中国文化下伴侣身高偏好的性别二态性研究

本研究首次考察中国文化下伴侣身高性别二态性偏好,验证Pawlowski潜在伴侣身高偏好条件性假设,并探讨性别角色对身高偏好的影响。结果表明：（1）选择不同身高搭配组的男女身高均有显著差异,低个男性和高个女性会选择和自已身高接近的伴侣高度。（2）男性对伴侣身高要求比女性更宽容。（3）不同性别角色类型被试对身高偏好无显著差异。     

社会偏好中的框架效应

社会偏好中的框架效应是指, 个体在决策中受到选择方案框架形式的影响而表现出合作、互惠及利他行为及倾向改变的现象, 是框架效应在社会偏好领域的运用。预期理论、错误知觉说、心理动力模型、情绪维护理论以及解释水平理论分别从价值函数、知觉偏差、内部心理动力、情绪及认知表征角度解释了社会偏好中的框架效应, 心理距离、价值取向、人格特质和文化等因素对社会偏好中的框架效应具有重要影响。未来的研究需要从社会偏好中的框架效应的心理机制与神经机制、研究范式及外部效度改进等方面作进一步探讨。     

Effects of deprivation on engagement in preferred activities by persons with developmental disabilities

This study examined the effects of deprivation on engagement in activities for 3 adult men with developmental disabilities. First, an assessment was conducted to identify a high- and a low-preference activity for each participant. Second, the high-preference activity was made available following three amounts of deprivation of the activity (15 min, 2 hr, and 1 to 4 days); the low-preference activity was made available following the schedule of deprivation that produced the highest level of engagement by each participant in the high-preference activity. The results were that 1 to 4 days of deprivation produced the highest average amounts of engagement in the high-preference activity for each participant; this amount of deprivation did not produce high engagement in the low-preference activities. Third, the deprivation procedures and results were replicated when high-preference activities were presented by teachers during the participants' daily activities when their engagement had been quite low.     

Early tutoring and adult reproductive behaviour in female domestic canary (Serinus canaria)

We studied the effect of early tutoring on the subsequent sexual preferences and reproductive activity of female domestic canaries (Serinus canaria). Young female canaries were exposed during the first 4 months of life to songs of either domestic or wild canaries. When adult, these females were again exposed to domestic or wild songs. In the first experiment, the sexual responses of the females to unfamiliar domestic and wild songs were quantified with the copulation solicitation display (CSD) assay. In the second experiment, the same females were tested again with modified tutoring songs. In the third experiment, song stimulation of nest-building and egg-laying was studied. Domestic-strain-tutored females gave more CSDs to domestic than to wild songs. In contrast, wild-strain-tutored females showed no sexual preference. We propose that the sexual preference of adult domestic-strain-tutored female canaries for domestic songs is the consequence of learning and categorisation processes. The discrepancy between the results of the domestic-strain-tutored females and those of the wild-strain-tutored females suggests that female canaries have a predisposition to learn songs of their own strain rather than songs of an alien strain. In the third experiment nest-building and egg-laying activities appeared to be unaffected by early tutoring conditions: there was no significant differential effect of the different tutoring and exposure conditions on nest-building and egg-laying scores. Mate attraction and stimulation of females’ reproductive activity appear to be two separate functions of male song, which may have been shaped by different evolutionary constraints. Received: 24 July 1999 / Accepted after revision: 22 February 2000     

Possible olfaction-based mechanisms in human kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance

Three studies explored kin recognition through olfaction. In Study I, adults (N=22) were tested for ability to identify the odors of themselves; their mother; their father; a sister; a brother; a familiar, unrelated individual; and a stranger. Acquaintances were identified as accurately as biological kin, implicating an association mechanism. However, biological kin were often confused, implicating phenotypic matching. Same-sex kin were confused more than opposite-sex kin, but mainly when same-sex kin had odors of similar intensity. Study II implicated phenotypic matching. Mothers (N=18) could identify their biological children but not their stepchildren. The preadolescent children (N=37) identified their full siblings but not half-siblings or stepsiblings. Thus, olfactory cues may help mediate favoritism of blood relatives. In Study III, mutual olfactory aversion occurred only in the father-daughter and brother-sister nuclear family relationships. Recognition occurred between opposite-sex siblings but not same-sex siblings. Thus, olfaction may help mediate the development of incest avoidance during childhood (the Westermarck effect).     

The Affect System: Architecture and Operating Characteristics

The affect system refers to the functional components involved in appetitive and aversive information processing. We review evidence suggesting that affect is not a unitary faculty but rather is composed of a number of distinct processes. Physical limitations constrain behavioral expressions and incline behavioral predispositions toward a bipolar (good-bad, approach-withdraw) organization, but this organization appears to be the consequence of multiple operations, including the activation of positivity (appetition) and the activation of negativity (aversion), at earlier affective processing stages. The partial segregation of positive and negative affective processing afforded evolution the opportunity to sculpt distinctive activation functions for these affective components and allows their coactivation. Coactivation, in turn, cultivates the exploration of novel environments and the pursuit of seemingly hospitable events while fostering vigilance for and rapid retreats from hostile developments.     

Tales from the Crypt: On the Role of Death in Life

An existential psychodynamic theory is presented based on Ernest Becker's claim that self-esteem and cultural worldviews function to ameliorate the anxiety associated with the uniquely human awareness of vulnerability and mortality. Psychological equanimity is hypothesized to require (1) a shared set of beliefs about reality that imbues the universe with stability, meaning, and permanence; (2) standards by which individuals can judge themselves to be of value; and (3) promises of safety and the transcendence of death to those who meet the standards of value. An empirical research program in support of this theory is then described, and the personal and interpersonal implications of these ideas are briefly considered.     

Family Demands and Job Attribute Preferences: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study of Women and Men

A longitudinal data set was used to examine the relationships between family demands and job attribute preferences. Study participants were 207 students who responded to surveys upon entering the MBA program of a large university and to follow-up surveys 1, 2, and 3 years later. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that preferences for short, flexible work hours at earlier time periods positively predicted hours of household labor at later times, which supports a rational action model. Significant interaction effects indicated that the relationship between the importance of work hours and household labor was stronger for women than for men, which indicates that women were more likely than men to develop plans for combining work and family. Higher levels of household labor were associated with increased preferences for short, flexible work hours, and a comfortable work environment, which supports an accommodation model, but MBA students performing more household labor did not show a reduction in the desire for high salaries, good benefits, and intrinsically rewarding work.     

What do men and women want in a partner? Are educated partners always more desirable?

Previous research has shown that males value a potential partner’s physical attractiveness more than females do, whereas females value a potential partner’s socioeconomic status (SES) more than males do. But are men really so unconcerned about a potential partner’s SES? Five studies revealed that men do integrate information about a woman’s SES into their decisions on whether to consider her as a romantic partner or not. Results consistently demonstrated that male participants preferred women with lower SES. Female participants, in contrast, preferred men with higher SES. These sex differences were more pronounced when a long-term romantic relationship rather than a one-night stand was being considered. In addition, men’s lower reported likelihood of romantic contact with a woman with high SES was due to her high educational level rather than her high income. Mediational analyses showed that men perceived a potential partner with high educational level as less likeable and less faithful, and thus reported less likelihood of romantic contact.