Description:
Introduction: “Body swapping” illusions have been used to explore factors contributing to the experience of “owning” an artificial body. Preliminary research indicated that those people diagnosed with schizophrenia experience more vivid illusions of this kind than do “normal” individuals. Objectives: Here, we explored whether participants who rated themselves “high” on the cognitive-perceptual factor of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) experienced a more compelling sense of immersion in a variation of the body swapping illusion: The Barbie Doll Illusion. We also hypothesised that these individuals would experience a change in size perception when immersed in the illusion. Method: Forty-four participants wore a pair of Head-Mounted Display goggles connected to a video-camera, and thus a doll’s body replaced their own body in their visual field. In two conditions, touch was either applied synchronously or asynchronously to the doll’s and each participant’s leg. After each condition, participants filled out a questionnaire relating to their experience in the illusion. When both conditions were completed, they filled out the SPQ. Results: Our first hypothesis was confirmed, which suggested that people with higher cognitive-perceptual SPQ scores do indeed experience a more compelling Barbie Doll Illusion; however, our second hypothesis was not supported. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated, for the first time, that proneness to the positive and interpersonal factors of schizotypy in a normal population is sufficient to produce a compelling sense of swapping bodies.
Description:
Introduction: “Body swapping” illusions have been used to explore factors contributing to the experience of “owning” an artificial body. Preliminary research indicated that those people diagnosed with schizophrenia experience more vivid illusions of this kind than do “normal” individuals. Objectives: Here, we explored whether participants who rated themselves “high” on the cognitive-perceptual factor of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) experienced a more compelling sense of immersion in a variation of the body swapping illusion: The Barbie Doll Illusion. We also hypothesised that these individuals would experience a change in size perception when immersed in the illusion. Method: Forty-four participants wore a pair of Head-Mounted Display goggles connected to a video-camera, and thus a doll’s body replaced their own body in their visual field. In two conditions, touch was either applied synchronously or asynchronously to the doll’s and each participant’s leg. After each condition, participants filled out a questionnaire relating to their experience in the illusion. When both conditions were completed, they filled out the SPQ. Results: Our first hypothesis was confirmed, which suggested that people with higher cognitive-perceptual SPQ scores do indeed experience a more compelling Barbie Doll Illusion; however, our second hypothesis was not supported. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated, for the first time, that proneness to the positive and interpersonal factors of schizotypy in a normal population is sufficient to produce a compelling sense of swapping bodies.
Description:
Romantic mouth-to-mouth kissing is culturally widespread, although not a human universal, and may play a functional role in assessing partner health and maintaining long-term pair bonds. Use and appreciation of kissing may therefore vary according to whether the environment places a premium on good health and partner investment. Here, we test for cultural variation (13 countries from six continents) in these behaviours/attitudes according to national health (historical pathogen prevalence) and both absolute (GDP) and relative wealth (GINI). Our data reveal that kissing is valued more in established relationships than it is valued during courtship. Also, consistent with the pair bonding hypothesis of the function of romantic kissing, relative poverty (income inequality) predicts frequency of kissing across romantic relationships. When aggregated, the predicted relationship between income inequality and kissing frequency (r = 0.67, BCa 95% CI[0.32,0.89]) was over five times the size of the null correlations between income inequality and frequency of hugging/cuddling and sex. As social complexity requires monitoring resource competition among large groups and predicts kissing prevalence in remote societies, this gesture may be important in the maintenance of long-term pair bonds in specific environments.
Description:
Romantic mouth-to-mouth kissing is culturally widespread, although not a human universal, and may play a functional role in assessing partner health and maintaining long-term pair bonds. Use and appreciation of kissing may therefore vary according to whether the environment places a premium on good health and partner investment. Here, we test for cultural variation (13 countries from six continents) in these behaviours/attitudes according to national health (historical pathogen prevalence) and both absolute (GDP) and relative wealth (GINI). Our data reveal that kissing is valued more in established relationships than it is valued during courtship. Also, consistent with the pair bonding hypothesis of the function of romantic kissing, relative poverty (income inequality) predicts frequency of kissing across romantic relationships. When aggregated, the predicted relationship between income inequality and kissing frequency (r = 0.67, BCa 95% CI[0.32,0.89]) was over five times the size of the null correlations between income inequality and frequency of hugging/cuddling and sex. As social complexity requires monitoring resource competition among large groups and predicts kissing prevalence in remote societies, this gesture may be important in the maintenance of long-term pair bonds in specific environments.
Description:
Objective: Red may increase perceptions of sexual intent and the sexual attractiveness of women. As such, red is purported to serve a function in sexual attraction, although findings have been mixed. Individual differences in observers can affect the perception of sexual intent. One of these individual differences (i.e., sub-clinical schizotypy) has not been investigated in relation to the perceived sexual intent of women wearing red, hence this was addressed. Method: This study involved 72 men and 144 women, recruited to complete an online survey. Participants completed a schizotypy symptom scale, and rated women wearing red and green dresses on sexual desire, sexual receptivity, and sexual attractiveness. Results: In line with the hypothesis, increases in schizotypy scores were associated with increased perception of sexual interest (summed ratings of sexual desire and sexual receptivity) for the model wearing the red dress more so than the green dress. However, no main effect of colour was observed. Conclusions: Individuals high in schizotypy showed an exaggerated perception of sexual interest for women wearing red, implying that intentionality biases in schizotypy could be extended to the perception of sexual intent. The effect of colour on sexual intent perception may be dependent on measurement of individual variation.