A Preview of Convention Attractions

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Preview of Convention Attractions A Publication of 2008 APA CONVENTION.... The Society for General Psychology A Preview of Convention Attractions Division One by Nancy Segal - Cal State Fullerton of the American Psychological Association ivision 1 (General Psychology) when the 2007 Awards chose Evolutionary Psychology and evolutionary Addresses DBehavioral Genetics as its central interests of Inside! themes for the 2008 convention program. males and Evolutionary Psychology is concerned females di- with identifying behavioral and physical verge. Jason characteristics, functions and processes Young chairs INSIDE THIS ISSUE that foster individual survival and repro- a session duction. Behavioral genetics is concerned that takes an Convention Preview: with the inherited and experiential influ- evolution- Cesarini.................2 ences on individual differences in behav- ary look at Michalski...............4 ior. Both perspectives continue to receive perceptions Nancy Segal McGuire.................7 considerable attention in the psychologi- of facial and physical attributes across the Salmon..................9 cal literature and in the popular press. menstrual cycle, and at unknown visual Segal..................13 An impressive list of speakers and top- illusions. Division 1 President Thomas J. Hill & Durante............16 ics have been assembled for the upcoming Bouchard, Jr. presents new evidence for convention. Invited Talks: David Cesarini the evolution of the “traditional moral vir- 2007 Awards Addresses and Bjorn Wallace present results from an tues triad.” McAdams..............20 identical twin-fraternal twin comparison Other Division 1 highlights include a Hyde.....................28 of strategies applied during an Ultimatum conversation hour honoring the legendary Thompson...............32 Game. David Haig examines the behav- psychologist Anne Anastasi on the 100th RetroReview: Milgram.....39 ioral correlates of Prader-Willi syndrome, anniversary of her birth. Anastasi made a condition suggesting that parent-off- seminal contributions to many areas of What They’re Reading.....43 spring conflict played a role in the evo- psychological theory and practice. In ad- From the SGP President...46 lution of a distinctive human childhood. dition, a symposium on basic emotions Symposia: Sarah Hill chairs a session con- considers the basic emotions paradigm, as Introducing the Pres Elect..47 cerned with evaluating decisions in light well as various biological and neuroscien- Exec Committee Meeting..48 of evolutionary theorizing. Catherine tific views of emotional development. Salmon, editor of Family Relationships: An On the following pages you will find APA Council Report.........50 Evolutionary Perspective, leads a discus- “preview” pieces by several of the Divion 1 New Webmaster............51 sion of parent-child and sibling relations presenters on evolutionary psychology at with reference to evolutionary concepts this year’s APA Convention. Ad Hoc Committees........52 and principles. Aaron Goetz chairs a ses- Division 1 Officers..........53 sion on old and new topics in behavioral genetics and evolutionary psychology— Nancy Segal and Jason Young are Co- 2008 Awards Addresses ...55 contributions from the famous Bar Harbor Chairs of the 2008 convention program for Laboratory, and the conflict that ensues Division One. Volume 43, No. 1 - Spring 2008 The General Psychologist Page 1 APA CONVENTION PREVIEW Genes and Games by David Cesarini - Massachusetts Institute of Technology iro, rationality is a much more plausible behavior Experimental econom- assumption for individuals of high cognitive abil- ics, the use of controlled ex- ity. periments to test economic One might conjecture that one reason why theory, has surged in popular- there exists relatively little published work on ity in recent years. The Nobel individual differences in economic games is that prize awarded to the psychol- it has been notoriously difficult to find variables ogist Daniel Kahneman and which robustly predict individual differences. the economist Vernon Smith is Indeed, as noted for instance by Colin Camerer, both a cause and an effect of many of the correlations between individual this development. By now, the behavior in experiments and various demo- use of these methods has tran- graphics measures that have been reported in David Cesarini scended into other fields such the literature are either small or do not survive as evolutionary theory, psychology and neuro- replication. Yet, absence of evidence does not im- science . ply evidence of absence. In light of the ubiquity The bulk of experimental work has focused of genetic influences, documented by behavior on testing whether theoretical predictions hold geneticists, for most human traits a reasonable on average. Though there are important excep- place to start is to ask if there is genetic variation tions, most notably a nascent literature on be- which explains differences in how individuals act havioral anomalies and IQ, the study of individ- in economic games. ual variation in economic behavior has suffered Therefore, a Swedish team of researchers, of from a comparative neglect. For instance, in an which I am a member, collected experimental early experimental paper, Vernon Smith was in- data using a subject pool of mono- and dizygot- terested in testing whether competitive price ic twins. Independently, the political scientists theory holds, that is to say, if prices converge to Christopher Dawes and James Fowler at UCSD the equilibrium in a laboratory experiment. The recently conceived of and executed a similar bat- advantage of the laboratory setting here is obvi- tery of experiments on US twins. Comparing the ous; supply and demand curves can be created behavior of identical and nonidentical twins is a by the experimenter, whereas in market data form of quasi-controlled experiment. Both share only equilibrium prices are observed. His conclu- the same upbringing, but their degree of genetic sion: “the outcome was unbelievably consistent relatedness differs. To the extent that genetically with competitive price theory”. identical twins make more similar choices in eco- In one sense, the science of economics re- nomic experiments, one can deduct that these sembles the branches of psychology that focus choices have a genetic component. In all of these on human universals, or study the aggregate experiments, twins interacted with anonymous effects of numerous individual actions, thereby partners in the laboratory (not their co-twin). relegating discussion about individual variation This is not the first time economic experi- to a footnote. Ultimately, abstracting from indi- ments are carried out on twins. Previous studies vidual differences is likely to reduce the predic- have shown that monozygotic twins cooperate tive accuracy of any model of human behavior. more with each other than dizygotic twins in For example, as demonstrated by economists prisoner’s dilemma type situations. These papers Dan Benjamin, Sebastian Brown and Jesse Shap- therefore offer a laboratory test of inclusive fit- Volume 43, No. 1 - Spring 2008 The General Psychologist Page 2 Cesarini: Genes & Games ness theory. These experiments corroborated ulation specific, so it is interesting to note that the hypothesis, and illustrate a second use of similar estimates are obtained in two different genetically informative data in economic experi- samples, despite manifest cultural differences ments. between the United States and Sweden. Consider the simple example of the ultima- tum game, where two players are offered a chance What is one to make of these to earn a certain sum of money. A proposer sug- findings? gests how to split the sum. The responder can ac- There are at least a few areas where it is im- cept or reject the deal. If the deal is rejected, nei- mediately obvious that this research may prove ther player gets anything. If the deal is accepted, helpful. For instance, heritability estimates can both players are paid in accordance with the pro- be used to discriminate between different mod- posed split. Previous research has demonstrated els of the evolution of cooperation. Typically, that individuals care not only about monetary such models differ in their predictions about payoffs, but also take fairness considerations into equilibrium genotypic variation, and the persis- account, routinely rejecting stingy offers, some- tent finding of moderate heritability might lend thing a narrowly profit maximizing agent would some support to theories featuring polymorphic not do. Little is known about why some players’ equilibria. behavior is relatively well approximated by the More generally, our findings, together with rational model, whereas other people, a vast previous findings in the behavioral genetics liter- majority, are willing to forfeit monetary payoffs ature it is also time to take seriously the proposi- out of “fairness” concerns. In a recent paper, we tion that humans are endowed with genetic vari- estimate that heritability of responder behavior ation which underlies heterogeneity in strategies in the ultimatum game is 40 %, suggesting that and preferences elicited in economic games. We any attempt to understand responder behavior hope that this finding can make a small contri- which ignores this genetic influence is incom- bution toward ending the almost singular preoc- plete. cupation with social and cultural transmission Or consider the trust game, developed by in economic research, and taking genetic varia- Joyce Berg, John Dickhaut and
Recommended publications
  • North American Journal of Psychology, 1999. PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 346P.; Published Semi-Annually
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 449 388 CG 029 765 AUTHOR McCutcheon, Lynn E., Ed. TITLE North American Journal of Psychology, 1999. PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 346p.; Published semi-annually. AVAILABLE FROM NAJP, 240 Harbor Dr., Winter Garden, FL 34787 ($35 per annual subscription). Tel: 407-877-8364. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT North American Journal of Psychology; vl n1-2 1999 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC14 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Psychology; *Research Tools; *Scholarly Journals; *Social Science Research ABSTRACT "North American Journal of Psychology" publishes scientific papers of general interest to psychologists and other social scientists. Articles included in volume 1 issue 1 (June 1999) are: "Generalist Looks at His Career in Teaching: Interview with Dr. Phil Zimbardo"; "Affective Information in Videos"; "Infant Communication"; "Defining Projective Techniques"; "Date Selection Choices in College Students"; "Study of the Personality of Violent Children"; "Behavioral and Institutional Theories of Human Resource Practices"; "Self-Estimates of Intelligence:"; "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going"; "Behaviorism and Cognitivism in Learning Theory"; "On the Distinction between Behavioral Contagion, Conversion Conformity, and Compliance Conformity"; "Promoting Altruism in Troubled Youth"; The Influence of insecurity on Exchange and Communal Intimates"; "Height as Power in Women"; "Moderator Effects of Managerial Activity Inhibition on the Relation between Power versus Affiliation Motive Dominance and Econdmic Efficiency";
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of Animal Play, Emotions, and Social Morality: on Science, Theology, Spirituality, Personhood, and Love
    WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository 12-2001 The Evolution of Animal Play, Emotions, and Social Morality: On Science, Theology, Spirituality, Personhood, and Love Marc Bekoff University of Colorado Follow this and additional works at: https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/acwp_sata Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Behavior and Ethology Commons, and the Comparative Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Bekoff, M. (2001). The evolution of animal play, emotions, and social morality: on science, theology, spirituality, personhood, and love. Zygon®, 36(4), 615-655. This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Evolution of Animal Play, Emotions, and Social Morality: On Science, Theology, Spirituality, Personhood, and Love Marc Bekoff University of Colorado KEYWORDS animal emotions, animal play, biocentric anthropomorphism, critical anthropomorphism, personhood, social morality, spirituality ABSTRACT My essay first takes me into the arena in which science, spirituality, and theology meet. I comment on the enterprise of science and how scientists could well benefit from reciprocal interactions with theologians and religious leaders. Next, I discuss the evolution of social morality and the ways in which various aspects of social play behavior relate to the notion of “behaving fairly.” The contributions of spiritual and religious perspectives are important in our coming to a fuller understanding of the evolution of morality. I go on to discuss animal emotions, the concept of personhood, and how our special relationships with other animals, especially the companions with whom we share our homes, help us to define our place in nature, our humanness.
    [Show full text]
  • The Consequences of Infelicity: the Effects of Unhappinesson
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Jorge R. Martinez for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Political Science, History and Foreign Languages and Literaturespresented on June 5, 1991. Title: The Consequences of Infelicity: The Effects of Unhappinesson Biological and Social Evolution Redacted for Privacy Abstract approved: Glen C. Dealy In social and biological evolution, infelicitycan operate as a driving motor to force change. In this essay, for life other than human, infelicity is equated with physical unfitness to compete for theresources of a specific niche. For humanity it is defined as the result ofan incongruity between a nation's culture and its government. The purpose of this study is to investigate how, for irrational life,unfitness can stimulate the creation of a new species and, for men, how the unhappiness of a nation may enhance its opportunity to enter a new socio-economic order. An evolutionary account about a possible way in which life could have evolved is offered, concentrating mainly on the transition from ape to a less remote ancestor of man, but also taking into consideration other life forms. Then, a parallel to social evolution is established. A study of the rise of capitalism in England, as well as the recent attempts to institute socialism in Latin America, are also explained as consequences of infelicity. c Copyright by Jorge R. Martinez June 5, 1991 All Rights Reserved The Consequences of Infelicity: the Effects of Unhappiness on Biological and Social Evolution by Jorge R. Martinez A THESIS
    [Show full text]
  • Psychoethological Perspective on Play: Implications for Research and Practice
    Psicologia USP http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0103-656420160122 358 Brincar na perspectiva psicoetológica: implicações para pesquisa e prática Emma Otta* Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Psicologia, Departamento de Psicologia Experimental. São Paulo, SP, Brasil Resumo: Este ensaio trata do brincar a partir da perspectiva psicoetológica e examina implicações para a pesquisa e a prática. Ao longo das últimas décadas, crianças vêm ganhando oportunidades de escolarização e atividades dirigidas por adultos, mas perdendo oportunidades de brincadeira livre autogerenciada. Isto é preocupante, considerando as indicações de modelos animais de que a brincadeira social autogerenciada é importante para o desenvolvimento do cérebro social e da capacidade de autorregulação de emoções. Este estudo representa um convite-justificativa para que as crianças recuperem oportunidades de brincadeira natural das quais vêm sendo privadas. Quanto mais conhecermos sobre o brincar, mais adequados seremos nas oportunidades que poderemos oferecer a elas. Precisamos de mais pesquisa sobre este tema na academia, num ambiente intelectual que facilite a colaboração entre etólogos, psicólogos, educadores e neurocientistas, promovendo interação bidirecional entre teoria e prática. Palavras-chave: brincar, cérebro social, desenvolvimento, emoções, natureza. Introdução A razão da etóloga, fascinada pela observação do comportamento Este ensaio trata do brincar a partir da perspectiva psicoetológica e examina as implicações desta Por que convidar a estudar o comportamento de abordagem para pesquisa e prática relativas a um tema brincar dos animais? A resposta mais simples que poderia que considero negligenciado na área acadêmica. O termo dar é o fascínio pela observação do comportamento “abordagem psicoetológica” foi cunhado por Walter espontâneo, livre de limites artificiais.
    [Show full text]
  • Reviews & Essays
    Reviews & Essays scholars and much of the educated public Pinker the Prophet simply deny the good news. But prehistoric graves and records from twentieth-century By Robert Jervis hunter-gatherers reveal death rates due to warfare five to ten times that of modern Europe, and the homicide rate in Western Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Na- Europe from 1300 to today has dropped ture: Why Violence Has Declined (New York: by a factor of between ten and fifty. When Viking Adult, 2011), 832 pp., $40.00. we read that after conquering a city the ancient Greeks killed all the men and sold ....ith the United States fighting the women and children into slavery, we ..two wars, countries from Tu- tend to let the phrases pass over us as we Wnisia to Syria either in or on the move on to admire Greek poetry, plays and brink of intrastate conflicts, bloodshed civilization. But this kind of slaughter was continuing in Sudan and reports that sui- central to the Greek way of life. cide bombers might foil airport security by Implicit throughout and explicit at the planting explosives within their bodies, it is very end is Pinker’s passionate belief that hard to be cheerful. But Harvard psycholo- contemporary attacks on the Enlighten- gist Steven Pinker tells us that we should ment and modernity are fundamentally be, that we are living in the least violent misguided. Critics often argue that material era ever. What’s more, he makes a case that and technical progress has been achieved will be hard to refute.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Sexual Strategies: the Evolution of Long-Term Bonds and Extrapair Sex
    Women's Sexual Strategies: The Evolution of Long-Term Bonds and Extrapair Sex Elizabeth G. Pillsworth Martie G. Haselton University of California, Los Angeles Because of their heavy obligatory investment in offspring and limited off­ spring number, ancestral women faced the challenge of securing sufficient material resources for reproduction and gaining access to good genes. We review evidence indicating that selection produced two overlapping suites of psychological adaptations to address these challenges. The first set involves coupling-the formation of social partnerships for providing biparental care. The second set involves dual mating, a strategy in which women form long­ term relationships with investing partners, while surreptitiously seeking good genes from extrapair mates. The sources of evidence we review include hunter-gather studies, comparative nonhuman studies, cross-cultural stud· ies, and evidence of shifts in women's desires across the ovulatory cycle. We argue that the evidence poses a challenge to some existing theories of human mating and adds to our understanding of the subtlety of women's sexual strategies. Key Words: dual mating, evolutionary psychology, ovulation, relationships, sexual strategies. Hoggamus higgamus, men are polygamous; higgamus hoggamus, women monoga71Jous. -Attributed to various authors, including William James William James is reputed to have jotted down this aphorism in a dreamy midnight state, awaking with a feeling of satisfaction when he found it the next morning. The aphorism captures a widely accepted .fact about differences between women and men: Relative to women, men more strongly value casual sex (Baumeister, Catanese, & Vohs, 2001; Buss & Schmitt, 1993; Schmitt, 2003). James's statement, how­ ever, is dearly an oversimplification.
    [Show full text]
  • Discover Biology, Develop Skills, and Make Connections
    Discover Biology, Develop Skills, and Make Connections Since it’s trailblazing First Edition, Biological Sciences has delivered numerous biology teaching innovations that emphasize higher-order thinking skills and conceptual understanding rather than an encyclopedic grasp of what is known about biology. Central to this shift is a student-centered approach that provides support for mastering core content and developing skills that help students learn and practice biology. This model represents the . ultimately . to become . and then to apply overarching goal of the Seventh completing the course active learners what they have learned Edition: To help novice learners as expert learners who through practice . to new situations . progress from instruction . think like biologists. Instruction Practice Application Content Skills ThinkingT like a biologist A01_FREE8320_07_SE_FM.indd 1 11/21/18 12:01 AM Making Connections Through NEW Integrative End of Unit Case Study is introduced following Chapter 1. Each unit concludes with a 2-page spread that continues the story, guiding students through an exploration of key biological elements and scientific data. A unifying story about the evolutionary arms race between newts and garter snakes unfolds to illustrate how biology concepts and the various sub- disciplines of biology are connected across multiple levels from molecules, cells, and genetics to evolution and diversity, physiology, and ecology. Materials in Mastering Biology support in-class and out-of-class activities. END-OF-UNIT For media go to Mastering Biology ❚ CASE STUDY For an introduction to the Mystery of the Newt case study, see page 17. ••• Now that you’ve learned about evolutionary processes and patterns, it’s time to return Now that you have considered heritable variation Newt Snake UNIT 4 and fitness trade-os, the next step is to consider toxicity resistance to the Mystery of the Newt.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inevitability of Evolutionary Psychology and the Limitations of Adaptationism: Lessons from the Other Primates
    International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 2001, 14, 25-42. Copyright 2001 by the International Society for Comparative Psychology The Inevitability of Evolutionary Psychology and the Limitations of Adaptationism: Lessons from the other Primates Frans B. M. de Waal Emory University, U.S.A. The arrival of Evolutionary Psychology (EP) has upset many psychologists. Partly, this reflects resistance to what is perceived as genetic reductionism, partly worry about yet another step closer to the life sciences. Are the life sciences going to devour the social sciences? This essay starts out with a list of pitfalls for the beginning Darwinists that many EP followers are, warning against simplistic adptationist scenarios, and the frag- mentation of the organism, the human brain (a module for every capacity), and the ge- nome (a gene for this and a gene for that). Despite these criticisms, the author is generally sympathetic to the evolutionary approach, however, and feels that EP is inevitable. It may show growing pains, but psychology does need to move under the evolutionary umbrella, which is the only framework that can provide coherence to a fragmented discipline. The essay concludes with several illustrations of the usefulness of evolutionary theory to ex- plain the social behavior of primates. Primatologists face many of the same dilemmas as followers of EP in that primate behavior seems almost endlessly variable. Examples of political strategy, peacemaking, and reciprocal exchange show the complexity, the pro- found similarity to human behavior, and the promise of the evolutionary framework. I am honored and pleased to address psychologists at their annual conven- tion.
    [Show full text]
  • The Value of Using an Evolutionary Framework for Gauging Children's
    In Narvaez, D., Panksepp, J., Schore, A., & Gleason, T. (Eds.) (2013). Evolution, Early Experience and Human Development: From Research to Practice and Policy. New York: Oxford University Press. The Value of Using an Evolutionary Framework for Gauging Children’s Well-Being Darcia Narvaez, Jaak Panksepp, Allan Schore, and Tracy Gleason Earlier conceptions of the essential nature of developmental experiences found axiomatic that “early childhood is destiny.” This view was deeply embedded in two paradigms—psychoanalysis under the Freudian view, which emphasized parenting influences, and behaviorism, which emphasized early conditioning and reinforcement history (although both psychoanalytic psychotherapists and behaviorists assumed that patterns could be unlearned with some effort). When developmental psychology changed in paradigm to an ecological system perspective that acknowledges multiple levels of influence (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), emphasis shifted to a focus on human resiliency in the face of risk factors (Lester, Masten, & McEwen, 2007). Neuroscience has bolstered the resilient view of development with evidence that the brain remains plastic throughout the life span (e.g., Doidge, 2007; Merzenich et al., 1996). Early childhood is thus viewed within the prism of lifelong interactions among ecosystems and individual neuro- affective propensities, highlighting developmental person-by-context interactions and abundant individual variability in emotional resilience (Suomi, 2006; Worthman, Plotsky, Schechter, & Cummings, 2010). In the enthusiasm to embrace ideas of life span resiliency, psychology has often soft- pedaled the lasting neurobiological influences of early childhood experience. When researchers have documented the remarkable resiliency of children (e.g., Lester et al., 2007), they often point to better outcomes than might be predicted from certain preclinical studies of early - i - developmental trajectories (Kagan, 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution and Rape
    Michigan Law Review Volume 99 Issue 6 2001 Science Gone Astray: Evolution and Rape Elisabeth A. Lloyd Indiana University, Bloomington Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, and the Sexuality and the Law Commons Recommended Citation Elisabeth A. Lloyd, Science Gone Astray: Evolution and Rape, 99 MICH. L. REV. 1536 (2001). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol99/iss6/17 This Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Michigan Law Review at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SCIENCE GONE ASTRAY: EVOLUTION AND RAPE Elisabeth A. Lloyd* A NATURAL HISTORY OF RAPE: BIOLOGICAL BASES OF SEXUAL COERCION. By Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer. Cambridge: MIT Press. 2000. Pp. xvi, 251. $28.95. It is clear where the opposition is coming from - it's coming from ideol­ ogy .... Most of the ideology is coming from certain feminist groups. It's not feminism, per se, that's against us. It is certain groups of feminists that are against the application of science for dealing with this problem. That is a socially very irresponsible position.1 Throughout A Natural History of Rape, coauthors Randy Thomhill2 and Craig Palmer3 resort to what is known among philoso­ phers of science as "The Galileo Defense," which amounts to the fol­ lowing claim: I am telling the Truth and doing excellent science, but because of ideology and ignorance, I am being persecuted.4 The authors have repeated and elaborated upon this defense during the si:lablemedia flurry accompanying the book's publication in February 2000.5 * Arnold and Maxine Tanis Chair of History and Philosophy of Science and Professor of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington.
    [Show full text]
  • Art and Emotion: the Variety of Aesthetic Emotions and Their Internal Dynamics
    Interdisciplinary Studies in Musicology 20, 2020 @PTPN Poznań 2020, DOI 10.14746/ism.2020.20.5 Piotr PrzybYSZ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8184-3656 Faculty of Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań Art and Emotion: the variety of Aesthetic Emotions and their Internal Dynamics AbSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to propose an interpretation of aesthetic emotions in which they are treated as various affective reactions to a work of art. I present arguments that there are three different types of such aesthetic emotional responses to art, i.e., embodied emotions, epistemic emotions and contextual-associative emotions. I then argue that aesthetic emotions understood in this way are dynamic wholes that need to be explained by capturing and describing their internal temporal dynamics as well as by analyzing the relationships with the other components of aesthetic experience. Keywords: aesthetic emotions, aesthetic experience, art, music, neuroaesthetics Introduction There is no doubt that music, as well as other genres of art such as painting, is a reliable means of eliciting various emotional reactions. Exposure to a song or painting may result in feelings such as being touched or elated. beha- vioral reactions such as chills or tears may also appear in reaction to the work of art. In other situations, music or painting may serve to calm someone or can be used to improve one’s mood. Despite the unquestionable ability of art to evoke emotions, this ability is still not properly understood, and philosophers and re- searchers are constantly trying to explain it. The tradition of speculative inquiry and empirical studies concerning aes- thetic emotions is, naturally, very long.
    [Show full text]
  • Fincher, CL, and Thornhill, R
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Enlighten: Publications Fincher, C.L., and Thornhill, R. (2012) Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: the cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35 (2). pp. 61-79. ISSN 0140- 525X Copyright © 2012 Cambridge University Press A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge The content must not be changed in any way or reproduced in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder(s) When referring to this work, full bibliographic details must be given http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/77679/ Deposited on: 5 April 2013 Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2012) 35, 61–119 doi:10.1017/S0140525X11000021 Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: The cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity Corey L. Fincher Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 fi[email protected] http://biology.unm.edu/fincher Randy Thornhill Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 [email protected] http://biology.unm.edu/Thornhill/rthorn.htm Abstract: Throughout the world people differ in the magnitude with which they value strong family ties or heightened religiosity. We propose that this cross-cultural variation is a result of a contingent psychological adaptation that facilitates in-group assortative sociality in the face of high levels of parasite-stress while devaluing in-group assortative sociality in areas with low levels of parasite-stress.
    [Show full text]