The influence of gender on ability to simulate handwritten signatures: a study of Arabic writers.

“This study investigates whether a writer’s gender can be determined from an inspection of simulated signatures written in the Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad. It is generally believed that the penmanship of female writers is superior to male writers. There is also reason to expect that superiority in writing skill might contribute to success in simulating the signatures of other writers. (more…)

Effect of housing rats within a pyramid on stress parameters.

“The Giza pyramids of Egypt have been the subject of much research. Pyramid models with the same base to height ratio as of the Great Pyramid of Giza, when aligned on a true north-south axis, are believed to generate, transform and transmit energy. Research done with such pyramid models has shown that they induced greater relaxation in human subjects, promoted better wound healing in rats and afforded protection against stress-induced neurodegnerative changes in mice. The present study was done to assess the effects of housing Wistar rats within the pyramid on the status of oxidative damage and antioxidant defense in their erythrocytes and cortisol levels in their plasma. (more…)

“The authors reviewed historical literature and hypothesized a relationship between epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases and foot fetishism. They tested this hypothesis by quantifying foot-fetish depictions in the mass-circulation pornographic literature during a 30-yr. interval. (more…)

Age-adjusted rates of suicide and homicide and fluoride.

“Using state data from 1992 and 2000 instead of 1975, the author both confirmed and extended Lester’s 1987 study. Like Lester’s study, the present replication showed for 1992 (but not 2000) that the more people drinking fluoridated water, the lower the rates of crude and age-adjusted suicide (partial rs: -.25 and -.25, respectively). (more…)

“BACKGROUND: Studies using conventional consoles have suggested a possible link between video-gaming and laparoscopic skill. The authors hypothesized that the Nintendo Wii, with its motion-sensing interface, would provide a better model for laparoscopic tasks. This study investigated the relationship between Nintendo Wii skill, prior gaming experience, and laparoscopic skill. (more…)

A Face Only an Investor Could Love: CEOs’ Facial Structure Predicts Their Firms’ Financial Performance.

“Researchers have theorized that innate personal traits are related to leadership success. Although links between psychological characteristics and leadership success have been well established, research has yet to identify any objective physical traits of leaders that predict organizational performance. In the research reported here, we identified leaders’ facial structure as a specific physical trait that correlates with organizational performance. (more…)

Paranormal belief, schizotypy, and Body Mass Index.

“There are indications that subjects with schizotypal personality have a lower Body Mass Index. Also schizotypal personality is linked to a higher incidence of paranormal belief. In this study we examined whether low Body Mass Index is also linked to paranormal belief. (more…)

 When Pooping Babies Become More Appealing: The Effects of Nonconscious Goal Pursuit on Experienced Emotions.

“In this report, we argue that the intensity of the emotions people experience is partly determined by the goals they nonconsciously pursue, and that this effect is functional in nature: Emotions are modulated in ways that may increase the probability of goal achievement. To test this hypothesis, we primed female participants with a motherhood goal and then measured their level of disgust in response to mildly disgusting pictures. (more…)

“Introduction: When ecological cues for pathogen threat are salient, cognitive and motivational systems appear to encourage myriad pathogen-avoidance behaviors (Ackerman et al., 2009; Faulkner, Schaller, Park, & Duncan, 2004; Mortensen, Becker, Ackerman, Neuberg, & Kenrick, 2010). Operating from the presumption that fundamental motivations to avoid pathogens can influence prophylactic behaviors, we aimed to test a novel hypothesis related to condom use: that ecological cues for the presence of pathogens would increase intentions to use condoms…

Method: At the beginning of the experimental session, an experimenter informed participants that pipes in the building were sporadically emitting unpleasant odors because of plumbing issues. Participants were then asked to leave the study room to drink at a nearby water fountain in preparation for providing a saliva sample. After returning, they completed a series of questionnaires on a laptop. … In the pathogen-prime condition, while participants were out of the room, the experimenter sprayed the wall of the room with a single pump of “Liquid ASS,” a novelty odor liquid that smells strongly of common bacterial threats (e.g., feces). In the control condition, the experimenter did not administer the spray. After returning from getting water, participants reported their intentions to purchase and use condoms over the next 6 months. Participants were asked to use a scale from 1 (not at all likely) to 7 (extremely likely) to rate the likelihood of their buying condoms, carrying condoms, discussing condoms with a sex partner, and using condoms during every event of sexual intercourse….

Results: An independent-samples t test demonstrated that participants in the pathogen-prime condition reported greater intentions to use condoms (M = 4.48, SD = 1.70) than did participants in the control condition (M = 3.74, SD = 1.85), t(97) = 2.06, p < .05, d = 0.42. The effect was identical across individuals who had and had not had sexual intercourse in the past year, F(1, 95) = 0.13, p = .72, and persisted after controlling for gender, SOI-R, and baseline condom attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy, t(92) = 2.03, p < .05, semipartial r = .17 (see Table 1).”

Photo: flickr/gotosira

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“A commonplace observation in humans is that close genetic relatives tend to avoid one another as sexual partners. Despite the growing psychological research on how antierotic attitudes develop toward relatives, few studies have focused on actual behavior. One prediction, stemming from parental investment theory, is that women should be more vigilant of reproduction-compromising behaviors, such as inbreeding, during times of peak fertility than during times of low fertility. Indeed, females of other species avoid interactions with male kin when fertile-but the corollary behavior in humans has yet to be explored. Here we fill this gap. Using duration and frequency of cell-phone calls, an objective behavioral measure that reflects motivations to interact socially, we show that women selectively avoid interactions with their fathers during peak fertility. (more…)