– by Marta Kowal & Laith Al-Shawaf Around the world, who spends more time on appearance enhancement, and why? Recently, psychologist Marta Kowal led an international team of hundreds of researchers in an attempt to answer these questions. The study took place in 93 countries and involved 93,158 participants. Kowal and colleagues defined “enhancing one’s […]
– by Daniel Kruger, Maryanne Fisher, & Catherine Salmon Research in evolutionary psychology attracts considerable attention, from both enthusiasts and critics. You might ask, why study what evolutionary minded researchers believe? Why would anyone be interested in knowing such details? There are several important reasons. For one, we repeatedly see articles in journals, as well […]
– by Sakura Arai Two-person cooperation is ubiquitous in human society. You and your roommate take turns cooking dinner. You water your neighbors’ garden while they are on vacation, and in return, they feed your pet while you are away. But what if your partner fails to return the favor? Inflicting a cost on those […]
– by Wilson Merrell, PhD Candidate in Social Psychology at the University of Michigan Insensitivity to pain is a valuable asset when it comes to physical altercations. From ancestral conflict between warring coalitions to boxers in a 12-round fight, individuals who are relatively insensitive to pain are better able to persist, and more likely to […]
– By Kristy J. J. Lee and Peipei Setoh Kindness and compassion are often espoused as virtues to be cultivated from an early age. Yet, from the benefactor’s perspective, helpful behavior incurs a cost to the self, namely the opportunity to put one’s resources to alternative uses that improve personal wellbeing. For example, donating money […]
– Delaney Knorr Evolutionary theory has long supported the idea that, among humans, allomothers are critical players in improving offspring fitness. Allomothers are kin, or less commonly non-kin, who help out the mother-offspring dyad. Often allomothers help by providing food, child care, or various forms of social support that increase offspring fitness. But from an […]
HBES 2023 will be held in-person from May 31 to June 3 in Palm Springs California, hosted by Catherine Salmon and Jessica Hehman. We have great speakers lined up: the keynote is Bobbi Low, and there will be plenaries by Gerald Carter, Steve Neuberg, Michael Rose, Michelle Scalise-Sugiyama, and Paul Vasey. Abstract submission is open […]
Attention HBES Members: 2023 is an election year for the Executive Council. We are therefore seeking suggestions for nominees for the following positions: President of HBES Member-at-Large (two positions available) Student Representative (must be current graduate student through spring 2025) Please use this election nominations form to submit suggestions for any of the positions. Please be sure to indicate the […]
– by Jessica Hlay & Carolyn Hodges-Simeon March of 2020 remains a memorable time in most people’s lives. Few will forget the breakout of COVID-19 and resulting pandemic: cities were shut down, people were quarantined, homes were locked, and fear of infection was at an all-time high. However, news programs started showing a different picture […]
– by Rob Brooks, Khandis Blake & Lutz Fromhage Choosing a mate involves a vast number of considerations. Personalities, looks, kindness, and attentiveness all come into play. So do status, wealth and material resources because mating partnerships are – at least in part – economic arrangements. A couple shares much of their time, labour, and […]