Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios.

A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.

Sex Differences in Mate Preferences Across 45 Countries: A Large-Scale Replication.

Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.

Country-level correlates of the Dark Triad traits in 49 countries.

OBJECTIVES: The Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) capture individual differences in aversive personality to complement work on other taxonomies, such as the Big Five traits. However, the literature on the Dark Triad traits relies mostly on samples from English-speaking (i.e., Westernized) countries. We broadened the scope of this literature by sampling from a wider array of countries. METHOD: We drew on data from 49 countries (N = 11,723; 65.8% female; AgeMean  = 21.53) to examine how an extensive net of country-level variables in economic status (e.g., Human Development Index), social relations (e.g., gender equality), political orientations (e.g., democracy), and cultural values (e.g., embeddedness) relate to country-level rates of the Dark Triad traits, as well as variance in the magnitude of sex differences in them. RESULTS: Narcissism was especially sensitive to country-level variables. Countries with more embedded and hierarchical cultural systems were more narcissistic. Also, sex differences in narcissism were larger in more developed societies: Women were less likely to be narcissistic in developed (vs. less developed) countries. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the results based on evolutionary and social role models of personality and sex differences. That higher country-level narcissism was more common in less developed countries, whereas sex differences in narcissism were larger in more developed countries, is more consistent with evolutionary than social role models.

The mental health continuum-short form: The structure and application for cross-cultural studies-A 38 nation study.

OBJECTIVE: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) is a brief scale measuring positive human functioning. The study aimed to examine the factor structure and to explore the cross-cultural utility of the MHC-SF using bifactor models and exploratory structural equation modelling. METHOD: Using multigroup confirmatory analysis (MGCFA) we examined the measurement invariance of the MHC-SF in 38 countries (university students, N = 8,066; 61.73% women, mean age 21.55 years). RESULTS: MGCFA supported the cross-cultural replicability of a bifactor structure and a metric level of invariance between student samples. The average proportion of variance explained by the general factor was high (ECV = .66), suggesting that the three aspects of mental health (emotional, social, and psychological well-being) can be treated as a single dimension of well-being. CONCLUSION: The metric level of invariance offers the possibility of comparing correlates and predictors of positive mental functioning across countries; however, the comparison of the levels of mental health across countries is not possible due to lack of scalar invariance. Our study has preliminary character and could serve as an initial assessment of the structure of the MHC-SF across different cultural settings. Further studies on general populations are required for extending our findings.

Doddering but dear even in the eyes of young children? Age stereotyping and prejudice in childhood and adolescence.

This study aims to explore age prejudice, and to examine age stereotyping in children and adolescents by adopting the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) as a theoretical framework. It was hypothesised that children are socialised into adopting an ambivalent representation of old age (socialisation hypothesis) and that this cognitive bias becomes weaker in adolescence due to greater cognitive maturity (developmental hypothesis). By analysing representative data from Portugal (European Social Survey; N = 2367), it was ascertained that the ambivalent age stereotype (higher evaluations of warmth than competence for older people) is indeed a shared social representation of older people in Portuguese society. A total of 103 Portuguese children (6-10 year olds) and adolescents (11-15 year olds) were then sampled from a local school and responded to age-appropriate measures assessing age prejudice as well as age stereotypes. Contrary to previous studies, the findings do not provide evidence for the existence of age prejudice because both children and adolescents reported positive feelings towards older people. However, the socialisation hypothesis was corroborated by showing that the ambivalent old age stereotype was already present in childhood. Contrary to the stipulated developmental hypothesis, the magnitude of this cognitive bias was very similar in adolescence.

Happiness Maximization Is a WEIRD Way of Living.

Psychological science tends to treat subjective well-being and happiness synonymously. We start from the assumption that subjective well-being is more than being happy to ask the fundamental question: What is the ideal level of happiness? From a cross-cultural perspective, we propose that the idealization of attaining maximum levels of happiness may be especially characteristic of Western, educated, industrial, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies but less so for others. Searching for an explanation for why "happiness maximization" might have emerged in these societies, we turn to studies linking cultures to their eco-environmental habitat. We discuss the premise that WEIRD cultures emerged in an exceptionally benign ecological habitat (i.e., faced relatively light existential pressures compared with other regions). We review the influence of the Gulf Stream on the Northwestern European climate as a source of these comparatively benign geographical conditions. We propose that the ecological conditions in which WEIRD societies emerged afforded them a basis to endorse happiness as a value and to idealize attaining its maximum level. To provide a nomological network for happiness maximization, we also studied some of its potential side effects, namely alcohol and drug consumption and abuse and the prevalence of mania. To evaluate our hypothesis, we reanalyze data from two large-scale studies on ideal levels of personal life satisfaction-the most common operationalization of happiness in psychology-involving respondents from 61 countries. We conclude that societies whose members seek to maximize happiness tend to be characterized as WEIRD, and generalizing this across societies can prove problematic if adopted at the ideological and policy level.

Grandiose narcissism, unfounded beliefs, and behavioral reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A theoretical perspective on grandiose narcissism suggests four forms of it (sanctity, admiration, heroism, rivalry) and states that these forms conduce to different ways of thinking and acting. Guided by this perspective, we examined in a multinational and multicultural study (61 countries; N = 15,039) how narcissism forms are linked to cognitions and behaviors prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, differences in cognitions and behaviors across narcissism forms emerged. For example, higher narcissistic rivalry predicted lower likelihood of enactment of COVID-19 prevention behaviors, but higher narcissistic sanctity predicted higher likelihood of enactment of COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Further, whereas the heroism, admiration, and rivalry narcissism forms acted in a typically antisocial manner, with high narcissism predicting greater endorsement of unfounded health beliefs, the sanctity form acted in a prosocial manner, with higher narcissism being linked to lower endorsement of unfounded COVID-19 health beliefs. Thus, the findings (a) support the idea of four narcissism forms acting differently, and (b) show that these differences reflect a double-edged sword, sometimes linking to an anti-social orientation, and sometimes linking to a pro-social orientation.

ESBL- and Carbapenemase-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae among Bivalves from Portuguese Shellfish Production Areas.

Bivalves are filter-feeding organisms and biomarkers of bacterial pollution. Our study aimed to analyze the occurrence and characteristics of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli among bivalves. A total of 522 bivalve samples were collected along Portuguese shellfish production areas. Homogenized samples were screened for E. coli contamination on corresponding selective plates, allowing for concomitant growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. E. coli growth was observed in 39% of the samples. Subsequent selective screening identified nine samples (4.4%) contaminated with ESBL producers, corresponding to E. coli (n = 7) and K. pneumoniae (n = 2), while a single carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (0.5%) was identified. ESBLs were all CTX-M-types commonly identified in human isolates, i.e., CTX-M-32 (n = 4), CTX-M-15 (n = 4), and CTX-M-14 (n = 1). The carbapenemase producer harbored the blaGES-5 gene located on a ColE plasmid. Clonality was evaluated by multilocus sequence typing, identifying E. coli backgrounds as ST10, ST23, ST540, ST617, ST746, SLV206, and SLV2325, commonly identified among environmental and human strains. The K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to ST834, ST15, and DLV644. The occurrence of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in bivalves reveals how the marine environment constitutes a reservoir of critical bacterial pathogens, thus potentially representing a risk to human health.

Modernization, collectivism, and gender equality predict love experiences in 45 countries.

Recent cross-cultural and neuro-hormonal investigations have suggested that love is a near universal phenomenon that has a biological background. Therefore, the remaining important question is not whether love exists worldwide but which cultural, social, or environmental factors influence experiences and expressions of love. In the present study, we explored whether countries' modernization indexes are related to love experiences measured by three subscales (passion, intimacy, commitment) of the Triangular Love Scale. Analyzing data from 9474 individuals from 45 countries, we tested for relationships with country-level predictors, namely, modernization proxies (i.e., Human Development Index, World Modernization Index, Gender Inequality Index), collectivism, and average annual temperatures. We found that mean levels of love (especially intimacy) were higher in countries with higher modernization proxies, collectivism, and average annual temperatures. In conclusion, our results grant some support to the hypothesis that modernization processes might influence love experiences.

Love and affectionate touch toward romantic partners all over the world.

Touch is the primary way people communicate intimacy in romantic relationships, and affectionate touch behaviors such as stroking, hugging and kissing are universally observed in partnerships all over the world. Here, we explored the association of love and affectionate touch behaviors in romantic partnerships in two studies comprising 7880 participants. In the first study, we used a cross-cultural survey conducted in 37 countries to test whether love was universally associated with affectionate touch behaviors. In the second study, using a more fine-tuned touch behavior scale, we tested whether the frequency of affectionate touch behaviors was related to love in romantic partnerships. As hypothesized, love was significantly and positively associated with affectionate touch behaviors in both studies and this result was replicated regardless of the inclusion of potentially relevant factors as controls. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that affectionate touch is a relatively stable characteristic of human romantic relationships that is robustly and reliably related to the degree of reported love between partners.

Affective Interpersonal Touch in Close Relationships: A Cross-Cultural Perspective.

Interpersonal touch behavior differs across cultures, yet no study to date has systematically tested for cultural variation in affective touch, nor examined the factors that might account for this variability. Here, over 14,000 individuals from 45 countries were asked whether they embraced, stroked, kissed, or hugged their partner, friends, and youngest child during the week preceding the study. We then examined a range of hypothesized individual-level factors (sex, age, parasitic history, conservatism, religiosity, and preferred interpersonal distance) and cultural-level factors (regional temperature, parasite stress, regional conservatism, collectivism, and religiosity) in predicting these affective-touching behaviors. Our results indicate that affective touch was most prevalent in relationships with partners and children, and its diversity was relatively higher in warmer, less conservative, and religious countries, and among younger, female, and liberal people. This research allows for a broad and integrated view of the bases of cross-cultural variability in affective touch.

Universality of the Triangular Theory of Love: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Triangular Love Scale in 25 Countries.

The Triangular Theory of Love (measured with Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale - STLS) is a prominent theoretical concept in empirical research on love. To expand the culturally homogeneous body of previous psychometric research regarding the STLS, we conducted a large-scale cross-cultural study with the use of this scale. In total, we examined more than 11,000 respondents, but as a result of applied exclusion criteria, the final analyses were based on a sample of 7332 participants from 25 countries (from all inhabited continents). We tested configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance, all of which confirmed the cultural universality of the theoretical construct of love analyzed in our study. We also observed that levels of love components differ depending on relationship duration, following the dynamics suggested in the Triangular Theory of Love. Supplementary files with all our data, including results on love intensity across different countries along with STLS versions adapted in a few dozen languages, will further enable more extensive research on the Triangular Theory of Love.

Contrasting Computational Models of Mate Preference Integration Across 45 Countries.

Humans express a wide array of ideal mate preferences. Around the world, people desire romantic partners who are intelligent, healthy, kind, physically attractive, wealthy, and more. In order for these ideal preferences to guide the choice of actual romantic partners, human mating psychology must possess a means to integrate information across these many preference dimensions into summaries of the overall mate value of their potential mates. Here we explore the computational design of this mate preference integration process using a large sample of n = 14,487 people from 45 countries around the world. We combine this large cross-cultural sample with agent-based models to compare eight hypothesized models of human mating markets. Across cultures, people higher in mate value appear to experience greater power of choice on the mating market in that they set higher ideal standards, better fulfill their preferences in choice, and pair with higher mate value partners. Furthermore, we find that this cross-culturally universal pattern of mate choice is most consistent with a Euclidean model of mate preference integration.

Análise das indicações de cesáreas com base na classificação de Robson em uma maternidade brasileira de risco habitual / Cesarean section indication analysis in a habitual-risk maternity hospital in Brazil according to Robson classification system

Objetivo: Avaliar a taxa de cesáreas e suas principais indicações com base na classificação de Robson na Maternidade Municipal de São Vicente em 2020, um hospital público de risco habitual. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal observacional. Foram efetuadas revisão, correção e análise retrospectiva e documental da classificação de Robson na Maternidade Municipal de São Vicente. Foram analisados partos de janeiro a dezembro de 2020, dos quais foram coletadas e ordenadas as informações mais relevantes para a pesquisa. Resultados: Uma amostra de 1.627 partos foi encontrada. A taxa geral de cesáreas encontrada foi de 46,3%. A contribuição relativa dos grupos 1, 2 e 5 para a taxa de cesáreas foi de 16,8%, 13,3% e 46,8%, respectivamente, enquanto a contribuição relativa das indicações de cesáreas foi de 25,5% para parto cesáreo anterior e de 21,5% para sofrimento fetal agudo. Conclusão: Foi evidenciada alta taxa de cesáreas, e as principais indicações foram cesárea prévia e sofrimento fetal agudo. Os grupos 1, 2 e 5 da classificação de Robson foram os que mais contribuíram para essa taxa.

Objective: To evaluate the cesarean section rate and the cesarean indication rate based on Robson Classification during 2020 in Sã o Vicente's Municipal Maternity, a habitual-risk public hospital. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. We have reviewed, corrected, analyzed retrospectively and documented Robson Classification in Sã o Vicente's Municipal Maternity. Births from January to December 2020 were analyzed, from which the main data for the research was collected and organized. Results: A sample of 1,627 births was found. The overall rate of cesarean section was 46.3%. The relative contribution of groups 1, 2 and 5 to the cesarean rate was 16.8%, 13.3% and 46.8%, respectively. While the cesarean indication relative contribution was 25.5% for previous cesarean and 21.5% for fetal distress. Conclusion: We found a high cesarean rate and the main indications were previous cesarean and fetal distress. Robson classification groups 1, 2 and 5 contributed the most to this rate.

Prurigo nodular crónico / Chronic nodular prurigo

El prurigo nodular crónico se caracteriza por un ciclo de prurito y excoriación en el que intervienen mecanismos neurodérmicos, asociado a diversas enfermedades. Se manifiesta con placas o nódulos hiperqueratósicos cupuliformes. El tratamiento, enfocado en reducir el prurito, representa un desafío por la frecuente resistencia a las terapéuticas habituales. Se describe el caso de un hombre de 72 años, con antecedentes psiquiátricos, que presentó una dermatosis pruriginosa recalcitrante refractaria a múltiples esquemas de tratamiento.

Chronic prurigo nodularis is characterized by a cycle of itching and excoriation involving neurodermal mechanisms, associated with various diseases. It manifests with cupuliform hyperkeratotic plaques or nodules. Treatment is focused on reducing itching and is a challengue due to the frequent resistance to the usual therapies. We present the case of a 72-year-old man with a psychiatric history, who presented a recalcitrant pruritic dermatosis refractory to multiple treatment regimens.

Humanização em contexto pediátrico: o papel dos palhaços na melhoria do ambiente vivido pela criança hospitalizada / Humanization in a pediatric context: the role of clowns in improving the environment experienced by hospitalized children / Humanización en contexto pediátrico: el papel de los payasos en la mejora del ambiente vivido por el niño hospitalizado

Valorizando a importância dos aspectos psicossociais da internação pediátrica, e procurando a criança “por detrás” do corpo doente, vários hospitais têm investido na humanização de espaços, rotinas e atmosfera, procurando promover ambientes acolhedores e atenuantes das experiências negativas vividas pela criança (e família) durante a internação. A par de uma tentativa de sistematização de alguns dos esforços realizados até a data em nível da definição do conceito de “humanização” – nomeadamente em contexto pediátrico –, reflete-se acerca das potencialidades de alguns programas existentes nesse contexto, nomeadamente aqueles que aliam a arte, a recreação, o lazer e o humor como meios privilegiados de comunicação e expressão. Entre estes, destaca-se a intervenção dos palhaços de hospital, como promotora da livre expressão da criança, da sua autonomia, criatividade, exploração e conhecimento do mundo e consequente desenvolvimento psicossocial...

In order to place value on the importance of psychosocial aspects of pediatric hospitalization, and to seek the child “behind” the sick body, many hospitals have been investing in humanizing their spaces, routines, and atmospheres aiming welcoming environments that will reduce the negative experiences of the children and their families during the hospital stay. In this paper, an attempt was made to systematize some of the efforts undertaken so far to define the concept of “humanization” specifically in the pediatric context. Reflections on the potential of some existing programs within this context are also provided, specifically those that combine art, recreation, leisure activities and humor as preferred means of communication and expression. Among these, interventions by hospital clowns are highlighted as promoters of free expression among children, along with autonomy, creativity, exploration, and knowledge of the world, with consequent psychosocial development...

Valorizando la importancia de los aspectos psicosociales de la internación pediátrica y buscando al niño “por detrás” del cuerpo enfermo, varios hospitales han invertido en la humanización de sus espacios, rutinas y atmósfera, promovendo ambientes acogedores y atenuadores de las experiencias negativas vividas por el niño durante la internación. En el presente artículo, juntamente con un intento de sistematización de esfuerzos hasta la fecha en el ámbito de la definición de “humanización”, principalmente en el contexto pediátrico, se reflexiona sobre las potencialidades de algunos programas existentes, principalmente aquellos que unen el arte, la recreación, el ocio y el humor como medios privilegiados de comunicación y de expresión. Entre ellos, los autores destacan la intervención de los payasos de hospital, como promotora de la libre expresión del niño, de su autonomía, creatividad, exploración y conocimiento del mundo y su desarrollo psicosocial...

Palhaços de hospital como estratégia de amenização da experiência de hospitalização infantil / Hospital clowns as a strategy for the mitigation of childhood hospitalization experience / Payasos del hospital como estrategia de mitigación de la experiencia de hospitalización infantil

A hospitalização pediátrica pode representar um acontecimento marcante para a criança e sua família, dado o desenraizamento de seus contextos e rotinas, e a imersão num ambiente estranho e ameaçador. Buscando minimizar o impacto dessa experiência, várias abordagens lúdicas têm surgido em pediatria, nomeadamente a intervenção de palhaços. Assumindo que, mesmo hospitalizada, existe, na criança, uma essência que deseja brincar, a intervenção do palhaço tem como propósito o seu resgate. Neste artigo, apresentam-se as expetativas de profissionais pediátricos (n=34) a respeito das (des)vantagens da presença dos palhaços junto dessas crianças/adolescentes, antes mesmo da sua intervenção. Os dados revelaram uma ampla abertura à presença desses artistas, apontando-os como potenciais amenizadores do impacto emocional da internação e dos tratamentos, e seu contributo para a humanização dos cuidados e desmistificação dos profissionais de saúde. Como desvantagens, referiram o medo do palhaço ou a percepção, entre adolescentes, da sua presença como uma infantilidade...

Pediatric hospitalization may represent a significant event in the life of children and their families due to the uprooting of their contexts and routines, and the immersion in a strange and threatening environment. Seeking to minimize the impact of this experience, various ludic approaches emerged in pediatrics, namely the hospital clowns. Assuming that, even in the hospital, the child carries an essence that wants to play, the clowns' mission is to rescue it. This manuscript presents the staff's expectations regarding the (dis)advantages of clowning in their unit (n=34), a month before starting intervention. Results reveal an expressive opening regarding the clowns' presence, pointing them as potential buffers of the emotional impact of hospitalization and treatments on children, and contributing to the humanization of care and demystification of health staff. Regarding setbacks, participants mentioned the children's fear of clowns and the perception - by adolescents - of their presence as childish...

La hospitalización pediátrica puede representar un evento clave para los niños y sus familias, dado el desarraigo de sus contextos y rutinas, y la inmersión en un ambiente extraño y amenazante. Intentando minimizar el impacto de esta experiencia, diversos enfoques lúdicos han surgido en pediatría, incluyendo los payasos. Estas suponen que, aún hospitalizado, existe una esencia en el niño que quiere jugar. La misión del payaso es rescatarla. En este artículo se presentan las expectativas de 34 profesionales pediátricos en relación con las (des)ventajas de la presencia de payasos, un mes antes de iniciar su intervención. Los datos revelaron su amplia apertura a la presencia de payasos, señalándolos como potencialmente disminuyendo el impacto emocional de la hospitalización, del tratamiento, contribuyendo además a la humanización de los cuidados y desmitificación de los profesionales. Como desventajas, han mencionado el temor del payaso o la percepción, entre adolescentes, de su presencia como infantil...