Significantly Othered
All the Single Ladies: Job Promotions and the Durability of Marriage
Olle Folke & Johanna Rickne
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, January 2020, Pages 260-287
Abstract:
We study how promotions to top jobs affect the probability of divorce. We compare the relationship trajectories of winning and losing candidates for mayor and parliamentarian and find that a promotion to one of these jobs doubles the baseline probability of divorce for women, but not for men. We also find a widening gender gap in divorce rates for men and women after being promoted to CEO. An analysis of possible mechanisms shows that divorces are concentrated in more gender-traditional couples, while women in more gender-equal couples are unaffected.
The influence of romantic partners on male risk-taking
Karol Silva, Jason Chein & Laurence Steinberg
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, forthcoming
Abstract:
Studies show that young men's tendency to take risks may be exacerbated or attenuated in different social contexts. Despite widespread evidence that social context influences young men's risk-taking, few studies have examined the impact of romantic partners on risky decision-making. The present study examined risk-taking among young men in relationships with women (n = 134, ages 18-24) randomly assigned to be tested alone (n = 47), in the presence of their romantic partner (n = 44), or in the presence of an attractive female stranger (n = 43). The presence of a romantic partner diminished young men's tendency to take risks. Findings demonstrate that a dampening effect on risk-taking is attributable to the romantic partner's presence and not merely due to knowledge of being in a relationship.
Exploring How Beliefs About Algorithms Shape (Offline) Success in Online Dating: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Investigation
Liesel Sharabi
Communication Research, forthcoming
Abstract:
Matching algorithms are a central feature of online dating, yet little research exists on their effectiveness - or people's perceptions of their effectiveness - for recommending a mate. Accordingly, this study explores the effects of people's beliefs in the legitimacy of algorithms on their first date with an online dating partner. Longitudinal survey data were collected from online dating participants leading up to and following the first date. Findings suggested that whether algorithms actually worked mattered less than whether participants had the perception that they worked for finding a partner. Moreover, participants reported better first dates to the extent that they believed in the efficacy of the compatibility matching process. The results have implications for understanding the role of algorithms in shaping relationship success on and off the internet.
Perceptions of people with mental illness as sexually exploitable
Guy Boysen & Raina Isaacs
Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, forthcoming
Abstract:
Exploitation of others is a method for acquiring the resources necessary for survival and reproduction. Both men and women agree upon a variety of specific cues that suggest women's vulnerability to sexual exploitation. The current research documented mental illness as an additional cue of sexual exploitability. Study 1 (N = 189) demonstrated that people rate cues of sexual exploitability as significantly more typical of people with mental illness than people without mental illness. Participants in Study 2 (N = 189) rated people with mental illness in general to be significantly more susceptible to strategies of sexual exploitation than people without mental illness. The method of Study 3 (N = 189) replicated the results of Study 2 using specific mental and physical illnesses, illustrating that sexual exploitability is unique to mental illness. Study 4 (N = 396) described a scenario of a man evaluating a woman for a short-term sexual relationship. Participants perceived a woman with a mental illness as significantly easier to exploit for sex than a woman with a physical illness or no illness. Study 5 (N = 325) asked male and female participants to evaluate a potential mate with either a mental or physical illness, and perceptions of exploitability were significantly higher for the mate with mental illness. Overall, the results supported previous research documenting cues of sexual exploitability and extended those cues to include mental illness.
The red-derogation effect: How the color red affects married women's ratings of male attractiveness
Nicolas Pontes & JoAndrea Hoegg
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, forthcoming
Abstract:
The present research addresses the question of how the color red affects married women's evaluations of male attractiveness. Three studies demonstrate a red-derogation effect for married women's judgments such that men are perceived to be less attractive and less sexually desirable when their profiles are displayed on a red versus a white background. We show that married (vs. single) women perceive the color red as a threat cue which, in turn, evokes avoidance tendencies. Our studies indicated that married (vs. single) women became more risk averse (Study 2) and were more likely to recall words related to relationship commitment and threat after exposure to an attractive male presented on a red (vs. white) background (Study 3). Further, we show that the red-derogation effect is moderated by the level of cognitive resources. When married women were cognitively depleted, the effect of color was mitigated. Overall the findings demonstrate that a subtle peripheral cue (e.g., red color) is sufficient to identify an attractive other as a threat, which activates a defensive strategy.
Beauty is in the eye of the beautiful: Enhanced eyelashes increase perceived health and attractiveness
Aimee Adam
Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, forthcoming
Abstract:
Although some aspects of physical attractiveness are specific to time and culture, other characteristics act as external cues to youth, health, and fertility. Like head hair, eyelashes change with age, and as such, they may also serve as external mating cues. In three experiments, I manipulated eyelash length in photographs of men and women and had participants rate them on attractiveness (Studies 1-3), perceived age (Studies 1-3), perceived health (Studies 2 and 3), and femininity (Study 3). The results indicate that women, but not men, are seen as more attractive with longer eyelashes; that perceptions of health and femininity also increase with eyelash length; and that older women, rather than younger women, benefit the most from enhanced eyelashes - but that longer eyelashes did not reduce perceptions of age.