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A silly conversation led to the following question being asked…
As usual, your identity stays anonymous, and your assistance is very much appreciated.
Posted by Jonathan as Polls & Surveys at 1:00 AM BST
Posted by Jonathan as Miscellaneous at 1:00 AM BST
Posted by Jonathan as Miscellaneous at 1:00 AM BST
Genghis Khan, and a few rich, powerful men, might have spread their seed about pretty liberally. But a new analysis suggests that most socially dominant males contribute no more to the gene pool than do their supposed inferiors.
According to Joseph Watkins, a mathematician at the University of Arizona in Tucson:
An individual really doesn’t have the opportunity to set up things so their genetic information pervades the gene pool a long time in the future
It could happen because life is chaotic.
Theories concerning how genes flow through populations of organisms generally support this idea, which has been dubbed neutrality. But some anthropologists argue that cultural dominance can seal a man’s legacy. For instance, a rich and powerful father could ensure the status of his sons and grandsons.
To determine whether dominance could last more than a couple generations, Watkins joined forces with a team of anthropologists and geneticists to sift through the DNA of 1269 males from 41 Indonesian communities,
The researchers concentrated on stretches of the male-inherited Y-chromosome that change little from generation to generation. This allowed Watkins’ team to peer back in time more than 3,000 years.
Their search paid no attention to genetic traits that might offer an evolutionary boost and instead focused on “junk” DNA that flows exclusively from father to son. From this, out of 41 communities, from Bali to Borneo to mainland Indonesia, only five showed evidence of long-term dominance by a few male lines.
According to the researchers, three of those communities were in Sumba, a remote island where males are polygamous and clans vie for status and resources; and the genetic patterns seen in males from the other two communities could be explained by an influx of foreign workers in one case, and a recently settled village in the other.
The researchers agree that Temüjin proves that some powerful males can ensure their lineage – if not through prosperity, then promiscuity – but such men are rare, Watkins says.
Adding:
If I were to take 100 random Mongolians and follow their family lines, I wouldn’t have seen anything special.
Peter Underhill, a population geneticist at Stanford University, is also of the opinion that cultural traits that flow exclusively from father to son, like wealth and property, are unlikely to last.
Michael Hammer, a co-author of the study, noted:
Evolution is an equal opportunity system. No single group is going to persist as the dominant group for very long before something changes.
Wars, climate change, and diseases have all sent dominant males careening off their pedestals.
Posted by Jonathan as Anthropology, Biology at 1:01 AM BST
In recent research, scientists have proven that “beer goggles” are real — other people really do look more attractive, if you’ve been drinking.
And, surprisingly, the beer goggles effect was not limited to just the opposite sex; since among the presumably straight volunteers recruited for the study, which was reported in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, subjects rated people of their own sex as being more attractive, as well as the opposite sex.
Marcus Munafo, an experimental psychologist, at the University of Bristol, gave 84 heterosexual college students chilled lime-flavoured drinks that were either completely non-alcoholic, or given a dose of vodka equivalent in alcohol content to a large glass of wine or a pint-and-a-half of beer.
Then, after 15 minutes, the subjects were shown photos of 40 other college students, of both sexes.
Men and women who drank alcohol found these faces more attractive, and gave them a roughly ten percent increase in ratings of attractiveness.
The researchers also asked volunteers to rate their moods, and noted:
…there were no differences on those measures in the alcohol group compared to the no-alcohol group. This suggests that the effect we observed wasn’t due to a general change in mood.
Continuing:
Everyone knows about beer goggles, but some of our results suggest that there’s more going on than we might have thought.
The discovery that the effect is not specific to the opposite sex is surprising. One possibility is that alcohol makes us see things as more attractive generally, but when this occurs in social situations, such as at a bar, “this might become targeted at opposite-sex faces,” Munafo said. So, by repeating the experiment with video clips shot at bars, the researchers hope to recreate those social cues and see what happens.
Munafo added:
The main question is whether these effects are specific to faces, or whether we would rate anything as more attractive after a drink,
Future research could expose people who have been drinking to landscapes or the faces of puppies and other animals, “to see if alcohol has a more general effect on perceiving beauty in the environment.”
Munafo continued:
It’s also surprising to see this effect is happening at lower doses than you might think, we’re trying to build up a more complete picture of what happens when people go out for a drink, and we’re interested in certain behaviours that are more common after drinking, such as unsafe sex, or violence. If this effect is happening at lower doses than expected, it might be helpful for people who are predisposed to such behaviours to anticipate those situations and prevent them.
The scientists also want to vary the levels of alcohol that volunteers receive; but there are practical and ethical constraints around how much alcohol they can give people in the lab.
Posted by Jonathan as Psychology at 11:36 PM BST
Scientists have found that blondes really do have more fun, are more confident, and more likely to initiate sex.
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University said that women who dye their hair experience an increase in feelings of attractiveness to the opposite sex and increased general confidence.
This means that bottle blondes are more likely to ask someone out on a date, or even to raise the topic of a pay increase with their boss.
Dr Mark Sergeant, who led the study, said the changes in behaviour were “significant“.
He continued:
Colouring your hair may seem like an art to most people, but there is actually a lot of science behind it.
Not only were their confidence and mood levels elevated but also their inhibitions seemed to be mitigated, with many reporting feeling more attractive and sexually exciting.
There was a marked improvement in the ability to express their opinions and ask for things that they may not ask for ordinarily in a work environment.
The study, commissioned by Clairol, also found that women who dye their hair blonde were more likely to question authority at work or raise complaints.
Additionally, more than 50 percent of the 205 women studied said they coloured their hair solely to “get attention” from strangers or “be noticed” by friends and colleagues.
Posted by Jonathan as Psychology, Sociology at 4:09 AM BST
Anyone reading contemporary Seduction literature would undoubtedly come to the conclusion that there is only one way to find a lover; and that is to become the most dominant person on the planet.
This is clearly nonsense, but enough people seem to believe that because this is vaguely similar to how monkey mating systems operate, it must be completely true for human beings, and no correspondence will be entered into…
But, can one become more dominant? And is there any truth in the fake-it-till-you-make-it theories of modern self-styled Seductionists?
Interestingly, back in 1982, UCLA neuroscientist Michael McGuire and his colleagues carried out some research on relative position in local primate groups, and showed that status appears to affect, and be affected by, concentrations of the neurotransmitter Serotonin (a chemical which regulates moods and behaviour).1 As an example, in one of their studies, involving nineteen groups of adult Vervet monkeys, McGuire and his team found that concentrations of Serotonin metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid samples taken from the dominant member in each group were approximately 50 percent higher than the corresponding concentrations in samples taken from subordinate animals.
Is this difference the effect or the cause of high status?
To investigate this question McGuire and his team removed the initially dominant animal from each group and placed him in an isolation cage. Shortly thereafter, a new individual established dominance within each group; and after roughly 72 hours had elapsed, Serotonin concentrations in the newly dominant animal were found to have risen to the levels seen in the formerly dominant animal. At the same time, the Serotonin concentrations in the formerly dominant animal fell to the level associated with subordinate status. Then, once the initially dominant animal was returned to the group, he reasserted dominance; and Serotonin concentrations in both the originally dominant animal and interim-dominant animals responded accordingly.1 These patterns suggest that changes in rank cause changes in serotonin levels.
In a subsequent study, Michael Raleigh and his collaborators found that higher Serotonin concentrations also appear to facilitate the acquisition of higher status.2 Their experiment involved administration of a drug that boosted available Serotonin concentrations in the brain. Animals treated with this drug were more likely to ascend in the social hierarchy than others treated with a placebo.
The Serotonin-status relationship is less clearly understood in humans than in non-human primates. But there are indications that the patterns found in the primate studies are apparently also present in at least some human groups. McGuire and his colleagues, for example, have found elevated Serotonin levels in the leaders of college fraternities and athletic teams. In another study, Douglas Madsen found that the status-Serotonin relationship is positive for some groups of male college students.3
Like Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and other neurotransmitters, Serotonin affects mood and behaviour in a variety of ways. It is especially important for transmitting impulses between nerve cells in the limbic (prefrontal) structures of the brain. Then (within limits), having elevated Serotonin concentrations is associated with enhanced feelings of wellbeing, while Serotonin deficiencies are associated with a variety of affective disorders, including irritability, sleep disorders, mania, and depression.4 More recent work suggests that Serotonin deficiencies are also strongly linked with impulsive aggression and suicide attempts.5 The drug Prozac, widely prescribed for depression and other mood disorders, is a Serotonin uptake inhibitor, which means that it increases the effective concentrations of Serotonin in the brain.
In males, concentrations of the sex hormone Testosterone appear to have a relationship with status similar to the one seen for Serotonin. Reductions in status thus tend to be followed by reductions in plasma testosterone levels, whereas these levels tend to raise following increases in status.6 A player who wins a tennis match decisively, for example, experiences a post-match elevation in plasma Testosterone, and his vanquished opponent experiences a post-match reduction.
References:
1. McGuire, M., M. Raleigh & G. Brammer, ‘Sociopharmacology‘, Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology (1982), 22: 643-61
2. Raleigh, M., G. Brammer, E. Ritvo & E. Geller, ‘Effects of Chronic Fenfluramine on Blood Serotonin, Cerebrospinal fluid Metabolites, and Behavior in Monkeys‘, Psychopharmacology (1986), 90: 503-508
3. Madsen, D., ‘Serotonin and Social Rank Among Human Males‘, The Neurotransmitter Revolution: Serotonin, Social Behavior, and the Law (Southern Illinois University Press: 1994)
4. Coppen, A., ‘Role of Serotonin in Affective Disorders‘, Serotonin and Behaviour (Academic Press: 1973)
5. Coccaro, E.F., ‘The Biology of Aggression‘, Scientific American, January-February (1995), 38-47
6. Elias, M., ‘Serum Cortisol, Testosterone, and Testosterone-Binding Globulin Responses to Competitive Fighting in Human Males‘, Aggressive Behavior 7 (1981) 3:215-224; Mazur, A., T. Lamb, ‘Testosterone, Status, and Mood in Human Males‘, Hormones and Behavior (1980), 14: 236-246; Mazur, A., ‘Physiology, Dominance, and Aggression in Humans‘, Prevention and Control of Aggression, (Pergamon General Psychology: 1983)
Posted by Jonathan as Biochemistry, Sociology at 11:53 PM BST
Young girls who are sexually active are far more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain virgins, according to a controversial new study.
Research which appeared recently in the Journal of Health Economics has found that young girls who are sexually active often experience feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, regret and shame, and are far more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain chaste.
After conducting a study of more than 14,000 US teens aged between 14 and 17, using data from the U.S. government funded National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, researchers said the feelings could be directly ascribed to sexual activity, rather than outside influences. Furthermore, researchers also found that the mental health of boys in the same age group did not correlate with sexually active.
The study found that having sex doubled the chances of girls becoming depressed, with 19 percent of those who had sex exhibiting symptoms of depression, compared with 9.2 percent who had abstained.
The conclusion the study reached was that “sexually active female adolescents are at increased risk of exhibiting the symptoms of depression relative to their counterparts who are not sexually active.”
Christian Medical Fellowship chairman Dr Trevor Stammers said the study showed:
[most girls] retrospectively showed regret about early intercourse.
It also shows as closely as we have been able to show so far that there is a genuine link between increased risk of depression and adolescent females engaging in sex
My experience is that, for girls, depression, regret and shame are very common.
Posted by Jonathan as Anthropology, Psychology at 11:07 PM BST
Seduction Labs holds the belief that good sex and quality relationships are the natural rights of everyone living on this planet – pretty much like sunlight, clean water and fresh air
However, at least once a week some feeble-minded, overexcited salesperson sends a missive, adamant that their sex toys, porn films, nutraceuticals or e-books will be the thing to cause an epiphany here in the labs, and convert free thinking pragmatists into corporate evangelists.
Just recently though, we were very surprised to be offered a Seduction university course to advertise – whereby one could become a ‘Seduction Artist‘ – Yes, we visited the website and they even have a picture of ivy covered buildings and dreaming spires – Presumably this is where they hold the tutorials, and would certainly be a very relaxing atmosphere for studying. However, they did omit to mention whether they were offering an honours course or not.
There are just two small problems:
Everyone knows that if they studied a subject such as History or Geography etc., they would be rewarded with a Bachelor or Master of Arts degree. This is because these subjects are taught as ‘facts‘; and indeed, it’s very unlikely that I could persuade anyone that the Battle of Hastings didn’t happen in 1066, or that the capital of France wasn’t Paris…
Equally, nobody in their right mind would consider seduction as a science. This is because science looks at knowledge on a continuum; which means that scientific theories only become more and more likely to be correct, as experimentation continues to confirm them; whereas one successful disproving means that the knowledge in that theory needs to be reworked to incorporate the newly discovered information.
So, unfortunately, in terms of seduction, there are far too many aspects which do not remain constant over time, as would be expected within a science-like field of study. And, no self-proclaimed seduction ‘art‘ practitioners seem interested to cease their persistent ‘advocacy‘ in favour of ‘research‘, or even to put just a little effort into testing their assorted hypothesises – assuming that these seduction ‘art‘ supporters ideas could even be reconstructed into something capable of being disproved.
For these reasons, I cannot understand the seduction ‘art‘ brigade. And indeed, the last time I visited one of their boy’s clubs, there was debate about whether one should read books and go out and practise, or whether it was better to read nothing and go on an expensive seduction course. There should be no debate; expensive seduction courses are invariably fronted by fraudsters and are a waste of money.
It amazes me that anyone is prepared to give even an iota to these charlatans, with there unsubstantiated claims of ‘secret techniques‘, which invariably turn out to be freely available in numerous public internet forums, and are usually ignored by the vast majority of people, because the information is either out-of-date, or just didn’t work in the first place.
What about if one were to enrol as a student of some seduction university? Aside from being bombarded with information having little or no real world application, we know of no commercial seduction outfit that has ever failed any of its students. Therefore, anyone could snooze through the entire course, and finish the training claiming to be an advanced master seducer (or some similar self-styled title) – and then start up their own equally silly school of nonsense, to continue a cycle of lunacy and fraud.
The numerous Psychic schools and Crystal energy quack training courses seem to operate in a very similar fashion, and we’re looking forward to seeing the latest European consumer protection laws putting a stop to this criminal activity.
Posted by Jonathan as Art & Literature, Philosophy at 9:18 PM BST
Teenage girls from poor neighbourhoods with conduct issues are more likely to have sex at an early age, according to a joint Canadian-American study.
Researchers from the Université de Montréal, the University of New Brunswick and New England’s Tufts University also found that girls from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to engage in sexual intercourse in early adolescence, and to be doing so with boys three years or more older.
Lead author Dr. Véronique Dupéré said:
The results suggest that neighborhoods shape peer groups, which in turn influences when girls become sexually active
Girls with a history of conduct problems were found to be more likely to have deviant and older male friends when they lived in a disadvantaged context
Deviant peers are thought to provide a pool of willing partners and cultivate a sense that early sexual activity is desirable.
The study, published in the journal Child Development, is based on the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. The research team used a sub-sample of boys and girls from this survey, a total of 2,596 Canadian adolescents, of which one quarter of were found to live in poor neighbourhoods.
The participants were followed from the ages of 12 to 15, and in addition to neighbourhood and peer characteristics, family characteristics were also considered, including socio-economic background and family structure.
Conduct problems were self-reported in late childhood or when participants were 10 or 11 years old. At-risk behaviours included physical aggression (e.g. bullying, fighting, kicking), destructive tendencies (e.g. vandalism, stealing) and violation of rules (e.g. running away, staying out all night). Subjects were considered to have conduct problems if they had engaged in three at-risk behaviours during one year – Of the sample, 13 percent were considered to have conduct problems.
The study found that unlike girls, boys from a disadvantaged background did not become sexually active earlier in their adolescence.
Dr Dupéré noted:
Family and individual risk appeared more influential in boy’s timing their first sexual experience.
Then, emphasizing the importance of the study:
Identifying when and why young girls become sexually active is important in a public health perspective. Other studies show that early initiators are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases, undergo unwanted teen pregnancy and to report involuntary sexual experiences.
Posted by Jonathan as Anthropology, Sociology at 11:42 PM BST
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