Evolutionary Psychology Theory Research Articles

Social status predicts different mating and reproductive success for men and women in China: evidence from the 2010–2017 CGSS data

Evolutionary psychological theories posit that higher social status is conducive to men’s reproductive success. Extant research from historical records, small scale societies, as well as industrialized societies, support this hypothesis. However, the relationship between status difference between spouses and reproductive success has been investigated less. Moreover, even fewer studies have directly compared the effect of status and status difference between spouses on reproductive success in men and women. Using data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) conducted between 2010 and 2017 (N = 55,875; 28,931 women) and operationalizing social status as standardized income and educational level (compared with same-sex peers), we examined how social status and relative status between spouses impact men’s and women’s mating and reproductive success. We found that (1) men with higher social status were more likely to have long-term mating (being in a marriage and/or not going through marriage disruption) and reproductive success, mainly through having a lower risk of childlessness; (2) women with higher social status were less likely to have mating and reproductive success; and (3) relative status between spouses had an impact on the couple’s reproductive success so that couples, where the husband had higher status compared to the wife, had higher reproductive success. Thus, social status positively impacted men’s reproductive success, but relative status between spouses also affected mating and impacted childbearing decisions.Significance statementIn terms of standardized educational level and income among peers, social status positively predicts men’s mating and reproductive success in contemporary China. However, while a higher social status increases the probability of having at least one child, it does not predict a greater number of children for men. A status difference between spouses, on the other hand, consistently predicts having children. Thus, the higher the husband’s status relative to his wife, the greater the likelihood of having the first, second, and third children. The current results suggest that when examining the effect of status on mating and reproduction, social status and status within a family should be considered. We also stress the importance of exploring the potential proximate mechanisms by which a status difference influences childbearing decisions.

Moral orientations as a factor of family self-determination development of modern students

Introduction. The phenomena of the family-demographic crisis in modern society make it necessary to study socio-psychological factors determining the actualisation and development of family self-determination of young people in the context of digital socialisation. Within the framework of digital socialisation, an open and contradictory information space determines the nature of marriage and family ideas, which are the indicative basis for the implementation of family behaviour by young men and women.Aim. The aim of the research is to identify the features of family self-determination of Russian students, who have different moral orientations and personality types in adolescence and early adulthood.Methodology and research methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study consists of: cultural-historical theory of psychological development and the doctrine of a psychological age by L. S. Vygotsky; age and psychological approach to the analysis of mental development in ontogenesis; theories of family self-determination of the individual; the concept of personality orientation by B. S. Bratus; concepts of moral self-determination by A. B. Kupreichenko, A. E. Vorobieva, Q. Guo, P. Sun, M. Cai, X. Zhang, K. Song; theories of prosocial behaviour by K. R. Bell, C. J. Showers; L. Kamas, A. Preston. The study involved 490 students, mostly enrolled in the humanities educational programmes. To achieve the goal, the author applied theoretical and methodological analysis of scientific literature; methods of comparison, generalisation, concretisation; psychodiagnostic method and mathematical and statistical methods of data processing.Results. The conducted research has shown that the dominant moral orientation of the personality in adolescence and early adulthood is a peace-building orientation. As a result of comparative analysis of the structural and content characteristics of family self-determination depending on personal moral orientation at different stages of age development, general and specific features were identified. The invariant characteristic is manifested in the fact that in the humanistic orientation there is a high importance of the value of happy family life; in the peace-building orientation – the strength of roles claims in the sphere of social activity for the stability of marriage and family relations, the importance of such marriage motives as self-actualisation and security; the probability of marriage regulated by unproductive feelings of revenge increases in the egocentric orientation. Adolescence is a sensitive period to form a cognitive component of family self-determination of student youth through the development of spiritual and moral sphere. The period of early adulthood is the most sensitive for the development of value-emotional and regulatory-behavioural component of family self-determination as a result of purposeful education of humanistic and peace-building orientation of students’ personality.Scientific novelty of the research lies in the establishment of the connection between the moral orientation of the personality and meaningful characteristics of family self-determination of students in adolescence (17–19 years) and early adulthood (20–22 years).Practical significance. The research materials and findings can be used for creating the education programmes in the organisations of higher education and for planning measures to preserve and develop traditional family values in the youth environment.

An innovative approach to lifelong delayed ejaculation: does attachment style play a role?

To examine whether there is a correlation between attachment styles, which is a developmental psychology theory, and lifelong DE. The research was planned as prospective, multi-centric and cross-sectional study. Thirty patients who were consecutively admitted to the urology outpatient clinic and diagnosed with lifelong DE and 30 age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. All participants gave a detailed medical history and underwent a complete physical examination, and their laboratory and endocrine (prolactin and testosterone) results were evaluated. Additionally, all patients had to fill out socio-demographic information form, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The mean age of the DE patients was 33.5 ± 7.5years. In the DE group, insecure attachment (both anxious and avoidant attachment), anxiety and depression scores were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001, effect size medium or large) than the control group. Ejaculation times (both for vaginal intercourse and masturbation) were correlated with both insecure (anxious and avoidant) attachment types, as well as their anxiety and depression scores (p < 0.001). The ASEX satisfaction, ejaculation and total scores were found to be higher in DE patients (higher scores indicating greater sexual dysfunction) than in the control group. The large and significant relationships found between lifelong DE and attachment insecurities point to childhood developmental processes. The findings may help us better understand lifelong DE. There is a need for further extensive research on this subject.

Living bioethics, theories and children's consent to heart surgery.

This analysis is about practical living bioethics and how law, ethics and sociology understand and respect children's consent to, or refusal of, elective heart surgery. Analysis of underlying theories and influences will contrast legalistic bioethics with living bioethics. In-depth philosophical analysis compares social science traditions of positivism, interpretivism, critical theory and functionalism and applies them to bioethics and childhood, to examine how living bioethics may be encouraged or discouraged. Illustrative examples are drawn from research interviews and observations in two London paediatric cardiac units. This paper is one of a series on how the multidisciplinary cardiac team members all contribute to the complex mosaic of care when preparing and supporting families' informed consent to surgery. The living bioethics of justice, care and respect for children and their consent depends on theories and practices, contexts and relationships. These can all be undermined by unseen influences: the history of adult-centric ethics; developmental psychology theories; legal and financial pressures that require consent to be defined as an adult contract; management systems and daily routines in healthcare that can intimidate families and staff; social inequalities. Mainstream theories in the clinical ethics literature markedly differ from the living bioethics in clinical practices. We aim to contribute to raising standards of respectful paediatric bioethics and to showing the relevance of virtue and feminist ethics, childhood studies and children's rights.

Evolving evolutionary psychology.

Which evolutionary theory can best benefit psychological theory, research, and application? The most well-known school of evolutionary psychology has a narrow conceptual perspective (a.k.a., "Narrow Evolutionary Psychology" or NEP). Proponents of NEP have long argued that their brand of evolutionary psychology represents a full-fledged scientific revolution, with Buss (2020) recently likening NEP's scientific impact to that of a Copernican or Darwinian paradigm shift. However, NEP stands on two traditions that are now the subjects of serious debate and revision: the neo-Darwinian adaptationist framework within evolutionary biology, and the computationalist "mind-as-computer" framework within cognitive science. Although NEP calls itself revolutionary, the significant revolutions taking place today in both evolutionary biology and cognitive science reveal NEP to be rooted in the orthodoxies of the past. We propose a more inclusive, developmental evolutionary psychology theory (DEPTH) better suited for our field in multiple ways, from acknowledging epigenesis to incorporating developmental science. To discern appropriate baselines for human nature and for human becoming, one must integrate developmental neuroscience, anthropology, and cognitive archeology. To be of value in addressing and remedying the challenges facing humanity, psychological theories must recognize the central importance of our plasticity, evolved developmental niche, and deep history. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Tożsamość płciowa w narracjach żołnierek Armii Czerwonej, uczestniczek II wojny światowej

Gender Identity in the Narrative of Women-Soldiers Serving in the Red Army during World War II The analysis of gender identity is based on the narratives of women who volunteered to serve in the military after the start of World War II and fought as soldiers in the Red Army. Forty years after World War II, Svetlana Alexievich conducted interviews with women veterans, which she published in the book War’s Unwomanly Face. Their memories of wartime and post-war period were analyzed from the perspective of their gender identity, i.e. the ability to reconcile the role of a woman determined by their biological sex with the role of a soldier determined by the circumstances. The interpretation of this problem offered in the paper is based on developmental psychology theories of Erik Erikson, James Marcia, Daniel Levinson, and Jeffrey Arnett, and the sociological perspective on identity. Selected narratives from Alexievich’s reportages are analyzed focusing on identification and interpretation of different themes, which are assessed according to their relevance to the understanding of the process described. The narrators were only 16–20 years old at the time of joining the military and they were still at the stage of identity moratorium. It required a lot of determination for them to become a soldier. Their identity as a soldier was their assumed identity, defined by Marcia as ideological or professional engagement without completing the period of exploration. Women were not welcome in the army, they suffered because of logistical shortcomings, but they still supported all of the units, became officers and military leaders, and were awarded medals for their valor, courage and reliability. After the war, they were socially rejected and condemned and they needed to process their identity, i.e. reject their military ethos in order to strengthen their sense of being a women. Based on Arnett’s concept one can conclude that their “in between”period of identity exploration was determined by external events and social relations.

Ultra-Light Clay Intervention Improves Responsiveness and Initiates the Communication of Children With ASD.

The barriers to responsiveness and the initiation of communication are the two key problems encountered by children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Prior interventions based on behavioral reinforcement have had an obvious effect on responsive communication but a weak effect on the initiation of communication. Based on psychological development theory, we designed ultra-light clay interventions involving hands-on production or multi-interaction around key concepts and themes, teaching children about basic concepts, relationships, and logic, making abstract knowledge concrete and experience. Two studies (Study 1: N = 3, one-to-one intervention; Study 2: N = 8, one-to-two intervention) showed that ultra-light clay intervention improved both the initiation of and response to communication among children with ASD, but that such improvements show a peer-generalization effect in initiation communication, not in responsive communication. These findings provide a set of ultra-light clay interventions for communication in children with ASD and suggest a relationship between endogenous interventions and the initiation of communication.

Attachment Orientation in Older Patients with Common Mental Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

The theory of attachment is one of the most influential developmental psychological theories today, but it has only recently been applied to those of advanced age. To date, differences in the prevalence of attachment styles have been determined.

Playgrounds are for children: Investigating developmentally-specific “Green Space” and child mental health

“Green space” effects on health have been amply demonstrated, but whether specific features of green space exert differential effects remains unknown. Driven by developmental psychology theory highlighting the importance of play for young children, we investigated the association between parks with playgrounds, as a subtype of “green space”, and young child mental health. After adjusting for individual race, sex, income, and cumulative risk as well as neighborhood disadvantage, we find that children (N ​= ​95) living near parks with playgrounds have better mental health than those near parks without playgrounds (b ​= ​−1.22 (95% CI: −3.82–1.38, p ​= ​0.36) Child Behavior Checklist scale). While not statistically significant, the observed difference, which is equivalent to 11% of the baseline mean score, is meaningful. Our results, while only suggestive, indicate that moving beyond “green space” to investigate developmentally-specific features may be worthwhile.

Resilience: Within-Group Variations in the Impact of Racial Discrimination on Black Youth's Mental Health

Growing national concern about the increase in Black youth's suicide rates has led to calls for closer examinations of disparities in young people's mental health outcomes and their underlying causes, including differences in access to healthcare and willingness to use mental health services, and systemic inequities. The present research brief answers this call through a critical analysis of racial discrimination and other adverse mechanisms that perpetuate negative mental health outcomes for Black youth. Our approach draws from principles of developmental psychology and intersectional theory. We begin by arguing for a biopsychosocial consideration of the effects of discrimination on Black youth's development. Then, we review the multilevel impact of racism on mental health outcomes. Although examining global patterns for Black youth as a group has value, our paper will instead focus on within-group differences and the intersecting social factors that shape them. Finally, we end with research-based proposals for policies that prioritize Black youth's well-being.

Векторы объяснения религиозной архитектуры в оптике психологии религии

In this research paper was implemented a search for general philosophical and scientific principles and possibilities of the study of religious architecture in the optics of the psychology of religion. For this purpose were involved the achievements of M.R. Savchenko in the field of architectural ontology and functional methodology. It was shown that the study of architecture from the position of psychology of religion should pursue psychological explanation of the need for religious architecture for the preservation (survival, spread, development) of ritual and religion. This type of explanation is possible on the basis of a functional methodology that allows the study of architectural processes that cannot be reduced to the cultural processes of understanding, interpretation of communication. It was shown that the study of architecture from the point of view of the psychology of religion is possible in the light of the theories of contemporary evolutionary psychology, Jungian psychoanalysis, as well as the psychology of visual perception. If we use the theories from these strands of psychology, we can argue that certain processes and properties of religious architecture do not belong to cultural processes or properties of cultural institutions, but nevertheless they affect culture, contribute to the preservation of ritual and provides the psychotherapeutic, compensatory and adaptive functions of religion.

Schema, Zone of Proximal Development, and Scaffolding in Real-classroom Settings and Inspired Improvements in Chinese Middle Schools' Classrooms

Schools in China are rapidly changing and enhancing their education models in accordance with Double Reduction policies, which urged schools to enhance the quality of classes and homework and reduce the burden on students. Designing courses according to core theories in education and developmental psychology is one of the most effective strategies, and classroom observations may inspire teachers in other nations. In preparation for the case study, this study examines three theories: schema, Zone of Proximal Development, and scaffolding. Based on the case study, the research concludes with the precise approaches to applying such ideas and offers insightful recommendations for prospective changes in Chinese middle schools. It is suggested that Chinese middle schools should attempt to introduce homework assignments online and develop more classroom activities, both of which reduce the load of excessive homework and pursue the nature of education.

Visuals in joint displays to represent integration in mixed methods research: A methodological review

Joint displays provide a visual means to represent the integration of qualitative and quantitative research in addition to a framework for thinking about integration and organizing data, methods, or results. Despite increases in the use of joint displays, opportunities exist for more creative joint displays that use additional visuals to more easily communicate complex information. These additional visual features include charts, graphs, maps, and images. However, little has been written about their usage within joint displays. The purpose of this methodological article is to advocate the use of joint displays that incorporate graphs, charts, maps images, and other visuals, as appropriate and to discuss the decisions in including these features. To assist in identifying joint displays that include visuals, we conducted a systematic literature search of Google Scholar, PubMed, ERIC, and Academic Search Premier using terms for mixed methods research. After screening articles to identify joint displays that include graphs, charts, maps, images, and other visuals, we analyzed articles (n = 33) for mixed methods features and joint display features. Regarding the quantitative strand in a joint display, charts, and graphs can communicate more information than statistical numbers, such as showing distributions of data, plotting relationships among variables, and using bars of varying lengths to facilitate comparison. Maps and GIS data can similarly relate additional information for the reader, particularly when geographical or spatial area is important to the research. Furthermore, images can be a useful type of qualitative data and is especially relevant in photo-elicitation research. These visuals can be depicted in joint displays to represent integration. Visuals used in joint displays included: column or bar charts, histograms, boxplots, scatter plots, quantitative path models, maps, pictures, and qualitative visual models. We also include four exemplars of joint displays that use visuals. Researchers can use these types of joint displays for integration in psychological intervention research, for theory development in psychology, and for instrument development in educational psychology. We conclude with recommendations for including visuals and suggestions to optimize integration from a mixed methods perspective.

Intrapersonal, social, environmental-societal influences and career development learning during childhood

ABSTRACT Recent trends in developmental psychology and developmental systems theory have opened child career development learning (CCDL) to new perspectives. This study adopts a Systems of Influences perspective with the aim of highlighting the development of systems of influences characterising students attending an Italian primary and middle school. Two levels of analysis emerged, addressing (1) the ability to identify influences and (2) the self and social awareness characterising the personal systems of influences developed by participants. This study underscores the relevance of a diachronic and systemic perspective in understanding age-specific systems of influences and their meaning for CCDL and related educational actions. It also provides insights into the meaning of the current complex challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teoria historii życia jako teoria rozwoju człowieka

The Life History Theory as a Theory of Human Development The life history theory (LHT) is an evolutionary theory derived from evolutionary biology. According to it, species choose a reproductive strategy that maximizes adaptation (i.e., increases the chances of surviving and producing offspring) on the basis of influences contained in the environment which impacts development in the early stages of life. LHT, due to its connections with such psychological theories as psychosocial acceleration, the evolutionary theory of socialization, or the attachment theory, is also a developmental psychology theory which points to specific development paths within an evolutionary frame. The aim of this article is to shed light on LHT from the point of view of developmental psychology – a question as yet absent from the Polish literature of the subject.

Men’s Mate Value Correlates with a Less Restricted Sociosexual Orientation: A Meta-Analysis

Men, relative to women, can benefit their total reproductive success by engaging in short-term pluralistic mating. Yet not all men enact such a mating strategy. It has previously been hypothesized that high mate value men should be most likely to adopt a short-term mating strategy, with this prediction being firmly grounded in some important mid-level evolutionary psychological theories. Yet evidence to support such a link has been mixed. This paper presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of 33 published and unpublished studies (N = 5928) in which we find that that self-reported mate value accounts for roughly 6% of variance in men's sociosexual orientation. The meta-analysis provides evidence that men's self-perceived mate value positively predicts their tendency to engage in short-term mating, but that the total effect size is small.

Does perceived overqualification cultivate angels or demons? Examining its interpersonal outcomes through pride from an evolutionary psychology perspective

AbstractThe current study examines both the positive and negative interpersonal consequences of perceived overqualification (POQ). Building on evolutionary psychology theory and prior research, we clarify the underlying mechanism of pride through which POQ predicts interpersonal behaviors. Specifically, we propose that POQ is positively associated with both authentic pride, leading to increased interpersonal citizenship behaviors, and hubristic pride, leading to increased interpersonal deviant behaviors. Further, we suggest that a willingness to establish positive relationships plays a crucial role in moderating the relationship between pride and interpersonal behaviors. We tested our predictions in two studies using time‐lagged and multisource data. The findings of Study 1, which was based on a sample of 206 university students, supported the basic mediation model for the effects of POQ on interpersonal citizenship and deviant behaviors through authentic and hubristic pride, respectively. The findings of Study 2, which involved the analysis of survey responses from 213 employees, replicated those of Study 1, further revealing that the indirect effect of POQ on interpersonal deviant behaviors via hubristic pride is moderated by employees' willingness to establish positive relationships. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings as well as future research directions are discussed.

Conversational commerce: entering the next stage of AI-powered digital assistants

Digital assistant is a recent advancement benefited through data-driven innovation. Though digital assistants have become an integral member of user conversations, but there is no theory that relates user perception towards this AI powered technology. The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of technology attitude and AI attributes in enhancing purchase intention through digital assistants. A conceptual model is proposed after identifying three major AI factors namely, perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence, and perceived animacy. To test the model, the study employed structural equation modeling using 440 sample. The results indicated that perceived anthropomorphism plays the most significant role in building a positive attitude and purchase intention through digital assistants. Though the study is built using technology-related variables, the hypotheses are proposed based on various psychology-related theories such as uncanny valley theory, the theory of mind, developmental psychology, and cognitive psychology theory. The study’s theoretical contributions are discussed within the scope of these theories. Besides the theoretical contribution, the study also offers illuminating practical implications for developers and marketers’ benefit.

Making Meaning of Peace: A Study of Adolescents in Bogota, Colombia

In post-conflict and transitional settings, adolescents are important civic and political actors as potential peacebuilders. Policy and programming often focus on promoting prosocial outcomes for these younger generations, but there has been growing attention to their perspectives and psychological development. Drawing on theory in developmental psychology, adolescents interpret and respond to context in forming ideas about key concepts like peace, understanding society and their place in it, and constructing their orientations toward peace. This study extends current literature by exploring how Colombian adolescents describe peace within the context of a peace process in their country. Ninety-six 15- to 18-year-olds in and around Bogotá, Colombia, were interviewed about peace. Their responses were analyzed inductively using an adapted thematic analysis. Findings indicated that the individual was central to how respondents talked about peace; that is, peace begins and depends on the internal states. From this basis, individuals then created peace through interpersonal relations. There were some differences by respondents’ SES, such as in how respondents described peace as requiring equality in society, but none found for gender or age. This study demonstrates the need to provide concrete opportunities for these adolescents to see individual contributions and broader interpersonal peace as possible.

Evolutionary perspective on decreases in grief intensity for deceased twin and non-twin relatives: An update

In a study of 175 participants, Segal and Ream (1998) found that monozygotic (MZ) twins reported less decline in grief intensity following the loss of a co-twin, and that twins reported more intense and lasting grief for deceased co-twins than for other relationships. The hypothesis that female twins would report less decline in grief intensity than male twins was not supported. We re-evaluated and expanded upon these results by analyzing a larger sample of twin survivors (n = 423), informed by concepts from evolutionary psychological theory. MZ twins reported significantly higher grief at both retrospective and current time points, but the difference in the slope of decrease in grief between these groups was not statistically significant. We found a similar result when comparing participant sex, with female respondents reporting significantly higher grief at retrospective and current time points; however, sex differences in grief decline over time were not statistically significant. The present findings support the previous authors' third hypothesis that twins grieve longer and more intensely for the death of a cotwin than for other relationships, evidence of the strong social bond that is variously unique to MZ and DZ twin pairs.