The effect of schizotypy on the relationship between women's red clothing and perceived sexual interest
- Authors: Wagstaff, Danielle , Van Doorn, George
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 70, no. 3 (2018), p. 277-283
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- 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.
National income inequality predicts cultural variation in mouth to mouth kissing
- Authors: Watkins, Christopher , Leongómez, Juan , Bovet, Jeanne , Żelaźniewicz, Agnieszka , Korbmacher, Max , Varella, Marco , Fernandez, Ana , Wagstaff, Danielle , Bolgan, Samuela
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 9, no. 1 (2019), p. 1-9
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- 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.
Down the rabbit hole : Assessing the influence of schizotypy on the experience of the Barbie Doll Illusion
- Authors: Van Doorn, George , De Foe, Alexander , Wood, Alle , Wagstaff, Danielle , Hohwy, Jakob
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Vol. 23, no. 5 (2018), p. 284-298
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- 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.
Sending nudes : Sex, self-rated mate value, and trait Machiavellianism predict sending unsolicited explicit images
- Authors: March, Evita , Wagstaff, Danielle
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychology Vol. 8, no. DEC (2017), p. 1-6
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- Description: Modern dating platforms have given rise to new dating and sexual behaviors. In the current study, we examine predictors of sending unsolicited explicit images, a particularly underexplored online sexual behavior. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and self-rated mate value in predicting attitudes toward and behavior of sending unsolicited explicit images. Two hundred and forty participants (72% female; Mage = 25.96, SD = 9.79) completed an online questionnaire which included a measure of self-rated mate value, a measure of dark personality traits, and questions regarding sending unsolicited explicit images (operationalized as the explicit image scale). Men, compared to women, were found to have higher explicit image scale scores, and both self-rated mate value and trait Machiavellianism were positive predictors of explicit image scale scores. Interestingly, there were no significant interactions between sex and these variables. Further, Machiavellianism mediated all relationships between other dark traits and explicit image scale scores, indicating this behavior is best explained by the personality trait associated with behavioral strategies. In sum, these results provide support for the premise that sending unsolicited explicit images may be a tactic of a short-term mating strategy; however, future research should further explore this claim. © 2017 March and Wagstaff.
Exploring anger as a moderator of narcissism and antisocial behaviour on tinder
- Authors: March, Evita , Grieve, Rachel , Wagstaff, Danielle , Slocum, Alexandra
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 161, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: In an attempt to address inconsistency in the literature regarding narcissism and online antisocial behaviour, we applied the theory of threatened egotism and aggression to examine whether anger moderates the relationship between narcissism and antisocial behaviour on Tinder. Specifically, we explored anger moderating the relationship between narcissistic subtypes of Grandiose Exhibitionism and Entitlement Exploitative and perpetration of antisocial behaviour (aggression and harassment) on Tinder. Tinder users (N = 1,001; 46.3% men and 53.7% women) with an average age of 22.42 years (SD = 4.31) completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Anger was a significant moderator of all relationships between narcissism and antisocial behaviour. Specifically, at average and high levels of anger there were positive, significant relationships between both facets of narcissism, and aggression and harassment on Tinder. These results indicate that trait narcissism alone may not explain perpetration of antisocial behaviour on Tinder, and to adequately explore this relationship future research should consider the role of threatened egotism. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Men say “I love you” before women do : robust across several countries
- Authors: Watkins, Christopher , Bovet, Jeanne , Fernandez, Ana , Leongómez, Juan , Żelaźniewicz, Agnieszka , Corrêa Varella, Marco , Wagstaff, Danielle
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships Vol. 39, no. 7 (2022), p. 2134-2153
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- Description: Feeling and expressing love is at the core of romantic relationships, but individuals differ in their proclivity to worry about their relationships and/or avoid intimacy. Saying “I love you” signals a commitment to a future with our romantic partner. Contrary to gender stereotypes, research in the United States demonstrates that men are more likely to confess love first. We aimed to replicate this sex difference in an online cross-national sample (seven countries, three continents), while testing for variation according to attachment style and environment (the national sex ratio). Men were more likely to confess love first in a relationship, with preliminary evidence that this was more likely when men had more choice (more female-biased sex ratio). Independent of biological sex, highly avoidant respondents were less happy to hear “I love you” than less avoidant respondents, and highly anxious respondents were happier to hear “I love you” than less anxious respondents. Our findings suggest that prior observations generalize beyond an ethnically homogenous sample and incorporate attachment theory into the study of love confessions. Our research suggests a dissociation between initial declarations of love (moderated by biological sex) and emotional responses to love confessions, moderated by attachment style but not by biological sex. © The Author(s) 2022.
Effects of gender, self-rated attractiveness, and mate value on perceptions tattoos
- Authors: Molloy, Karlyn , Wagstaff, Danielle
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 168, no. (2021), p.
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- Description: Previous research has demonstrated that men's tattoos have an effect on viewer's perceptions, with tattooed men perceived as more attractive, masculine, aggressive, dominant, and healthy. However, little research has considered the effect of individual differences on perceptions of tattooed men, despite individual differences affecting mating efforts. In this study, we explored the effect of tattoo ownership on men's and women's perceptions of their own self-rated attractiveness and mate value, and explored the effect of tattoo ownership, self-rated attractiveness and mate value on the relationship between male stimuli tattoo level and eight character judgements. From a sample of 146 men and 299 women, we found that tattooed women perceive themselves as less attractive, and that women's self-rated attractiveness impacts whether or not men's tattoos matter when judging attractiveness, trustworthiness, and potential as a father. While some limitations are evident, this study expands on previous research, demonstrating that men's tattoo possession matters in the context of opposite-sex mating judgements, though may not be as important in judgements of same-sex rivals. Future research should explore the effect of varying tattoo size, style, and location, on perceptions of others. © 2020
Mate-value moderates the function of make-up as a signal of intrasexual aggression
- Authors: Sulikowski, Danielle , Ensor, Michelle , Wagstaff, Danielle
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 185, no. (2022), p.
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- Description: Make-up increases facial attractiveness. This may impress potential mates, but can also cause potential rivals to underestimate their own competitive potential. Such self-promotional behaviours may function even in the absence of potential mates, becoming signals of intrasexual competitive intent. Here we present data from two studies investigating the effects of digitally applied make-up on perceptions of intrasexual competitive intent, and on female perceivers' self-rated facial and body attractiveness, and self-esteem. In study 1, stimulus attractiveness moderated the impact of make-up: highly attractive women were perceived as more interpersonally aggressive when made-up, while less attractive women were perceived as having more leadership potential when made-up. In study 2, high mate-value participants who viewed made-up (compared to non-made-up) attractive faces subsequently reported lower own facial attractiveness. Low mate value participants and participants who viewed less attractive faces did not adjust their own facial attractiveness in response to make-up; and make-up did not impact ratings of body image or self-esteem. We suggest that self-promotional acts, such as wearing make-up, can signal competitive intent to rivals, independently of direct impacts on the wearers' own attractiveness. Make-up may function in this way primarily between high mate-value women, serving other social functions on less attractive women. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
The impact of sexual strategies, social comparison, and Instagram use on makeup purchasing intentions
- Authors: Wagstaff, Danielle , Sulikowski, Danielle
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Evolutionary behavioral sciences Vol. 17, no. 3 (2023), p. 307-321
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- Description: Despite the impact of social media use on women’s self-perception, research has less frequently explored social media’s impact on behavioral intentions. Further, most of the research in this area has taken into account social comparison as a mediating variable, despite the extent of our social comparison being closely related to sexual competition, which is infrequently considered. This study explored the relationships between women’s Instagram use, Instagram image exposure, cosmetics behavior and attitudes, sexual strategies, and a hypothetical cosmetics purchasing decision task in order to determine the impact of sexual strategies and social media use on cosmetics-related consumer intentions. Two hundred twenty women ( M age = 25) completed a series of measures to assess these variables, were shown cosmetics-related Instagram images (idealistic facial images, budget cosmetics, luxury cosmetics, or travel images), and then completed a hypothetical cosmetics purchasing task. Women exposed to luxury cosmetics images spent relatively more than the other groups on the luxury items in the cosmetics purchasing task. Regression further revealed that the predictors of hypothetical cosmetics purchases were real-life cosmetics behavior and attitudes, Instagram use, and intrasexual competitiveness. Thus, considering intrasexual competition is important for a complete understanding of the mechanisms by which Instagram use impacts women’s cosmetics purchasing behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Mothering ideology : a qualitative exploration of mothers’ perceptions of navigating motherhood pressures and partner relationships
- Authors: Williamson, Tricia , Wagstaff, Danielle , Goodwin, Jane , Smith, Naomi
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Roles Vol. 88, no. 1-2 (2023), p. 101-117
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- Description: Good mother ideology refers to beliefs that women are only ‘good’ mothers if they adhere to the tenets of dominant parenting discourse, such as intensive mothering ideology, which prioritizes children’s needs and child-raising above all else. Undergirded by this ideology, mothers’ attempts to navigate the transition to motherhood are fraught with pressures, and the transition is associated with negative health outcomes for mothers and children; yet existing research gives little attention to the quality or dynamics of the partner relationship as part of this transition. The current study examined motherhood pressure and the impact on partner relationships through individual, semi-structured interviews with 19 mothers living in Australia who were 18 years or older in a heterosexual relationship with at least one child under the age of five. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: discourses on motherhood: criticisms of mothers and internalised guilt; transformation of identity; entrenchment of gender roles through childrearing; and positive relationship dynamics: supportive fathers and challenging gender roles. This study contributes to the larger body of literature highlighting the complexity of dominant mothering ideology and its entanglement with and impact on partner relationships. Further, this study includes mothers’ perceptions of how they navigate these pressures within the relationship with their partner and the family unit. These findings have implications for programs to support mothers and other caregivers, as well as challenge unrealistic standards for motherhood. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.