memory recall issues.
The study, “(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-024-02905-6) Women’s Pornography Use Patterns and Sexuality Education in U.S. Public Schools,” was authored by Julie Fraumeni-McBride and Brian J. Willoughby.

(https://www.psypost.org/new-research-sheds-light-on-cannabinoids-impact-on-anxiety-during-alcohol-withdrawal/) New research sheds light on cannabinoids’ impact on anxiety during alcohol withdrawal
Jul 25th 2024, 12:00

Anxiety disorders are common in the United States, affecting about 15% of individuals each year. These disorders often occur alongside alcohol use disorders, creating a challenging combination that leads to poor treatment outcomes and high relapse rates. Chronic alcohol use and withdrawal can increase anxiety and stress sensitivity, which further drives alcohol consumption in a harmful cycle.
A recent study published in (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1375440/full) Frontiers in Neuroscience explored the potential of cannabinoids, specifically cannabidiol (CBD) and a CBD to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) mix, to manage anxiety during alcohol withdrawal in mice. The findings suggest that the timing of cannabinoid use during alcohol withdrawal is critical in determining its effects on anxiety.
The study aimed to investigate whether cannabinoids could alleviate anxiety during alcohol withdrawal, potentially reducing relapse rates in people with alcohol use disorders. Previous research has shown that cannabinoids have therapeutic potential for anxiety and stress-related disorders.
However, the effects of cannabinoids on alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety were not well understood. Given that many individuals using cannabis consume mixtures of CBD and THC, the researchers sought to determine how these cannabinoids, alone and in combination, affect anxiety during alcohol withdrawal.
“In recent years, cannabinoids such as CBD and THC have been discussed as potential therapeutics for improving various mental health disorders, including alcohol use disorder,” said study author (https://pure.psu.edu/en/persons/yuval-silberman) Yuval Silberman, an associate professor of neural and behavioral sciences and associate dean for interdisciplinary research at Penn State College of Medicine.
“There are numerous potential reasons why cannabinoids could reduce alcohol use. We sought to examine two potentially interactive reasons, reduction in alcohol-withdrawal induced anxiety-like behavior and alterations to alcohol’s known effects on modulation of neuroimmune cell activity.”
To explore this, the researchers used a sample of 248 adult male and female mice. These mice were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor to induce alcohol dependence, a well-established model for studying alcohol withdrawal. The mice were divided into groups and subjected to either 4-hour or 24-hour withdrawal periods following their last exposure to ethanol vapor.
The researchers then treated the mice with either a vehicle solution, 10 mg/kg of CBD, or a 3:1 mixture of CBD to THC. Thirty minutes before behavioral testing, the mice were either left unstressed or exposed to a 30-minute restraint stress. Following this, the mice underwent an open field test, which measures anxiety-like behavior by observing the amount of time the mice spend in the center of the field versus the edges.
To understand the neurobiological mechanisms behind the observed behaviors, the researchers also analyzed plasma levels of CBD and THC and conducted immunohistochemical analyses of brain tissues to assess changes in neuroimmune cell activity in the central amygdala, a brain region crucial for regulating anxiety and alcohol intake.
The behavioral results indicated that mice in 4-hour withdrawal were more anxious, spending less time in the center of the open field, while mice in 24-hour withdrawal were less anxious, spending more time in the center. At the 4-hour withdrawal mark, both CBD and the CBD mixture increased anxiety-like behaviors. But treatment with the CBD mixture at 24-hour withdrawal increased the time spent in the center, suggesting reduced anxiety.
“Timing matters,” Silberman told PsyPost. “We looked at two short term alcohol withdrawal timepoints (4 hours and 24 hours) and found that CBD and CBD:THC increased anxiety at 4-hour withdrawal, while CBD reduced anxiety-like behavior at the 24-hour withdrawal time point. Cannabinoid effects may be distinct when used singly or in combination. CBD and CBD:THC mixtures appeared to have different effects dependent on timing of withdrawal. This has strong implications for future treatment development.”
The researchers also found changes in neuroimmune cell activity in the central amygdala. At the 4-hour withdrawal mark, there was a decrease in the number of astrocytes and microglia, key neuroimmune cells. Interestingly, CBD and the CBD mixture appeared to normalize these changes, suggesting a potential mechanism by which these cannabinoids could influence anxiety during alcohol withdrawal.
Plasma analysis revealed that mice in 24-hour withdrawal had higher THC concentrations and faster CBD metabolism compared to control mice. This difference in cannabinoid metabolism might contribute to the observed behavioral effects, particularly the reduction in anxiety seen with the CBD mixture at 24-hour withdrawal.
“Our data showed that mice undergoing alcohol withdrawal achieve higher plasma CBD and THC levels than mice that have not had alcohol exposure even though they were all given the same doses originally,” Silberman explained. “This may, in part, explain our findings regarding timing of withdrawal and cannabinoid exposure.
“Furthermore, it appears that CBD is preferentially metabolized over THC in alcohol exposed mice, which has some very important implications regarding use of cannabinoids after alcohol intake. A better understanding of this phenomenon could provide for improved therapeutic strategies in the future.”
But as with all research, there are some caveats to consider.
“These studies were performed in mice with a well validated but short-term passive alcohol exposure and dependence model,” Silberman noted. “Replicating these studies in longer term, active alcohol self-administration models may provide for different results. The cannabinoids were given via intraperitoneal injection and only at one time point. Alternative routes of administration and multiple cannabinoid exposures may produce different results as well.”
The findings of this study highlight the complexity of cannabinoid effects on anxiety during alcohol withdrawal and suggest several avenues for future research. For instance, future studies could also continue to explore how these cannabinoids are metabolized to better understand how they are processed by the body during different stages of alcohol withdrawal.
“We are very interested in the CBD and THC metabolism differences between alcohol withdrawal and control mice,” Silberman said. “We think this key finding opens the door to mechanistic insights that will be critically important for future potential therapies involving cannabinoids.”
“This work was a collaboration between numerous labs that would not have been possible without the support of the Penn State Center for Cannabis and Natural Product Pharmaceuticals (CCNPP). The relatively new CCNPP, having been officially started at Penn State in 2023, has already been highly successful in engaging and growing research around cannabis and natural products at Penn State. For more information visit (https://research.med.psu.edu/medical-marijuana/) Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center – Penn State College of Medicine Research (psu.edu).”
The study, “(https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1375440/full) Effects of cannabidiol, with and without ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, on anxiety-like behavior following alcohol withdrawal in mice,” was conducted by Mariam Melkumyan, Vibha M. Annaswamy, Alexandra M. Evans, Opeyemi F. Showemimo, Zari E. McCullers, Dongxiao Sun, Terrence E. Murphy, Kent E. Vrana, Amy C. Arnold, Wesley M. Raup-Konsavage, and Yuval Silberman.

(https://www.psypost.org/abortion-restrictions-tied-to-elevated-mental-distress-among-both-men-and-women/) Abortion restrictions tied to elevated mental distress among both men and women
Jul 25th 2024, 06:00

A new study published in (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl5743) Science Advances has found a troubling link between recent abortion restrictions in the United States and elevated levels of mental distress, particularly among people of lower socioeconomic status. The study’s findings suggest that legislative changes, enacted after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, may have far-reaching consequences on mental health.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, delivered on June 24, 2022, overturned the constitutional right to abortion access, returning regulatory control to individual states. This landmark decision led to a patchwork of abortion laws across the country, with some states imposing severe restrictions or outright bans.
“There has been intense practical and academic interest in the after effects of the Dobbs decision, which in essence returned control of abortion access to state legislatures,” said study author (https://fixedeffects.com/) Brad N. Greenwood, the Maximus Professor of Business at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business.
“At the same time, there is both extraordinary misinformation about the implications of abortion for the mental health of women and a long body of scholarship (see, for example, (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2592320) the Turnaway Study) which suggests that denying women access to abortion services can harm mental health. The goal of this paper was to see: i) if those effects persist when state legislatures curb access to reproductive care in the form of abortion access and ii) if so, which parts of the population are affected to a greater or lesser degree.”
The researchers utilized data from the national Household Pulse Survey (HPS), conducted by the United States Census Bureau. The HPS is a detailed survey originally designed to assess the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic but has since been expanded to include other areas such as financial well-being, education, and mental health.
Participants included in the study were at least 18 years old, had a fixed address, and access to the internet. The sample covered survey waves 34 to 58, from July 2021 to June 2023, with over 60,000 respondents per wave and a response rate between 5% and 7%. This timeframe provided a balanced view around the period when most state-level abortion restrictions were enacted.
The researchers focused on four key mental health outcomes: anxiety, disinterest in activities, worry, and feelings of depression. Respondents rated their experiences with these feelings on a four-point scale over the past two weeks. For analysis, the researchers coded frequent experiences of these feelings as indicators of significant mental distress.
To identify the impact of abortion restrictions, the researchers employed a difference-in-differences design. This method compared mental health outcomes before and after the enactment of abortion restrictions across different states, controlling for various demographic factors such as age, sex, marital status, race, education, and income.
The researchers found increases in reports of anxiety and disinterest in states that enacted abortion restrictions. These increases were modest but notable: a 0.35 to 0.7 percentage point rise in the average prevalence of these mental health concerns, translating to an approximate 3% relative increase over the baseline.
Further analysis showed that the negative mental health impacts were particularly pronounced among individuals of lower socioeconomic status. For those with household incomes below $25,000, the institution of abortion restrictions was associated with increased anxiety, disinterest, worry, and feelings of depression. In contrast, these effects were less severe for individuals with higher incomes, suggesting that financial resources may mitigate some of the mental health impacts of these legislative changes.
“Our findings indicate that people living in states which restrict access to abortion services in the wake of Dobbs, either through more restrictive gestational limits or outright bans, are more likely to self-report mental health problems than people living in non-restricting states,” Greenwood told PsyPost. “Moreover, these effects appear to affect the socioeconomic lower class to a greater degree. Finally, the effects exist for the duration of the sample, which opens the door to the possibility that these effects persist in the long term.”
Interestingly, the study found no significant differences in the mental health impacts of abortion restrictions across other demographic factors such as sex, race, marital status, or sexual orientation. This suggests that the negative effects of these restrictions may be experienced broadly across various segments of the population, though the financial burden appears to be a key moderator.
“One of the things we expected to see was a significant differences across the sexes,” Greenwood said. “However, the results indicated no significant differences across sex assigned at birth, race, sexual orientation, age, or marital status. And while absence of evidence should be interpreted cautiously, the fact that we observed no significant differences was striking and unexpected.”
This study highlights the need for further investigation into the broader mental health impacts of restrictive abortion laws. While the current findings are significant, several questions remain unanswered.
Future research could explore the specific mechanisms driving the observed mental health impacts. For instance, it is unclear whether the distress arises primarily from increased travel costs to access abortion services, the financial and emotional burden of carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term, or broader perceptions of diminishing individual rights.
In addition, while this study provides valuable insights into the mental health impacts of abortion restrictions, it relies on self-reported data. Future research could benefit from incorporating clinical assessments and diagnoses to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mental health consequences.
“As with any secondary empirical investigation, there are obvious limitations with what we can do with the data that are available to us,” Greenwood said. “States do not implement abortion restrictions at random and the available data only permit us to observe self-reported mental health (i.e. we cannot observe clinical diagnosis). This underscores the need for continued empirical research on the subject to understand how abortion restriction affects not just mental health, but other downstream outcomes.”
The study, “(https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl5743) The impact of abortion restrictions on American mental health,” was authored by Michaela R. Anderson, Gordon Burtch, and Brad N. Greenwood.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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