Baddies
Physical Attractiveness and its relation to Unprovoked and Reactive Aggression
Leonardo Bobadilla, Amanda Metze & Jeanette Taylor
Journal of Research in Personality, forthcoming
Abstract:
Studies have linked facial attractiveness to positive outcomes and unattractiveness to negative ones. However, no study has examined whether attractiveness and aggression are related, even though there is a relationship between unattractiveness and risk factors for aggression like neglect and bullying. In this study, 78 men and women engaged in unprovoked and reactive physical aggression tasks, and reactive derogation of a fictitious opponent. The participants were graded on attractiveness by a group of independent raters. The results indicated that for male participants, unattractiveness predicted unprovoked and reactive aggression as strongly as callous/unemotional psychopathic traits. Among female participants, attractiveness predicted derogation of the opponents more strongly than any psychopathic trait. Implications from gene-environment correlation and social role theory perspectives are discussed.
----------------------
A review on the relationship between testosterone and life-course persistent antisocial behavior
Bariş Yildirim & Jan Derksen
Psychiatry Research, forthcoming
Abstract:
Life-course persistent antisocial behavior is 10 to 14 times more prevalent in males and it has been suggested that testosterone levels could account for this gender bias. Preliminary studies with measures of fetal testosterone find inconsistent associations with antisocial behavior, especially studies that use the 2D:4D ratio as a proxy for fetal testosterone. However, circulating testosterone consistently shows positive associations with antisocial behaviors throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, particularly in males. It is suggested that high fetal/circulating testosterone interactively influence the maturation and functionality of mesolimbic dopaminergic circuitry, right orbitofrontal cortex, and cortico-subcortical connectivity, resulting in a strong reward motivation, low social sensitivity, and dampened regulation of strong motivational/emotional processes. The link between these testosterone induced endophenotypes and actual display of antisocial behavior is strongly modulated by different social (e.g., social rejection, low SES) and genetic (e.g., MAOA, 5HTT) risk factors that can disturb socio-, psycho-, and biological development and interact with testosterone in shaping behavior. When these additional risk factors are present, the testosterone induced endophenotypes may increase the risk for a chronic antisocial lifestyle. However, behavioral endophenotypes induced by testosterone can also predispose towards socially adaptive traits such as a strong achievement motivation, leadership, fair bargaining behaviors, and social assertiveness. These adaptive traits are more likely to emerge when the high testosterone individual has positive social experiences that promote prosocial behaviors such as strong and secure attachments with his caregivers, affiliation with prosocial peers, and sufficient socioeconomic resources. A theoretical model is presented, various hypotheses are examined, and future venues for research are discussed.
----------------------
A situational touch: How touch affects people's decision behavior
Jeroen Camps et al.
Social Influence, forthcoming
Abstract:
While the majority of previous findings have shown that interpersonal touch positively affects human interactions (e.g., cooperation), it is unclear whether touch truly is only positively rather than negatively received, and which situations might influence this differential effect. The present research argued and demonstrated that in a competitive situation touch negatively affects cooperative interactions between the persons involved. Specifically, we showed that in a competitive rather than a supportive environment interpersonal touch on the shoulder will reduce helping behavior towards the person invoking the touch.
----------------------
The architecture of female competition: Derogation of a sexualized female news anchor
Maria Elizabeth Grabe et al.
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, September 2012, Pages 107-133
Abstract:
This paper succeeds recent experimental findings of gender variation in how news consumers process information delivered by a female news anchor. Specifically, men remembered news presented by the unsexualized version of the anchor better while women had higher memory scores for news presented by her sexualized rendition. Explanations for why men may have been distracted from processing news information delivered by a sexualized female news anchor were sufficiently explored and supported by data in this published research. Yet, more work is necessary to understand the hike in women's memory scores associated with sexualization of female anchors. Theoretical advances in the evolutionary psychology tradition offers a framework for testing female intrasexual competition as a potential explanation for women's heightened cognitive investment in what the sexualized anchor reported. In fact, derogation has been identified as a master tactic of female competitive behavior. Yet, encountering a potential rival in a professional context and in mediated form, might not ignite intrasexual competition but called for investigation, nonetheless. To this end, an instrument built on the intrasexual competition literature was employed to systematically examine open-ended participant responses collected during an experiment. Results did emerge in support of the intra-sexual competition explanation. Women participants were significantly more likely to (1) derogate a sexualized than unsexualized female anchor, and (2) did so more than men. Further examination of the gist of these swipes brought further confirmation of the female competitive edge and added nuance to understanding derogation.
----------------------
Body counts in lowland South American violence
Robert Walker & Drew Bailey
Evolution and Human Behavior, forthcoming
Abstract:
Violence was likely often a strong selective pressure in many traditional lowland South American societies. A compilation of 11 anthropological studies reporting cause of death shows that violence led to about 30% of adult deaths, of which about 70% were males. Here violent deaths are further itemized at the level of ethnographically-reported death events (particular duels, homicides, and raids) to provide more detailed insight into the causes and consequences of within- and between-group violence. Data for 238 death events (totaling 1145 deaths) from 44 lowland South American societies show that attacks are more deadly when treachery is used, when avenging a previous killing, and on external warfare raids between ethnolinguistic groups. That revenge raids kill more people on average than the original grievance, at least when conflicts are between ethnolinguistic groups, indicates a tendency towards increasingly vicious cycles of revenge killings. Motives of killings as noted in ethnographic sources, in order of importance, reportedly include revenge for previous killings and other wrong-doings like sorcery, jealousy over women, gain of captive women and children, fear or deterrence of impending attack, and occasionally the theft of material goods. Results may have implications for understanding the potential for multi-level selection by delineating the force of competition at varying scales of analysis within and between lowland South American societies.
----------------------
Sore Losers: On Perceptions of Defeat and Displaced Retaliation
Tsachi Ein-Dor & Gilad Hirschberger
Social Psychological and Personality Science, forthcoming
Abstract:
This research examined whether perceptions of defeat instigate a motivation to retaliate and displace aggression toward an adversary's affiliates. In Study 1, 147 Israeli participants were primed with perceptions of victory, defeat, or assigned to a neutral condition and then rated their willingness to wage war against a weak foe or a strong foe. Perceptions of defeat increased support of military action against a weak foe but not against a strong foe compared with both the neutral and the victory conditions. Study 2 (N = 270) replicated the findings of Study 1 and showed that following defeat displaced aggression is greater toward a weak accomplice than toward both a strong accomplice and the original foe, and indicated that the effect of defeat on retaliation is mediated by increased in-group identification and commitment. Results suggest that attempts to deter opponents with military force may backfire and inadvertently fuel the cycle of violence.
----------------------
Kevin Beaver et al.
Personality and Individual Differences, forthcoming
Abstract:
A line of research has revealed that a polymorphism in the promoter region of the MAOA gene is related to antisocial phenotypes. Most of these studies examine the effects of low MAOA activity alleles (2-repeat and 3-repeat alleles) against the effects of high MAOA activity alleles (3.5-repeat, 4-repeat, and sometimes 5-repeat alleles), with research indicating that the low MAOA activity alleles confer an increased risk to antisocial phenotypes. The current study examined whether the 2-repeat allele, which has been shown to be functionally different from the 3-repeat allele, was associated with a range of antisocial phenotypes in a sample of males drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Analyses revealed that African-American males who carried the 2-repeat allele were, in comparison with other African-American male genotypes, significantly more likely to be arrested and incarcerated. Additional analyses revealed that African-American male carriers of the 2-repeat allele scored significantly higher on an antisocial phenotype index and on measures assessing involvement in violent behaviors over the life course. There was not any association between the 2-repeat allele and a continuously measured psychopathic personality traits scale. The effects of the 2-repeat allele could not be examined in Caucasian males because only 0.1% carried it.
----------------------
N. Perach-Barzilay et al.
Social Neuroscience, forthcoming
Abstract:
Aggressive behavior is aimed at causing damage or pain to another individual. Aggression has been associated with structural and functional deficits in numerous brain areas, including the dorsolateral region of the prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), typically related to inhibition and impulse control. In this study, we used inhibitory continuous theta-burst magnetic stimulation (cTBS) to explore the role of the right and left DLPFC in aggression. Sixteen healthy right-handed volunteers underwent two sessions involving random, real and sham, right and left DLPFC stimulations. These sessions were followed by the Social Orientation Paradigm (SOP), a monetary task that was specially designed to assess participants' aggressive tendencies by measuring the patterns of their reactive aggression (a response to a perceived provocation) and proactive aggression (an aggressive act with goal-oriented purposes). Results indicate that using cTBS to target the left DLPFC was associated with a greater increase in aggressive responses than right DLPFC stimulation. This pattern of results was found for both reactive and proactive types of aggressive reactions. It is concluded that DLPFC asymmetry is involved in modulating reactive and proactive aggression. Our results are in line with recent studies suggesting that the left DLPFC plays a major role in aggressive behavior.
----------------------
The Effect of Prenatal Sex Hormones on the Development of Verbal Aggression
Allison Shaw et al.
Journal of Communication, October 2012, Pages 778-793
Abstract:
This article considers the neuroendocrine factors leading to systematic differences in trait verbal aggression (VA). Verbally aggressive people produce messages that attack the self-concept of another (D. A. Infante & C. J. Wigley, 1986). A neuroendocrine factor, prenatal androgen exposure (PNAE), was proposed as a possible predictor of VA. To explore this possibility, the relationship between the ratio between the length of the second digit and fourth digit (2D:4D), an indicator of PNAE, and VA was examined across 2 studies. Specifically, it was predicted that variance in PNAE would be correlated with variance in trait VA. Results from the 2 studies indicated that 2D:4D is correlated with VA as predicted, even with the influence of sex removed.
----------------------
Sarah-Jane Gerber & Michael O'Connell
Psychology, Crime & Law, Fall 2012, Pages 781-795
Abstract:
Despite development in high-risk environments, many youths are resilient and do not engage in antisocial behaviour and crime. Research on human traits such as intelligence and morality, suggest that the implicit theories (ITs) people have about the controllability of their behaviour, as either fixed (entity beliefs) or malleable (incremental beliefs) may play a part in successful behavioural outcomes. Using this as a framework, the function of ITs about crime in successful adolescent development was investigated among 422 ‘at-risk' youths. Incremental ITs of criminality were found to significantly predict less self-reported involvement in youth offending, controlling for academic attainment. Entity ITs, conversely, were associated with an increased rate of participation in deviant behaviour. Further analysis revealed that incremental ITs of criminality moderated the negative effects of associating with delinquent peers on adolescent behaviour. The results demonstrate the direct and indirect protective function of incremental ITs of criminality for youths at risk and highlight the value of investigating further the protective processes that are involved in preventing youth crime.
----------------------
Do dangerous sports specialists play more dangerously? An experimental study on sample selection
Luc Collard & Alexandre Oboeuf
Journal of Risk Research, forthcoming
Abstract:
Dangerous/extreme sports specialists are often accused of reckless behaviour. The present research study sought to test that assumption. Sixty-six sportspeople (mean ± SD age: 20.3 ± 1.2) of both genders (including nine extreme sports specialists) took part in a sports game (‘chickie run') which obliged them to choose between cautious and risky behaviours. The participants played each other in pairs, i.e. 65 matches per player. In ‘chickie run', the two players start 20 m apart and run straight towards each other. If the players collide at the meeting point, they each lose 2 points. If both players ‘chicken out' by deviating from their line, each scores 2 points. If one chickens out and the other does not, the defecting player scores 0 and the non-defector gains 4 points. In theory, players should defect every other time in the iterated ‘chickie run' game (as long as one does not take account of the opponent's reputation). Out of the 2145 recorded matches, the sportspeople generally tended to play according to this symmetric risk (expected Nash equilibrium: 1 point per match). Only extreme sports specialists tended to maximize their score (1.34 points per match) by playing significantly more cautiously (they deviated 3 times out of 4, with a Maximin profile, p < 0.01).
----------------------
Cecilia Åslund et al.
Aggressive Behavior, forthcoming
Abstract:
Twin and adoption studies have demonstrated a significant contribution of both genetic and environmental factors to antisocial and delinquent behavior. Associations have been reported between the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and aggression, and between socioeconomic status (SES), aggression, and serotonergic functions of the brain. We aimed to investigate associations between the 5-HTTLPR genotype and family SES in relation to delinquent behavior among adolescents. A total of 1,467 17- to 18-year-old students in the county of Västmanland, Sweden, anonymously completed a questionnaire and gave a saliva sample. Family SES had a U-shaped relation to delinquency, where adolescents with low and high family SES were the most delinquent. There were curvilinear interactions between the 5-HTTLPR genotype and family SES in relation to delinquency. Among individuals having high family SES, boys with the LL (homozygous for the long allele) or LS (heterozygous) genotypes and girls with the SS (homozygous for the short allele) or LS (heterozygous) genotypes showed the highest delinquency scores. Among individuals having low family SES, boys with the LL (homozygous for the long allele) genotype and girls with the LS (heterozygous) genotype showed the highest delinquency scores. The present study suggests evidence for an interaction between family SES and the 5-HTTLPR genotype in relation to juvenile delinquency.
----------------------
Raquel Costa & Alicia Salvador
Psychoneuroendocrinology, November 2012, Pages 1780-1790
Abstract:
Within an evolutionary framework, in recent years some questions have been raised about whether women have a pattern of psychobiological response to social stress similar to that described in men. The main objective of this study was to analyze women's patterns of neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and mood responses to an individual competitive task, taking into account the outcome obtained. For this purpose, we measured salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), in addition to mood changes, in 40 healthy young women before, during and after a face-to-face laboratory competition. We also assessed some relevant psychological traits. Our results indicate that women who became winners presented greater T and positive mood increases, together with higher cardiovascular (CV) responses, than those who lost and did not show significant changes during the period studied. These results suggest a biological and psychological pattern of response to a laboratory competition differentially associated with outcome. Furthermore, these findings suggest that women who are involved in competitive situations, use both passive and active coping strategies, which can be explained by integrating the existing hypotheses.
----------------------
Norm enforcement in the city: A natural field experiment
Loukas Balafoutas & Nikos Nikiforakis
European Economic Review, forthcoming
Abstract:
Extensive evidence from laboratory experiments indicates that many individuals are willing to use costly punishment to enforce social norms, even in one-shot interactions. However, there appears to be little evidence in the literature of such behavior in the field. We study the propensity to punish norm violators in a natural field experiment conducted in the main subway station in Athens, Greece. The large number of passengers ensures that strategic motives for punishing are minimized. We study violations of two distinct efficiency-enhancing social norms. In line with laboratory evidence, we find that individuals punish norm violators. However, these individuals are a minority. Men are more likely than women to punish violators, while the decision to punish is unaffected by the violator's height and gender. Interestingly, we find that violations of the better known of the two norms are substantially less likely to trigger punishment. We present additional evidence from two surveys providing insights into the determinants of norm enforcement.
----------------------
I Dare You to Punish Me - Vendettas in Games of Cooperation
Katrin Fehl et al.
PLoS ONE, September 2012
Abstract:
Everybody has heard of neighbours, who have been fighting over some minor topic for years. The fight goes back and forth, giving the neighbours a hard time. These kind of reciprocal punishments are known as vendettas and they are a cross-cultural phenomenon. In evolutionary biology, punishment is seen as a mechanism for maintaining cooperative behaviour. However, this notion of punishment excludes vendettas. Vendettas pose a special kind of evolutionary problem: they incur high costs on individuals, i.e. costs of punishing and costs of being punished, without any benefits. Theoretically speaking, punishment should be rare in dyadic relationships and vendettas would not evolve under natural selection. In contrast, punishment is assumed to be more efficient in group environments which then can pave the way for vendettas. Accordingly, we found that under the experimental conditions of a prisoner's dilemma game, human participants punished only rarely and vendettas are scarce. In contrast, we found that participants retaliated frequently in the group environment of a public goods game. They even engaged in cost-intense vendettas (i.e. continuous retaliation), especially when the first punishment was unjustified or ambiguous. Here, punishment was mainly targeted at defectors in the beginning, but provocations led to mushrooming of counter-punishments. Despite the counter-punishing behaviour, participants were able to enhance cooperation levels in the public goods game. Few participants even seemed to anticipate the outbreak of costly vendettas and delayed their punishment to the last possible moment. Overall, our results highlight the importance of different social environments while studying punishment as a cooperation-enhancing mechanism.