Weekly Roundup
Apr 1 – 7, 2024
The Weekly Roundup is an opportunity to recap a week in news and share recently discovered materials that might be of interest.
THE NUZZO LETTER IN THE NEWS
Interview w/ Dr James Nuzzo on political bias in academia
Mostly Man Things, 2024
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Michael Irvin’s Super Bowl Fiasco Reveals Flaws with Malevolent ‘Speak Your Truth’ Bills
Center for Prosecutor Integrity, 2024
Why isn’t There More Incel Violence?
Adaptive Human Physiology and Behavior, 2023
Abstract: Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture community of men who form an identity around their perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. They attribute their lack of success to genetic factors, evolved mate preferences, and social inequities. While we have a deep ancestral history of incels, the modern incel community is an evolutionarily novel group that fosters a shared victimhood identity. We applaud Lindner for an important contribution to the scant literature on incels and highlight the importance of her evolutionary psychological lens in understanding their grievances. Our critique of Lindner’s work addresses two key issues. Firstly, we challenge the hypothesis that incels engage in simulated coalitional bargaining for sexual access. While coalitional bargaining for sexual access may have played a role in ancestral populations of involuntarily celibate men, this is not a suitable analysis of modern incels. Instead, the incel community operates as a fatalistic echo-chamber, where failure is celebrated, and individuals discourage each other from pursuing romantic success. Secondly, we critique the association between incels and violence. Contrary to common beliefs, empirical evidence suggests that incels are not particularly prone to violence. Incels’ propensity for violence appears relatively low compared to that of the general population. We conclude by offering one hypothesis as to why modern day incels are not as violent as we might expect. The Male Sedation Hypothesis, that online virtual worlds, such as pornography, may pacify the potential for violence among sexless young men, providing a counterfeit sense of sexual fulfillment and reducing motivation for real-life mate competition.
The Journal of Sex Research, 2023
Abstract: Vaginal squirting is a phenomenon in which women expel fluid during the sexual response process, but it remains poorly understood in the extant literature. The study purpose was to use nationally representative data to investigate adult women's experiences with vaginal squirting. We assessed the prevalence of women who have ever squirted in their lifetime, the level of pleasure and concurrency of orgasm women reported during squirting, the ways in which women discovered squirting, and the challenges and/or concerns women experience with squirting. Forty percent of U.S. adult women (M = 47.6 years, SD = 16.8; Md = 24 years) had ever squirted in their lifetime (Md frequency = three to five times). Two thirds of women reported unintentional discovery of squirting, and most (75%) used specific techniques to promote build up and release of squirting versus squirting spontaneously. About 60% of participants reported squirting to be very or somewhat pleasurable, but only 20% "always" experienced squirting and orgasm together. Women reported different challenges with squirting, such as the time required to reach squirting or the experience being too emotionally intense. Our findings contribute to the growth of much needed, detailed literature on the ways in which women discover and enjoy squirting as part of their sexual lives. Knowledge of these techniques can enable women to better identify their own preferences, communicate about them with their partners, and advocate for their sexual pleasure.
Barriers to diagnosis and accessing effective treatment and support for testosterone deficiency
Journal of Men’s Health, 2024
Abstract: Testosterone deficiency is common but often undiagnosed and untreated with many men struggling with symptoms for years before reaching out for healthcare professional advice. In order to gain an holistic view of the barriers to men accessing effective treatment, this qualitative study captures the behaviours, beliefs and experiences of all key stakeholders: men with testosterone deficiency, general practitioners (GPs) and endocrinologists. The main findings include a lack of awareness and knowledge of the range of symptoms of testosterone deficiency amongst men and GPs, and stigma and embarrassment inhibiting open, proactive discussions between men and GPs and limiting diagnosis. Endocrinologists believe many men referred to them could be appropriately managed by GPs. Endocrinologists’ responsibility is to assess and provide appropriate treatment for more complicated cases, which often involves additional investigations that men are not expecting and might not result in treatment with testosterone therapy.
HISTORICAL ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Sex Differences in Subjective Estimates of Non-Paternity Rates in Austria
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2009
Abstract: The determination of paternity is important due to the possibility of cuckoldry and the subsequent squandering of male reproductive effort. Men may be attuned to prevalence rates of cuckoldry in the local environment to assess risk. However, women may have an enhanced ability to assess paternity and may have superior insight into women’s sexual infidelity. Accordingly, this study examined subjective estimates of human non-paternity (HNP), the discrepancy between social/legal versus genetic paternity. The hypothesis was that women would provide higher estimates of HNP than men. A sex difference in the hypothesized direction was observed across four community samples of Austrian adults (totalling 763 men and 795 women), with women overall providing higher HNP estimates than men (14.5% vs. 9.1%). Furthermore, key demographic variables impacted HNP estimates for both sexes: individuals who were unmarried, childless, currently unpartnered, or currently in a romantic relationship of a shorter duration provided higher HNP estimates than their counterparts, thus suggesting that such estimates might be attuned to mating effort and strategies, as well as relationship quality and investment.
Evolved foraging psychology underlies sex differences in shopping experiences and behaviors
Journal of Social, Environmental, and Cultural Psychology, 2009
Abstract: This study documents that men and women experience and perform consumer shopping differently, and in ways consistent with adaptations to the sexually dimorphic foraging strategies utilized during recent human evolution. There is an abundant literature on sex differences in spatial abilities and object location that follow from the specific navigational strategies associated with hunting and gathering in the ancestral environment. In addition to sex differences in navigational strategies, the unique features of hunting and gathering may have influenced other aspects of foraging psychology that underlie sex differences in modern male and female shopping experiences and behaviors. Scales were developed to assess several aspects of shopping psychology that may be based on sexually differentiated ancestral adaptations. Results generally confirmed the predicted directions of sex differences. Compared to men, women relied more on object oriented navigation strategies and scored higher on skills and behaviors associated with gathering, the degree to which shopping is seen as recreational, the degree to which shopping is a social activity, and the tendency to see new locations as opportunities for shopping. Men scored higher on skills and behaviors thought to be associated with hunting. Most effect sizes were moderate or strong. These results suggest that shopping experiences and behaviors are influenced by sexually divergent adaptations for gathering and hunting.
RUBBISH BIN
No rubbish this week!
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I'm glad to see the scientific community is beginning to take an interest in squirting. The neglect of this phenomenon has always puzzled me and, last I looked into it, no one seemed even to know if the fluid was urine or not.