Back in 2002, my attention was caught by a study by Gerianne Alexander and Melissa Hines of Texas A&M, in which young male vervet monkeys played more with toy balls and cars than the females did. The young female vervets played with dolls and pots more than the males did. Both played with Read more…
It never ceases to amaze me that in spite of all the warnings, large numbers of women continue to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs when they’re pregnant. Yes, I understand that addiction is a difficult thing to beat, but if you can’t do it for yourself, what better reason Read more…
For those of you who are enjoying our posts on weight control, please click over to Daniel Lende’s Neuroanthropology site for some excellent scholarly summaries of relevant research. Today, Daniel posted a very helpful article on “Successful Weight Loss,” and here is his take on the issue of genetics and Read more…
We hear a lot of different theories about the current obesity epidemic and why some of us are fatter or thinner. We know that family members tend to resemble one another, but whether this is more of a matter of genes, shared habits, or maybe social pressure, we can’t determine. As Read more…
For many years, psychologists have understood that young men are more likely than young women to interpret nonverbal signs of friendliness for sexual interest. It’s the old “she’s in the room–she wants me” thing. What hasn’t been so clearly understood is why this discrepancy occurs. A prevailing theory suggests that Read more…