#genderdifferences — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #genderdifferences, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: August 14, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Women globally place higher importance on moral identity than men
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-and-age-shape-the-way-people-view-their-own-morality/
People all over the world consider morality a part of who they are, but how they express it depends heavily on their age, gender, and cultural background. A large new study maps out these differences, revealing that women generally value moral traits more than men do and that younger people in highly competitive societies care deeply about showing their morals to others. These results were recently published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Morality involves caring about fairness, justice, and the welfare of others. It acts as a core psychological need for many people, giving them a sense of being a good person. Yet individuals differ in how strongly they tie moral characteristics to their personal identity.
Psychologists divide this moral identity into two related concepts. Internalization measures the extent to which a person views moral traits as a private, central part of their self-concept. Symbolization measures how much a person values expressing their morality in ways that other people can see, such as through observable actions or group affiliations.
Both aspects predict real-world prosocial behavior, like volunteering and donating to charity. Most previous research on moral identity relied on samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic nations.
Researchers Mariola Paruzel-Czachura and Cillian McHugh wanted to understand how these two aspects of moral identity vary across the globe. By looking at a broader range of countries, the researchers hoped to figure out whether existing assumptions about the moral self are universally human or culturally specific.
The researchers analyzed an existing dataset containing survey responses from 46,490 adults across 67 countries. This qualifies as a large study. Participants filled out a questionnaire assessing how much they valued having nine specific moral traits: caring, compassionate, fair, friendly, generous, helpful, hardworking, honest, and kind.
Participants rated their agreement with statements about these traits on an 11-point scale. The researchers then calculated separate scores for internalization and symbolization.
The researchers also gathered country-level data on several cultural dimensions. These included established metrics assessing a society’s acceptance of hierarchy, its focus on community versus the individual, its emphasis on competition, and its comfort with ambiguity. They also included indices of cultural tightness, which measure the strictness of social norms and a society’s tolerance for people breaking those rules.
Using statistical models that accounted for individuals nested within specific nations, the researchers examined how age, gender, and cultural environment related to participants’ moral identity scores.
The analysis revealed that women scored higher than men on both the private and public components of moral identity. This difference was particularly consistent for internalization. In 41 countries, women scored higher than men on internalization, while men scored higher in only two countries. Women scored higher on symbolization in 21 countries, while men scored higher in only one country.
The researchers predicted this gender outcome based on the idea that moral identity is closely linked to the ethical domain of care. Broad cross-cultural evidence indicates that women, on average, place greater emphasis on caring for others than men do. This stronger commitment to care likely contributes to the self-definitional importance of being a moral person.
The relationship between age and moral identity was also nuanced. When looking at the global population as a single group, older age seemed associated with slightly lower moral identity scores. But when the researchers accounted for the specific country each participant lived in, they found the opposite pattern. Within individual countries, older adults tended to place slightly more importance on having moral traits and on being recognized for them than younger adults did.
Cultural environment also shaped how people viewed their morality, especially regarding public expression. Participants reported higher symbolization in societies that are more collectivistic, meaning social life is tightly structured around community and relationships. Publicly displaying moral traits might help people maintain harmony and social acceptance in these environments where interpersonal reputation carries heavy consequences.
Symbolization was also higher in countries with greater acceptance of unequal power and hierarchy. In these societies, demonstrating socially valued qualities might help individuals navigate status differences and signal their reliability to others.
In cultures that prioritize competition and visible success, younger participants showed higher symbolization. For younger adults focused on establishing their social networks and standing, building a visible moral reputation acts as another form of social achievement. Older adults in these same cultures did not show this pattern, perhaps because their social standing is already established through stable roles.
The private side of moral identity showed a different pattern regarding culture. Internalization was higher in societies that focus on community over the individual. It was also higher in countries with lower acceptance of power inequalities, and in places with lower uncertainty avoidance, which are societies more comfortable with ambiguity.
The strictness of a society’s norms also played a role. In cultures with broad, strictly enforced social rules, people generally reported higher levels of both internalization and symbolization. When community expectations are rigid and closely monitored across many areas of life, internalizing those norms and displaying them to others becomes a central part of everyday functioning.
The results were not statistically significant for other cultural dimensions, such as a society’s focus on long-term future goals or its indulgence of personal desires. These factors did not meaningfully alter how strongly people valued having moral traits.
The study relied on older cultural indices that might not perfectly capture modern societal values. Social norms shift over time, and a country’s historical ranking on a cultural dimension might not reflect its current state. The associations between culture and moral identity found in this data were generally modest in size.
The questionnaire used to measure moral identity was originally developed in the United States. It relies on a specific list of moral traits focused on care and fairness. This list might not fully capture the moral ideals of non-Western cultures, where duty, loyalty, or religious devotion might be considered more central to being a good person. Differences between countries might partly reflect how well these specific traits align with local moral priorities.
Future research could address these limitations by developing measurement tools tailored to diverse cultural perspectives. Assessing cultural values directly from the participants at the exact same time as moral identity would also provide a more precise picture of how societies shape the way people view themselves.
The study, “Who Cares More About Having Moral Traits? Evidence From 67 Countries,” was authored by Mariola Paruzel-Czachura and Cillian McHugh.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-and-age-shape-the-way-people-view-their-own-morality/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #MoralIdentity #WomenAndMorality #CulturalDifferences #Internalization #Symbolization #MoralTraits #ProsocialBehavior #CrossCulturalPsychology #GenderDifferences #GlobalStudy
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DATE: August 14, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Women globally place higher importance on moral identity than men
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-and-age-shape-the-way-people-view-their-own-morality/
People all over the world consider morality a part of who they are, but how they express it depends heavily on their age, gender, and cultural background. A large new study maps out these differences, revealing that women generally value moral traits more than men do and that younger people in highly competitive societies care deeply about showing their morals to others. These results were recently published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Morality involves caring about fairness, justice, and the welfare of others. It acts as a core psychological need for many people, giving them a sense of being a good person. Yet individuals differ in how strongly they tie moral characteristics to their personal identity.
Psychologists divide this moral identity into two related concepts. Internalization measures the extent to which a person views moral traits as a private, central part of their self-concept. Symbolization measures how much a person values expressing their morality in ways that other people can see, such as through observable actions or group affiliations.
Both aspects predict real-world prosocial behavior, like volunteering and donating to charity. Most previous research on moral identity relied on samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic nations.
Researchers Mariola Paruzel-Czachura and Cillian McHugh wanted to understand how these two aspects of moral identity vary across the globe. By looking at a broader range of countries, the researchers hoped to figure out whether existing assumptions about the moral self are universally human or culturally specific.
The researchers analyzed an existing dataset containing survey responses from 46,490 adults across 67 countries. This qualifies as a large study. Participants filled out a questionnaire assessing how much they valued having nine specific moral traits: caring, compassionate, fair, friendly, generous, helpful, hardworking, honest, and kind.
Participants rated their agreement with statements about these traits on an 11-point scale. The researchers then calculated separate scores for internalization and symbolization.
The researchers also gathered country-level data on several cultural dimensions. These included established metrics assessing a society’s acceptance of hierarchy, its focus on community versus the individual, its emphasis on competition, and its comfort with ambiguity. They also included indices of cultural tightness, which measure the strictness of social norms and a society’s tolerance for people breaking those rules.
Using statistical models that accounted for individuals nested within specific nations, the researchers examined how age, gender, and cultural environment related to participants’ moral identity scores.
The analysis revealed that women scored higher than men on both the private and public components of moral identity. This difference was particularly consistent for internalization. In 41 countries, women scored higher than men on internalization, while men scored higher in only two countries. Women scored higher on symbolization in 21 countries, while men scored higher in only one country.
The researchers predicted this gender outcome based on the idea that moral identity is closely linked to the ethical domain of care. Broad cross-cultural evidence indicates that women, on average, place greater emphasis on caring for others than men do. This stronger commitment to care likely contributes to the self-definitional importance of being a moral person.
The relationship between age and moral identity was also nuanced. When looking at the global population as a single group, older age seemed associated with slightly lower moral identity scores. But when the researchers accounted for the specific country each participant lived in, they found the opposite pattern. Within individual countries, older adults tended to place slightly more importance on having moral traits and on being recognized for them than younger adults did.
Cultural environment also shaped how people viewed their morality, especially regarding public expression. Participants reported higher symbolization in societies that are more collectivistic, meaning social life is tightly structured around community and relationships. Publicly displaying moral traits might help people maintain harmony and social acceptance in these environments where interpersonal reputation carries heavy consequences.
Symbolization was also higher in countries with greater acceptance of unequal power and hierarchy. In these societies, demonstrating socially valued qualities might help individuals navigate status differences and signal their reliability to others.
In cultures that prioritize competition and visible success, younger participants showed higher symbolization. For younger adults focused on establishing their social networks and standing, building a visible moral reputation acts as another form of social achievement. Older adults in these same cultures did not show this pattern, perhaps because their social standing is already established through stable roles.
The private side of moral identity showed a different pattern regarding culture. Internalization was higher in societies that focus on community over the individual. It was also higher in countries with lower acceptance of power inequalities, and in places with lower uncertainty avoidance, which are societies more comfortable with ambiguity.
The strictness of a society’s norms also played a role. In cultures with broad, strictly enforced social rules, people generally reported higher levels of both internalization and symbolization. When community expectations are rigid and closely monitored across many areas of life, internalizing those norms and displaying them to others becomes a central part of everyday functioning.
The results were not statistically significant for other cultural dimensions, such as a society’s focus on long-term future goals or its indulgence of personal desires. These factors did not meaningfully alter how strongly people valued having moral traits.
The study relied on older cultural indices that might not perfectly capture modern societal values. Social norms shift over time, and a country’s historical ranking on a cultural dimension might not reflect its current state. The associations between culture and moral identity found in this data were generally modest in size.
The questionnaire used to measure moral identity was originally developed in the United States. It relies on a specific list of moral traits focused on care and fairness. This list might not fully capture the moral ideals of non-Western cultures, where duty, loyalty, or religious devotion might be considered more central to being a good person. Differences between countries might partly reflect how well these specific traits align with local moral priorities.
Future research could address these limitations by developing measurement tools tailored to diverse cultural perspectives. Assessing cultural values directly from the participants at the exact same time as moral identity would also provide a more precise picture of how societies shape the way people view themselves.
The study, “Who Cares More About Having Moral Traits? Evidence From 67 Countries,” was authored by Mariola Paruzel-Czachura and Cillian McHugh.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-and-age-shape-the-way-people-view-their-own-morality/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #MoralIdentity #WomenAndMorality #CulturalDifferences #Internalization #Symbolization #MoralTraits #ProsocialBehavior #CrossCulturalPsychology #GenderDifferences #GlobalStudy
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DATE: August 13, 2026 at 05:42AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: A surprising brain discovery could help explain why we overeat fatty foods
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260813045531.htm
A protein inside appetite-controlling brain cells may play an important role in preventing overeating and obesity, particularly when high-fat foods are readily available. Unexpected differences between males and females could also help explain why obesity risk—and responses to weight-loss drugs—can vary.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260813045531.htm
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #braindiscovery #overeating #fattyfoods #appetitecontrol #weightloss #obesityresearch #fatloss #genderdifferences #neuroscience #weightmanagement
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DATE: August 13, 2026 at 05:42AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: A surprising brain discovery could help explain why we overeat fatty foods
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260813045531.htm
A protein inside appetite-controlling brain cells may play an important role in preventing overeating and obesity, particularly when high-fat foods are readily available. Unexpected differences between males and females could also help explain why obesity risk—and responses to weight-loss drugs—can vary.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260813045531.htm
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #braindiscovery #overeating #fattyfoods #appetitecontrol #weightloss #obesityresearch #fatloss #genderdifferences #neuroscience #weightmanagement
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DATE: August 6, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychological distress isolates men more than women, according to a 14-year study
An analysis of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study data found that increases in perceived social support predicted subsequent declines in psychological distress over time in both men and women. The association was bidirectional higher psychological distress was associated with later reductions in perceived social support. This reverse link was stronger in men, leading study authors to conclude that men’s psychological distress leads to decreased perceptions of social support from others in their lives more strongly than social support leads to later reductions in distress. The paper was published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
Social connections are essential for both mental and physical health, providing emotional support, reducing psychological distress, and even contributing to a longer life. However, the relationship between social connectedness and well-being is bidirectional, as loneliness and limited support can worsen mental health while depression and distress can also cause people to withdraw from others.
These patterns may differ between women and men because traditional gender norms shape how people form relationships, express vulnerability, and seek help. Women are generally encouraged to develop close emotional bonds and tend to have larger support networks and more positive attitudes toward seeking assistance. Men, by contrast, are often expected to be self-reliant and emotionally stoic, which may discourage them from disclosing difficulties or asking others for support.
Psychological distress may therefore be especially likely to weaken men’s perceived social support when they experience their struggles as conflicting with traditional ideals of masculinity. Understanding these gender differences is important because men may benefit less from general social-support interventions despite facing particularly serious consequences of untreated mental health problems.
Study author Kieren J. Lilly and his colleagues examined gender differences in the relationship between social support and psychological distress over time. They hypothesized that the link between social support and psychological distress would be bidirectional. This means that increases in perceived social support would lead to later reductions in distress, but also that increases in psychological distress would lead to reductions in perceived social support over time. They expected to find differences between men and women in these associations.
Study authors analyzed data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS)—an ongoing longitudinal panel study of New Zealand adults. Study participants were initially sampled from the New Zealand electoral roll (a compulsory list of registered voters). The study started in 2009 and, across 15 data collection waves, it reached a total of 76,409 unique participants by 2023. Approximately 68-86% of participants were retained between data collection waves.
Data used in this study came from 75,404 participants who provided partial or complete responses to the assessments study authors were interested in. On average, these participants participated in 4.51 data collection waves. Sixty-two percent of them were women. Seventy-seven percent were born in New Zealand. Their average age in 2010 was 39 years.
In their analyses, study authors focused on assessments of perceived social support (three items, e.g., “There are people I can depend on to help me if I really need it”), psychological distress (the 6-item K6 Psychological Distress Scale), and demographic information on gender, age, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
Results showed that when a person perceives increased social support, that person’s psychological distress is likely to decrease over time. However, this relationship was bidirectional – when a person experiences psychological distress, the perceived social support is likely to decrease at later time points.
However, among men, this reverse association – psychological distress leading to later reductions in social support – was stronger than the association of increased social support with decreases in psychological distress. This was not the case in women. Further analyses revealed that the effects of psychological distress were the strongest among older, New Zealand European, and heterosexual men.
“These results suggest that men’s psychological distress leads to decreased perceptions of social support from others in their lives, and this effect is more pronounced than the effect of social support over the same timeframe,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the nuances of the link between social support and psychological distress. However, it should be noted that all data used in this study came from self-reports, leaving room for reporting bias to have affected the results.
The paper, “Gender Differences in the Longitudinal Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Perceived Social Support,” was authored by Kieren J. Lilly, Natalia M. Simionato, Fiona Kate Barlow, Danny Osborne, Caroline Salom, and Chris G. Sibley.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #MentalHealth #PsychologicalDistress #SocialSupport #GenderDifferences #MenAndMentalHealth #Loneliness #WellBeing #NZAVS #SocialConnections #MentalHealthResearch
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DATE: August 6, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychological distress isolates men more than women, according to a 14-year study
An analysis of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study data found that increases in perceived social support predicted subsequent declines in psychological distress over time in both men and women. The association was bidirectional higher psychological distress was associated with later reductions in perceived social support. This reverse link was stronger in men, leading study authors to conclude that men’s psychological distress leads to decreased perceptions of social support from others in their lives more strongly than social support leads to later reductions in distress. The paper was published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
Social connections are essential for both mental and physical health, providing emotional support, reducing psychological distress, and even contributing to a longer life. However, the relationship between social connectedness and well-being is bidirectional, as loneliness and limited support can worsen mental health while depression and distress can also cause people to withdraw from others.
These patterns may differ between women and men because traditional gender norms shape how people form relationships, express vulnerability, and seek help. Women are generally encouraged to develop close emotional bonds and tend to have larger support networks and more positive attitudes toward seeking assistance. Men, by contrast, are often expected to be self-reliant and emotionally stoic, which may discourage them from disclosing difficulties or asking others for support.
Psychological distress may therefore be especially likely to weaken men’s perceived social support when they experience their struggles as conflicting with traditional ideals of masculinity. Understanding these gender differences is important because men may benefit less from general social-support interventions despite facing particularly serious consequences of untreated mental health problems.
Study author Kieren J. Lilly and his colleagues examined gender differences in the relationship between social support and psychological distress over time. They hypothesized that the link between social support and psychological distress would be bidirectional. This means that increases in perceived social support would lead to later reductions in distress, but also that increases in psychological distress would lead to reductions in perceived social support over time. They expected to find differences between men and women in these associations.
Study authors analyzed data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS)—an ongoing longitudinal panel study of New Zealand adults. Study participants were initially sampled from the New Zealand electoral roll (a compulsory list of registered voters). The study started in 2009 and, across 15 data collection waves, it reached a total of 76,409 unique participants by 2023. Approximately 68-86% of participants were retained between data collection waves.
Data used in this study came from 75,404 participants who provided partial or complete responses to the assessments study authors were interested in. On average, these participants participated in 4.51 data collection waves. Sixty-two percent of them were women. Seventy-seven percent were born in New Zealand. Their average age in 2010 was 39 years.
In their analyses, study authors focused on assessments of perceived social support (three items, e.g., “There are people I can depend on to help me if I really need it”), psychological distress (the 6-item K6 Psychological Distress Scale), and demographic information on gender, age, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
Results showed that when a person perceives increased social support, that person’s psychological distress is likely to decrease over time. However, this relationship was bidirectional – when a person experiences psychological distress, the perceived social support is likely to decrease at later time points.
However, among men, this reverse association – psychological distress leading to later reductions in social support – was stronger than the association of increased social support with decreases in psychological distress. This was not the case in women. Further analyses revealed that the effects of psychological distress were the strongest among older, New Zealand European, and heterosexual men.
“These results suggest that men’s psychological distress leads to decreased perceptions of social support from others in their lives, and this effect is more pronounced than the effect of social support over the same timeframe,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the nuances of the link between social support and psychological distress. However, it should be noted that all data used in this study came from self-reports, leaving room for reporting bias to have affected the results.
The paper, “Gender Differences in the Longitudinal Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Perceived Social Support,” was authored by Kieren J. Lilly, Natalia M. Simionato, Fiona Kate Barlow, Danny Osborne, Caroline Salom, and Chris G. Sibley.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #MentalHealth #PsychologicalDistress #SocialSupport #GenderDifferences #MenAndMentalHealth #Loneliness #WellBeing #NZAVS #SocialConnections #MentalHealthResearch
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DATE: August 2, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Remembering a chaotic childhood is linked to psychopathic traits, especially in men
Growing up in a chaotic environment where daily life feels unpredictable tends to be associated with specific psychopathic traits in adulthood, such as impulsivity and a lack of empathy. New research published in Personality and Individual Differences suggests that recalling a highly unstable childhood is positively linked to these traits, particularly among men. The findings provide evidence that different types of childhood adversity shape adult personality in distinct ways.
Psychopathy is a complex personality structure made up of different interacting traits rather than a single diagnosis. Psychologists often use the Triarchic Model to understand these traits, dividing psychopathy into three dimensions. The first dimension is meanness, which involves callousness, a lack of empathy, and a tendency to exploit others.
The second dimension is disinhibition, referring to poor impulse control, difficulty planning ahead, and emotional volatility. The third is boldness, which describes a person who is socially dominant, fearless, and emotionally resilient under pressure.
To understand how these traits develop, scientists often look to evolutionary biology and developmental psychology. One guiding framework is life history theory. This theory proposes that humans unconsciously adjust their behavioral strategies based on the environment they experience during their formative years. If a child grows up in a stable and safe environment, they might invest in long-term goals and cooperative relationships.
If the environment is adverse, a developing child may adopt a fast strategy focused on short-term survival and immediate rewards. Adversity is not a single, uniform experience. Environments can be unpredictable, meaning they are full of chaotic changes, erratic exposure to risks, and inconsistent caregiving. Alternatively, environments can be harsh, which involves constant physical or social strain, such as chronic poverty or a lack of basic resources.
“Previous research has often treated both childhood adversity and psychopathy as broad, unitary constructs,” said Virgil Zeigler-Hill, a distinguished professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University. “We wanted to distinguish between childhood harshness and unpredictability while examining three components of psychopathy: meanness, disinhibition, and boldness. This allowed us to ask which features of childhood environments were associated with which adult personality traits and whether those patterns differed between men and women.”
Distinguishing between these two types of adversity is a central focus of this research. “The findings underscore the importance of treating psychopathy as multidimensional because meanness, disinhibition, and boldness showed different patterns of association with childhood conditions,” Zeigler-Hill said. “They also illustrate why a difficult childhood should not automatically be equated with an unpredictable one. A childhood can be consistently resource-poor but stable, or materially comfortable yet highly chaotic, and those environments may have different implications for personality development.”
To explore these connections, the authors collected data from three separate groups, resulting in a combined sample of 4,873 participants. The sample included 2,919 women and 1,954 men, with ages ranging from 18 to 79 years old. This total group was made up of 557 community members from the United States, 2,765 American college students and community members, and 2,137 community volunteers from Israel. All participants were asked to complete specialized questionnaires measuring their psychological traits and early memories.
Participants filled out the Perceived Childhood Harshness and Unpredictability Scale. This survey asks individuals to rate statements about their early home life, such as whether their family was financially strained or if their daily routine was inconsistent. They also completed versions of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. This assessment asks people to rate how well specific statements describe them, such as whether they jump into things without thinking or if they function well in new situations.
When analyzing the data, the researchers controlled for unpredictability, harshness, and participant gender simultaneously to observe the unique contribution of each factor. They found that perceived childhood unpredictability had a moderate positive association with disinhibition. Participants who remembered highly erratic childhoods reported higher levels of impulsive and reckless behaviors.
Unpredictability also showed a small positive association with meanness. People who recalled chaotic early environments were slightly more likely to report callous and exploitative interpersonal styles.
“The association between childhood unpredictability and disinhibition was medium in magnitude, whereas its association with meanness was smaller but still meaningful,” Zeigler-Hill told PsyPost. “The gender differences were statistically reliable but small, and the associations involving harshness were generally very small after accounting for unpredictability. Our large sample allowed us to detect effects that were reliable even when their practical magnitude was limited.”
The researchers noted that the positive associations between childhood unpredictability and both meanness and disinhibition were stronger for men than for women. The authors suggest this gender difference aligns with evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies. In uncertain environments, men might be more prone to adopt dominance-oriented, risk-taking behaviors to secure immediate resources.
Summarizing the broader impact of these results, Zeigler-Hill added, “People who remembered their childhoods as more chaotic and unpredictable reported greater meanness and disinhibition as adults, with stronger associations among men than women. Unpredictability was more consistently associated with these traits than was harshness, suggesting that instability may matter differently from persistent hardship. However, an unpredictable childhood does not inevitably produce psychopathic traits because personality reflects many genetic, familial, and environmental influences.”
The statistical associations for childhood harshness were different than expected. Before controlling for other variables, harshness had a small positive correlation with disinhibition. Once the researchers factored in unpredictability and gender, this association vanished. It became a slightly negative relationship that was too weak to be considered a meaningful effect.
“We expected harshness to be associated with greater disinhibition, and it was positively correlated with disinhibition when considered alone,” Zeigler-Hill said. “However, that association became slightly negative after accounting for unpredictability and gender, suggesting that previously observed connections with adversity may be driven more specifically by unpredictability.”
Childhood harshness did show a unique negative association with boldness, but only for women. Women who remembered growing up in environments with severe resource scarcity tended to report lower levels of social dominance and fearlessness. The authors noted that chronically adverse environments might encourage heightened vigilance and caution rather than the reduced threat sensitivity that characterizes boldness.
“We were also surprised that harshness was associated with lower boldness primarily among women, although this small effect requires replication,” Zeigler-Hill said.
Because the data relies entirely on self-reported memories collected at a single point in time, the findings describe correlations and cannot establish cause and effect. It is also important for readers to understand that this research measures everyday variations in personality, rather than diagnosing mental health conditions.
“Because this was a cross-sectional study based on retrospective self-reports, we cannot conclude that childhood unpredictability caused psychopathic traits,” Zeigler-Hill said. “Current personality may influence how people remember their childhoods, and unmeasured factors such as genetics, parental personality, or family dysfunction could contribute to both. We also assessed psychopathic traits that exist along continua in the general population, not clinical diagnoses or whether someone is a ‘psychopath.'”
The study measured childhood harshness primarily through questions about financial strain and poverty. This focus on material deprivation might miss other forms of adversity, such as physical violence or neighborhood danger. Different types of severe conditions could communicate different threats to a developing child, leading to entirely different personality outcomes.
“Longitudinal research is needed to assess childhood environments as they occur and follow personality development over time,” Zeigler-Hill said. “Future studies should also distinguish among material deprivation, inconsistent caregiving, abuse, neighborhood danger, and other forms of adversity that may have different developmental consequences. We are particularly interested in whether parenting, attachment, and expectations about the reliability of other people help explain the association between unpredictability and psychopathic traits.”
The study, “Remembering chaos: The connections that perceived childhood unpredictability and harshness have with psychopathy,” was authored by Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Jennifer Vonk, Sky Dryer, and Avi Besser.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #RememberingChaos #UnpredictableChildhood #PsychopathyTraits #TriarchicModel #MeannessDisinhibitionBoldness #LifeHistoryTheory #ChildhoodAdversity #GenderDifferences #PsychologyResearch #PersonalityDevelopment
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DATE: August 2, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Remembering a chaotic childhood is linked to psychopathic traits, especially in men
Growing up in a chaotic environment where daily life feels unpredictable tends to be associated with specific psychopathic traits in adulthood, such as impulsivity and a lack of empathy. New research published in Personality and Individual Differences suggests that recalling a highly unstable childhood is positively linked to these traits, particularly among men. The findings provide evidence that different types of childhood adversity shape adult personality in distinct ways.
Psychopathy is a complex personality structure made up of different interacting traits rather than a single diagnosis. Psychologists often use the Triarchic Model to understand these traits, dividing psychopathy into three dimensions. The first dimension is meanness, which involves callousness, a lack of empathy, and a tendency to exploit others.
The second dimension is disinhibition, referring to poor impulse control, difficulty planning ahead, and emotional volatility. The third is boldness, which describes a person who is socially dominant, fearless, and emotionally resilient under pressure.
To understand how these traits develop, scientists often look to evolutionary biology and developmental psychology. One guiding framework is life history theory. This theory proposes that humans unconsciously adjust their behavioral strategies based on the environment they experience during their formative years. If a child grows up in a stable and safe environment, they might invest in long-term goals and cooperative relationships.
If the environment is adverse, a developing child may adopt a fast strategy focused on short-term survival and immediate rewards. Adversity is not a single, uniform experience. Environments can be unpredictable, meaning they are full of chaotic changes, erratic exposure to risks, and inconsistent caregiving. Alternatively, environments can be harsh, which involves constant physical or social strain, such as chronic poverty or a lack of basic resources.
“Previous research has often treated both childhood adversity and psychopathy as broad, unitary constructs,” said Virgil Zeigler-Hill, a distinguished professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University. “We wanted to distinguish between childhood harshness and unpredictability while examining three components of psychopathy: meanness, disinhibition, and boldness. This allowed us to ask which features of childhood environments were associated with which adult personality traits and whether those patterns differed between men and women.”
Distinguishing between these two types of adversity is a central focus of this research. “The findings underscore the importance of treating psychopathy as multidimensional because meanness, disinhibition, and boldness showed different patterns of association with childhood conditions,” Zeigler-Hill said. “They also illustrate why a difficult childhood should not automatically be equated with an unpredictable one. A childhood can be consistently resource-poor but stable, or materially comfortable yet highly chaotic, and those environments may have different implications for personality development.”
To explore these connections, the authors collected data from three separate groups, resulting in a combined sample of 4,873 participants. The sample included 2,919 women and 1,954 men, with ages ranging from 18 to 79 years old. This total group was made up of 557 community members from the United States, 2,765 American college students and community members, and 2,137 community volunteers from Israel. All participants were asked to complete specialized questionnaires measuring their psychological traits and early memories.
Participants filled out the Perceived Childhood Harshness and Unpredictability Scale. This survey asks individuals to rate statements about their early home life, such as whether their family was financially strained or if their daily routine was inconsistent. They also completed versions of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. This assessment asks people to rate how well specific statements describe them, such as whether they jump into things without thinking or if they function well in new situations.
When analyzing the data, the researchers controlled for unpredictability, harshness, and participant gender simultaneously to observe the unique contribution of each factor. They found that perceived childhood unpredictability had a moderate positive association with disinhibition. Participants who remembered highly erratic childhoods reported higher levels of impulsive and reckless behaviors.
Unpredictability also showed a small positive association with meanness. People who recalled chaotic early environments were slightly more likely to report callous and exploitative interpersonal styles.
“The association between childhood unpredictability and disinhibition was medium in magnitude, whereas its association with meanness was smaller but still meaningful,” Zeigler-Hill told PsyPost. “The gender differences were statistically reliable but small, and the associations involving harshness were generally very small after accounting for unpredictability. Our large sample allowed us to detect effects that were reliable even when their practical magnitude was limited.”
The researchers noted that the positive associations between childhood unpredictability and both meanness and disinhibition were stronger for men than for women. The authors suggest this gender difference aligns with evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies. In uncertain environments, men might be more prone to adopt dominance-oriented, risk-taking behaviors to secure immediate resources.
Summarizing the broader impact of these results, Zeigler-Hill added, “People who remembered their childhoods as more chaotic and unpredictable reported greater meanness and disinhibition as adults, with stronger associations among men than women. Unpredictability was more consistently associated with these traits than was harshness, suggesting that instability may matter differently from persistent hardship. However, an unpredictable childhood does not inevitably produce psychopathic traits because personality reflects many genetic, familial, and environmental influences.”
The statistical associations for childhood harshness were different than expected. Before controlling for other variables, harshness had a small positive correlation with disinhibition. Once the researchers factored in unpredictability and gender, this association vanished. It became a slightly negative relationship that was too weak to be considered a meaningful effect.
“We expected harshness to be associated with greater disinhibition, and it was positively correlated with disinhibition when considered alone,” Zeigler-Hill said. “However, that association became slightly negative after accounting for unpredictability and gender, suggesting that previously observed connections with adversity may be driven more specifically by unpredictability.”
Childhood harshness did show a unique negative association with boldness, but only for women. Women who remembered growing up in environments with severe resource scarcity tended to report lower levels of social dominance and fearlessness. The authors noted that chronically adverse environments might encourage heightened vigilance and caution rather than the reduced threat sensitivity that characterizes boldness.
“We were also surprised that harshness was associated with lower boldness primarily among women, although this small effect requires replication,” Zeigler-Hill said.
Because the data relies entirely on self-reported memories collected at a single point in time, the findings describe correlations and cannot establish cause and effect. It is also important for readers to understand that this research measures everyday variations in personality, rather than diagnosing mental health conditions.
“Because this was a cross-sectional study based on retrospective self-reports, we cannot conclude that childhood unpredictability caused psychopathic traits,” Zeigler-Hill said. “Current personality may influence how people remember their childhoods, and unmeasured factors such as genetics, parental personality, or family dysfunction could contribute to both. We also assessed psychopathic traits that exist along continua in the general population, not clinical diagnoses or whether someone is a ‘psychopath.'”
The study measured childhood harshness primarily through questions about financial strain and poverty. This focus on material deprivation might miss other forms of adversity, such as physical violence or neighborhood danger. Different types of severe conditions could communicate different threats to a developing child, leading to entirely different personality outcomes.
“Longitudinal research is needed to assess childhood environments as they occur and follow personality development over time,” Zeigler-Hill said. “Future studies should also distinguish among material deprivation, inconsistent caregiving, abuse, neighborhood danger, and other forms of adversity that may have different developmental consequences. We are particularly interested in whether parenting, attachment, and expectations about the reliability of other people help explain the association between unpredictability and psychopathic traits.”
The study, “Remembering chaos: The connections that perceived childhood unpredictability and harshness have with psychopathy,” was authored by Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Jennifer Vonk, Sky Dryer, and Avi Besser.
-------------------------------------------------
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #RememberingChaos #UnpredictableChildhood #PsychopathyTraits #TriarchicModel #MeannessDisinhibitionBoldness #LifeHistoryTheory #ChildhoodAdversity #GenderDifferences #PsychologyResearch #PersonalityDevelopment
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DATE: July 27, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Men are more likely than women to view infidelity favorably when relationships falter
When adults feel unsatisfied with their romantic partnerships, they are more likely to develop a lenient attitude toward cheating. This psychological link is heavily influenced by a person’s baseline willingness to engage in casual sexual encounters. These findings were published recently in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy.
Romantic relationships require a continuous investment of time and emotional energy. Psychologists often use the investment model of commitment to understand why people stay faithful in a pairing. This model suggests that satisfaction, the sheer quality of the relationship, and the appeal of alternative partners all interact to determine a person’s loyalty.
Unmet needs in a primary relationship often push people to seek intimacy elsewhere. A lack of sexual or emotional satisfaction can weaken the boundaries that usually prevent extradyadic affairs. Still, not every unhappy partner inevitably embarks on an affair, prompting researchers to look for underlying personality traits that tip the scales.
Human beings possess varying levels of openness to uncommitted sexual intimacy. Psychologists refer to this trait as sociosexual orientation, a concept that helps explain vast differences in romantic behavior. People with an unrestricted orientation are highly comfortable with physical intimacy outside of a committed romantic bond. They do not feel an absolute need for love or emotional attachment to enjoy sexual encounters.
Conversely, those with a restricted sociosexual orientation typically require a deep emotional bond before engaging in physical intimacy. They prefer long term strategies and heavy emotional investment with a single partner. Sociosexuality is generally broken down into three distinct components in modern psychological assessments. These include past behavioral tendencies, personal attitudes about casual intimacy, and an ongoing psychological desire for uncommitted encounters.
In the contemporary dating landscape, maintaining loyalty can be uniquely challenging for some individuals. Dating apps and digital messaging platforms provide a constant stream of alternative options for dissatisfied partners. For those with unrestricted tendencies, this modern accessibility might make an unfaithful mindset even easier to adopt.
Past research connects unrestricted sexual orientations with an increased likelihood of cheating. Less understood is exactly how the daily fluctuations in a primary relationship interact with these personal dispositions to shape thoughts about unfaithfulness. Kashish Pandey, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and colleagues wanted to map this specific psychological pathway.
Pandey, along with Priyanka Tiwari, Taranjeet Duggal, and Khusboo K from the Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, designed a survey to test these interactions. They wanted to see if a person’s baseline view on casual sex bridges the gap between a struggling relationship and a willingness to cheat. The team also examined whether gender changed these dynamics, given the different social pressures placed on men and women globally.
The researchers recruited 303 adult participants from the local region encompassing Delhi, India. The sample included 135 men and 168 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years old. A vast majority of these individuals were young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.
The participants reported a wide variety of relationship statuses. Just over half of the respondents were currently dating someone. The rest were cohabiting with a partner, in a loosely defined casual arrangement, or engaging in relationships they simply defined as fluid.
To gather data safely and anonymously, the researchers used online assessment tools. Participants received digital links to a questionnaire designed to take less than ten minutes to complete. The first section utilized a widely used psychological survey called the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory. This test asks respondents to rate their agreement with statements regarding their sexual desires and past behaviors.
The surveying process also utilized a nine question assessment designed to capture relationship quality. This measure asks participants to evaluate their current happiness and satisfaction levels with their partners. Finally, the team administered the Attitude Towards Infidelity Scale to gauge how acceptable participants found cheating in various scenarios.
After running a statistical analysis on the survey results, the researchers noted a distinct pattern across the demographics. Lower relationship quality correlated with a much more positive attitude toward unfaithfulness. Participants unhappy with their current partners viewed outside intimacy as far more acceptable than those in thriving partnerships. This baseline finding matched expectations based on previous studies regarding marital dissatisfaction.
The analysis also showed that this was not a direct emotional jump from unhappiness to approving of affairs. Instead, a person’s sociosexual orientation acted as an intermediate variable. People in less fulfilling relationships were more likely to harbor unrestricted views on casual intimacy generally.
This general openness to uncommitted intimacy then predicted a more lenient attitude toward cheating specifically. The researchers refer to this psychological chain of events as a mediated pathway. Essentially, a poor relationship environment might activate or strengthen a person’s existing tendency toward unrestrictive intimacy.
This phenomenon aligns with a psychological concept known as self congruency theory. Socially unrestricted individuals often experience an increase in wellbeing after casual sexual encounters because the behavior matches their internal values. When a primary relationship fails to provide satisfaction, unrestricted individuals might organically lean toward thoughts that feel authentic to their personal dispositions.
Gender also altered the strength of this psychological pathway. The survey data indicated that men tended to have a higher baseline level of unrestricted sociosexuality than women. When relationship quality dropped, the men were more prone than the women to view outside sexual partners favorably.
The study authors contextualized this gender difference within the framework of evolutionary psychology. They referenced the sexual strategies theory, which proposes that male and female mating behaviors evolved under different reproductive pressures. According to this perspective, ancestral men gained a reproductive advantage by seeking multiple partners across a lifetime.
In contrast, ancestral women possessed a heavier biological burden of parental investment, leading to more selective mating strategies. Beyond evolutionary theory, the researchers also pointed to strictly sociological explanations. In many closed societies, men face a far less severe social stigma for promiscuity than women do.
Because women face higher physical and social risks associated with extramarital affairs, they might maintain less favorable attitudes toward cheating even when profoundly unhappy in a relationship. The authors noted a few methodological limitations in their current work. Because the study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, the results cannot establish a strict cause and effect relationship.
It remains entirely possible that a naturally high interest in casual physical intimacy directly causes a decline in a couple’s happiness, rather than the other way around. To better understand this timeline, future scholars would need to follow couples over several years. Such a longitudinal approach could track how attitudes organically shift as relationships evolve and confront daily challenges.
The current measurements only reflect mental attitudes and self reported dispositions. Favorable thoughts about cheating do not always translate into actual acts of unfaithfulness. The jump from a passing thought to a physical affair involves many other behavioral hurdles. A partner might fantasize about alternative partners but never act on those thoughts due to personal morals or logistical barriers.
Looking forward, researchers could examine how other life variables influence the behavioral boundaries of fidelity. Incorporating metrics like religious beliefs, career stress, and overall mental health could provide a wider context for relationship struggles. Replicating the survey among older populations might also yield different findings, as an aging demographic often reports different long term motivations.
Understanding these psychological pathways can directly benefit modern therapeutic practices. Relationship counselors can use these insights to tailor their approach according to a client’s baseline sociosexual orientation. The findings highlight the absolute importance of emotional transparency and proactive problem solving within a romantic bond.
Addressing relationship deficits early on might prevent a partner from seeking external validation. Fostering open communication channels allows couples to handle dissatisfaction before it morphs into a favorable view of outside intimacy. This proactive approach ultimately helps protect both partners’ psychological wellbeing.
The study, “The entwined nature of infidelity and relationship quality: parallels in theory and practice through a moderated mediation analysis,” was authored by Kashish Pandey, Priyanka Tiwari, Taranjeet Duggal, and Khusboo K.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #infidelity #relationshipquality #sociosexualorientation #monogamy #datingresearch #genderdifferences #evolutionarypsychology #trustinrelationships #relationshiptherapy #unfaithfulnessattitudes
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DATE: July 27, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Men are more likely than women to view infidelity favorably when relationships falter
When adults feel unsatisfied with their romantic partnerships, they are more likely to develop a lenient attitude toward cheating. This psychological link is heavily influenced by a person’s baseline willingness to engage in casual sexual encounters. These findings were published recently in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy.
Romantic relationships require a continuous investment of time and emotional energy. Psychologists often use the investment model of commitment to understand why people stay faithful in a pairing. This model suggests that satisfaction, the sheer quality of the relationship, and the appeal of alternative partners all interact to determine a person’s loyalty.
Unmet needs in a primary relationship often push people to seek intimacy elsewhere. A lack of sexual or emotional satisfaction can weaken the boundaries that usually prevent extradyadic affairs. Still, not every unhappy partner inevitably embarks on an affair, prompting researchers to look for underlying personality traits that tip the scales.
Human beings possess varying levels of openness to uncommitted sexual intimacy. Psychologists refer to this trait as sociosexual orientation, a concept that helps explain vast differences in romantic behavior. People with an unrestricted orientation are highly comfortable with physical intimacy outside of a committed romantic bond. They do not feel an absolute need for love or emotional attachment to enjoy sexual encounters.
Conversely, those with a restricted sociosexual orientation typically require a deep emotional bond before engaging in physical intimacy. They prefer long term strategies and heavy emotional investment with a single partner. Sociosexuality is generally broken down into three distinct components in modern psychological assessments. These include past behavioral tendencies, personal attitudes about casual intimacy, and an ongoing psychological desire for uncommitted encounters.
In the contemporary dating landscape, maintaining loyalty can be uniquely challenging for some individuals. Dating apps and digital messaging platforms provide a constant stream of alternative options for dissatisfied partners. For those with unrestricted tendencies, this modern accessibility might make an unfaithful mindset even easier to adopt.
Past research connects unrestricted sexual orientations with an increased likelihood of cheating. Less understood is exactly how the daily fluctuations in a primary relationship interact with these personal dispositions to shape thoughts about unfaithfulness. Kashish Pandey, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and colleagues wanted to map this specific psychological pathway.
Pandey, along with Priyanka Tiwari, Taranjeet Duggal, and Khusboo K from the Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, designed a survey to test these interactions. They wanted to see if a person’s baseline view on casual sex bridges the gap between a struggling relationship and a willingness to cheat. The team also examined whether gender changed these dynamics, given the different social pressures placed on men and women globally.
The researchers recruited 303 adult participants from the local region encompassing Delhi, India. The sample included 135 men and 168 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years old. A vast majority of these individuals were young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.
The participants reported a wide variety of relationship statuses. Just over half of the respondents were currently dating someone. The rest were cohabiting with a partner, in a loosely defined casual arrangement, or engaging in relationships they simply defined as fluid.
To gather data safely and anonymously, the researchers used online assessment tools. Participants received digital links to a questionnaire designed to take less than ten minutes to complete. The first section utilized a widely used psychological survey called the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory. This test asks respondents to rate their agreement with statements regarding their sexual desires and past behaviors.
The surveying process also utilized a nine question assessment designed to capture relationship quality. This measure asks participants to evaluate their current happiness and satisfaction levels with their partners. Finally, the team administered the Attitude Towards Infidelity Scale to gauge how acceptable participants found cheating in various scenarios.
After running a statistical analysis on the survey results, the researchers noted a distinct pattern across the demographics. Lower relationship quality correlated with a much more positive attitude toward unfaithfulness. Participants unhappy with their current partners viewed outside intimacy as far more acceptable than those in thriving partnerships. This baseline finding matched expectations based on previous studies regarding marital dissatisfaction.
The analysis also showed that this was not a direct emotional jump from unhappiness to approving of affairs. Instead, a person’s sociosexual orientation acted as an intermediate variable. People in less fulfilling relationships were more likely to harbor unrestricted views on casual intimacy generally.
This general openness to uncommitted intimacy then predicted a more lenient attitude toward cheating specifically. The researchers refer to this psychological chain of events as a mediated pathway. Essentially, a poor relationship environment might activate or strengthen a person’s existing tendency toward unrestrictive intimacy.
This phenomenon aligns with a psychological concept known as self congruency theory. Socially unrestricted individuals often experience an increase in wellbeing after casual sexual encounters because the behavior matches their internal values. When a primary relationship fails to provide satisfaction, unrestricted individuals might organically lean toward thoughts that feel authentic to their personal dispositions.
Gender also altered the strength of this psychological pathway. The survey data indicated that men tended to have a higher baseline level of unrestricted sociosexuality than women. When relationship quality dropped, the men were more prone than the women to view outside sexual partners favorably.
The study authors contextualized this gender difference within the framework of evolutionary psychology. They referenced the sexual strategies theory, which proposes that male and female mating behaviors evolved under different reproductive pressures. According to this perspective, ancestral men gained a reproductive advantage by seeking multiple partners across a lifetime.
In contrast, ancestral women possessed a heavier biological burden of parental investment, leading to more selective mating strategies. Beyond evolutionary theory, the researchers also pointed to strictly sociological explanations. In many closed societies, men face a far less severe social stigma for promiscuity than women do.
Because women face higher physical and social risks associated with extramarital affairs, they might maintain less favorable attitudes toward cheating even when profoundly unhappy in a relationship. The authors noted a few methodological limitations in their current work. Because the study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, the results cannot establish a strict cause and effect relationship.
It remains entirely possible that a naturally high interest in casual physical intimacy directly causes a decline in a couple’s happiness, rather than the other way around. To better understand this timeline, future scholars would need to follow couples over several years. Such a longitudinal approach could track how attitudes organically shift as relationships evolve and confront daily challenges.
The current measurements only reflect mental attitudes and self reported dispositions. Favorable thoughts about cheating do not always translate into actual acts of unfaithfulness. The jump from a passing thought to a physical affair involves many other behavioral hurdles. A partner might fantasize about alternative partners but never act on those thoughts due to personal morals or logistical barriers.
Looking forward, researchers could examine how other life variables influence the behavioral boundaries of fidelity. Incorporating metrics like religious beliefs, career stress, and overall mental health could provide a wider context for relationship struggles. Replicating the survey among older populations might also yield different findings, as an aging demographic often reports different long term motivations.
Understanding these psychological pathways can directly benefit modern therapeutic practices. Relationship counselors can use these insights to tailor their approach according to a client’s baseline sociosexual orientation. The findings highlight the absolute importance of emotional transparency and proactive problem solving within a romantic bond.
Addressing relationship deficits early on might prevent a partner from seeking external validation. Fostering open communication channels allows couples to handle dissatisfaction before it morphs into a favorable view of outside intimacy. This proactive approach ultimately helps protect both partners’ psychological wellbeing.
The study, “The entwined nature of infidelity and relationship quality: parallels in theory and practice through a moderated mediation analysis,” was authored by Kashish Pandey, Priyanka Tiwari, Taranjeet Duggal, and Khusboo K.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #infidelity #relationshipquality #sociosexualorientation #monogamy #datingresearch #genderdifferences #evolutionarypsychology #trustinrelationships #relationshiptherapy #unfaithfulnessattitudes
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Examination of 47 mothers and their newborns found that higher maternal estrogen in the first trimester was associated with greater head circumference of the newborn. The effect was stronger for male than female babies.
Summary: https://neurosciencenews.com/prenatal-estrogen-newborn-iq-30996/
Original paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378226001295
#Science #Pregnancy #Estrogen #SedDifferences #GenderDifferences
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Examination of 47 mothers and their newborns found that higher maternal estrogen in the first trimester was associated with greater head circumference of the newborn. The effect was stronger for male than female babies.
Summary: https://neurosciencenews.com/prenatal-estrogen-newborn-iq-30996/
Original paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378226001295
#Science #Pregnancy #Estrogen #SedDifferences #GenderDifferences
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An interesting discussion of research results, and stereotypes, on the relative abilities of men and women to multitask:
#Science #Multitasking #Performance #GenderDifferences #SexDifferences
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An interesting discussion of research results, and stereotypes, on the relative abilities of men and women to multitask:
#Science #Multitasking #Performance #GenderDifferences #SexDifferences
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There are differences in the anatomy of men and women, and medical procedures are often designed for male anatomy.
https://theconversation.com/routine-medical-procedures-can-feel-harder-for-women-heres-why-274041
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There are differences in the anatomy of men and women, and medical procedures are often designed for male anatomy.
https://theconversation.com/routine-medical-procedures-can-feel-harder-for-women-heres-why-274041
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Sex Drive: 5 Surprising Facts from a 67k Person Study
Originally Published on January 27th, 2026 at 08:00 amWhat really drives sexual desire? We often rely on a handful of common assumptions about age, gender, and relationships to answer this question. But what happens when we peel back the layers and look at the science behind sex drive?
A groundbreaking study from the Estonian Biobank provides some of the clearest answers to date, challenging much of our conventional wisdom.
By analyzing data from over 67,000 participants (N = 67,334), researchers uncovered a complex tapestry of unseen forces shaping who wants sex and why. This article shares the most counter-intuitive findings from this massive study that are changing our understanding of human libido.
The Gender Gap in Desire is Wider and More Persistent Than we Thought
The first force this study brings into sharp focus is gender.
While it’s no secret that men, on average, report higher sex drive than women, this research revealed the difference to be exceptionally large and consistent across the lifespan.
In fact, the effect size found was even larger than those documented in previous large-scale meta-analyses. η² = 0.18, a large effect size indicating that gender alone explained a substantial 18% of the difference in desire.
This robust finding underscores just how profound and persistent the influence of gender is on libido. The study’s authors highlight the sheer magnitude of this difference across different life stages:
“Even the peak of average woman’s sexual desire at ages around 20 to 30 remains lower than men’s average levels across much of adulthood. It is only after the age of 60 + that men’s declining sexual desire falls below the highest levels ever reported by women.”
Furthermore, the research showed that this gap in desire actually widens with age, reaching its peak in the 60+ age group.
Men’s Sex Drive Peaks Surprisingly Late
We’re often told that a man’s sex drive is like a rocket. Supposedly peaking in his late teens and slowly coming down.
This study, however, suggests it’s more of a long climb to a high plateau.
Contrary to popular belief, men’s sexual desire actually peaked around their late 30s to early 40s. This finding was particularly surprising because it runs counter to what we know about male biology.
The researchers noted the unexpected nature of this pattern:
“A noteworthy finding was that men’s sexual desire peaked around the age of 40, exceeding even early adulthood levels… This pattern is surprising because it does not align with the well-documented trajectory of testosterone decline…”
This suggests that factors beyond simple biology are at play.
The researchers propose that men in this age group “are more likely to be in stable long-term relationships, which have been associated with increased sexual activity and emotional intimacy.”
In another fascinating hypothesis, they suggest that as men get older, their “levels of desire may be starting to adapt to their partner’s declining levels of desire,” which could help explain the drop-off in later life.
Licensed Professional Counselors, do you need continuing education hours?
Look no further!
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Parenthood Affects Men and Women’s Desire in Opposite Ways
One of the most fascinating unseen forces revealed by the study was how parenthood impacts libido differently for men and women.
For men, having more children was consistently associated with higher sexual desire. This effect grew stronger with each additional child, with the largest positive association found in fathers with five children. β = 0.43, indicating a strong positive association between fatherhood of five children and higher desire compared to mothers.
This stands in stark contrast to the experience of women, where the demands of parenthood are frequently linked to a decline in desire. A trend also suggested by the study’s data.
The researchers speculate that this opposing effect may reflect:
“…gendered differences in parental roles, stress levels, time availability, and energy investment within a family.”
They also offer a thought-provoking alternative explanation: it’s possible that “higher levels of desire may contribute to men having more children” in the first place, showing the complex relationship between cause and effect.
Single People May Actually Have a Higher Sex Drive
It’s often assumed that being in a committed relationship is the key to a healthy sex drive.
At first glance, the data seemed to support this, showing that partnered people had slightly higher desire on average. But when the researchers used a more powerful statistical lens, controlling for factors like age and gender, the picture flipped.
Partnered individuals actually reported lower sexual desire compared to their single counterparts. β = −0.10, a small but statistically significant effect suggesting that, all else being equal, being in a relationship was linked to a slight decrease in desire.
This surprising result challenges the idea that a relationship automatically sustains high desire. The study’s authors suggest this could be related to habituation in long-term partnerships, a phenomenon that “particularly for women, points to the potential for habituation and shifts in relational dynamics over time.”
In other words, the comfort of a long-term relationship may sometimes come at the expense of novelty.
Are you a professional looking to stay up-to-date with the latest information on, sex addiction, trauma, and mental health news and research? Or maybe you’re looking for continuing education courses?
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Your Career Choice Could Be Linked to Your Libido
In perhaps the most novel finding, the study uncovered a remarkable link between a person’s occupation and their level of sexual desire. Simple averages suggested that people in manual-labor and military jobs had the highest libido, but the researchers quickly noted this was likely because those fields are dominated by younger men.
The real story emerged after controlling for factors like age and gender. The study then compared all occupations to a baseline group: senior managers. The results were clear:
- Lower Desire Occupations (Compared to Senior Managers): After accounting for other factors, nearly every other occupation was linked to significantly lower sexual desire. This effect was especially strong for elementary workers (β = -0.27), skilled workers and craftsmen (β = -0.19), and office and customer service workers (β = -0.16).
This highlights the often-overlooked connection between our professional lives, daily stress, and our personal well-being. It suggests that the pressures and routines of our jobs can be a powerful, hidden influence on our libido.
Conclusion: Rethinking What We Know About Sex Drive
This research paints a new picture where desire isn’t just a biological switch. It’s a dynamic outcome of a person’s age, gender, parental role, relationship status, and even their career.
The fact that these demographic and life factors alone could explain nearly 30% of the variance in sexual desire underscores just how profoundly they shape this fundamental human experience.
As we learn more about the complex web of factors that shape our desires, how might we change the conversations we have about sexuality in our own relationships?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.
For an in-depth guide on talking to your adolescents about cybersex and pornography, check out Dr. Jen’s book. Amazon | BookBaby
Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.
Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.
#ageAndLibido #biopsychosocialModel #couplesCounseling #EstonianBiobank #evidenceBasedTherapy #genderDifferences #habituation #intimacy #largeScaleStudy #libido #marriageAndSex #menSDesire #mentalHealth #occupationalStress #parenthoodAndLibido #psychologyOfSex #relationshipDynamics #sexDrive #sexEducation #sexResearch #sexualDesire #sexualFrequency #sexualHealth #sexualWellbeing #singleVsPartnered #stressAndLibido #womenSDesire -
Sex Drive: 5 Surprising Facts from a 67k Person Study
Originally Published on January 27th, 2026 at 08:00 amWhat really drives sexual desire? We often rely on a handful of common assumptions about age, gender, and relationships to answer this question. But what happens when we peel back the layers and look at the science behind sex drive?
A groundbreaking study from the Estonian Biobank provides some of the clearest answers to date, challenging much of our conventional wisdom.
By analyzing data from over 67,000 participants (N = 67,334), researchers uncovered a complex tapestry of unseen forces shaping who wants sex and why. This article shares the most counter-intuitive findings from this massive study that are changing our understanding of human libido.
The Gender Gap in Desire is Wider and More Persistent Than we Thought
The first force this study brings into sharp focus is gender.
While it’s no secret that men, on average, report higher sex drive than women, this research revealed the difference to be exceptionally large and consistent across the lifespan.
In fact, the effect size found was even larger than those documented in previous large-scale meta-analyses. η² = 0.18, a large effect size indicating that gender alone explained a substantial 18% of the difference in desire.
This robust finding underscores just how profound and persistent the influence of gender is on libido. The study’s authors highlight the sheer magnitude of this difference across different life stages:
“Even the peak of average woman’s sexual desire at ages around 20 to 30 remains lower than men’s average levels across much of adulthood. It is only after the age of 60 + that men’s declining sexual desire falls below the highest levels ever reported by women.”
Furthermore, the research showed that this gap in desire actually widens with age, reaching its peak in the 60+ age group.
Men’s Sex Drive Peaks Surprisingly Late
We’re often told that a man’s sex drive is like a rocket. Supposedly peaking in his late teens and slowly coming down.
This study, however, suggests it’s more of a long climb to a high plateau.
Contrary to popular belief, men’s sexual desire actually peaked around their late 30s to early 40s. This finding was particularly surprising because it runs counter to what we know about male biology.
The researchers noted the unexpected nature of this pattern:
“A noteworthy finding was that men’s sexual desire peaked around the age of 40, exceeding even early adulthood levels… This pattern is surprising because it does not align with the well-documented trajectory of testosterone decline…”
This suggests that factors beyond simple biology are at play.
The researchers propose that men in this age group “are more likely to be in stable long-term relationships, which have been associated with increased sexual activity and emotional intimacy.”
In another fascinating hypothesis, they suggest that as men get older, their “levels of desire may be starting to adapt to their partner’s declining levels of desire,” which could help explain the drop-off in later life.
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Parenthood Affects Men and Women’s Desire in Opposite Ways
One of the most fascinating unseen forces revealed by the study was how parenthood impacts libido differently for men and women.
For men, having more children was consistently associated with higher sexual desire. This effect grew stronger with each additional child, with the largest positive association found in fathers with five children. β = 0.43, indicating a strong positive association between fatherhood of five children and higher desire compared to mothers.
This stands in stark contrast to the experience of women, where the demands of parenthood are frequently linked to a decline in desire. A trend also suggested by the study’s data.
The researchers speculate that this opposing effect may reflect:
“…gendered differences in parental roles, stress levels, time availability, and energy investment within a family.”
They also offer a thought-provoking alternative explanation: it’s possible that “higher levels of desire may contribute to men having more children” in the first place, showing the complex relationship between cause and effect.
Single People May Actually Have a Higher Sex Drive
It’s often assumed that being in a committed relationship is the key to a healthy sex drive.
At first glance, the data seemed to support this, showing that partnered people had slightly higher desire on average. But when the researchers used a more powerful statistical lens, controlling for factors like age and gender, the picture flipped.
Partnered individuals actually reported lower sexual desire compared to their single counterparts. β = −0.10, a small but statistically significant effect suggesting that, all else being equal, being in a relationship was linked to a slight decrease in desire.
This surprising result challenges the idea that a relationship automatically sustains high desire. The study’s authors suggest this could be related to habituation in long-term partnerships, a phenomenon that “particularly for women, points to the potential for habituation and shifts in relational dynamics over time.”
In other words, the comfort of a long-term relationship may sometimes come at the expense of novelty.
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Your Career Choice Could Be Linked to Your Libido
In perhaps the most novel finding, the study uncovered a remarkable link between a person’s occupation and their level of sexual desire. Simple averages suggested that people in manual-labor and military jobs had the highest libido, but the researchers quickly noted this was likely because those fields are dominated by younger men.
The real story emerged after controlling for factors like age and gender. The study then compared all occupations to a baseline group: senior managers. The results were clear:
- Lower Desire Occupations (Compared to Senior Managers): After accounting for other factors, nearly every other occupation was linked to significantly lower sexual desire. This effect was especially strong for elementary workers (β = -0.27), skilled workers and craftsmen (β = -0.19), and office and customer service workers (β = -0.16).
This highlights the often-overlooked connection between our professional lives, daily stress, and our personal well-being. It suggests that the pressures and routines of our jobs can be a powerful, hidden influence on our libido.
Conclusion: Rethinking What We Know About Sex Drive
This research paints a new picture where desire isn’t just a biological switch. It’s a dynamic outcome of a person’s age, gender, parental role, relationship status, and even their career.
The fact that these demographic and life factors alone could explain nearly 30% of the variance in sexual desire underscores just how profoundly they shape this fundamental human experience.
As we learn more about the complex web of factors that shape our desires, how might we change the conversations we have about sexuality in our own relationships?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.
Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.
#ageAndLibido #biopsychosocialModel #couplesCounseling #EstonianBiobank #evidenceBasedTherapy #genderDifferences #habituation #intimacy #largeScaleStudy #libido #marriageAndSex #menSDesire #mentalHealth #occupationalStress #parenthoodAndLibido #psychologyOfSex #relationshipDynamics #sexDrive #sexEducation #sexResearch #sexualDesire #sexualFrequency #sexualHealth #sexualWellbeing #singleVsPartnered #stressAndLibido #womenSDesire -
Explore the fascinating differences in memory between men and women! We delve into why women remember stories more vividly while men struggle with recall. Discover the humor and insights in this engaging comparison of memory skills. #MemoryGames #MemorySkills #GenderDifferences #WomensMemory #MensMemory #CognitivePsychology #BrainFacts #MemoryComparison #RecallAbility #FunnyMoments #MindGames
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Explore the fascinating differences in memory between men and women! We delve into why women remember stories more vividly while men struggle with recall. Discover the humor and insights in this engaging comparison of memory skills. #MemoryGames #MemorySkills #GenderDifferences #WomensMemory #MensMemory #CognitivePsychology #BrainFacts #MemoryComparison #RecallAbility #FunnyMoments #MindGames
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Hot off the press - our report on gender disparities in grant seeking at the University of Cambridge (who applies for and who gets research grant funding).
The story:
1) The structural disparities are big (not so surprising)
2) The patterns of disparity at particular grades in particular disciplines go both ways (more surprising)#ResearchPolicy
#ResearchGrants
#GenderDifferences
#BayesianIf you like graphs, you'll probably like it!
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Middle-aged men use more dating apps, and for longer, than women https://www.psypost.org/middle-aged-men-use-more-dating-apps-and-for-longer-than-women/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #DatingApps #MiddleAgedMen #DatingTrends #HeterosexualDating #GenderDifferences
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Eye-tracking study reveals where women and men look when viewing a female butt https://www.psypost.org/eye-tracking-study-reveals-where-women-and-men-look-when-viewing-a-female-butt/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #EyeTracking #GenderDifferences #ResearchStudy #HumanBehavior #VisualAttention
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Men exhibit stronger sunk cost bias than women when mating motives are activated https://www.psypost.org/men-exhibit-stronger-sunk-cost-bias-than-women-when-mating-motives-are-activated/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #SunkCostBias #MatingPsychology #GenderDifferences #RomanticCues #InvestmentBehavior
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New research sheds light on how men and women differ in concerns about sexual addiction https://www.psypost.org/new-research-sheds-light-on-how-men-and-women-differ-in-concerns-about-sexual-addiction/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #SexualAddiction #MentalHealth #GenderDifferences #CompulsiveBehavior #SexualHealth
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Are women better at forecasting relationship outcomes? New study provides intriguing insights https://www.psypost.org/are-women-better-at-forecasting-relationship-outcomes-new-study-provides-intriguing-insights/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #WomenInScience #RelationshipGoals #GenderDifferences #NewStudy #ResearchInsights
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After exposure to anesthetics, females regain consciousness and cognition faster than males https://www.psypost.org/after-exposure-to-anesthetics-females-regain-consciousness-and-cognition-faster-than-males/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #FemaleBrain #Anesthetics #Consciousness #Cognition #GenderDifferences
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New research: Married men age more gracefully — but for women, it’s complicated https://www.psypost.org/new-research-married-men-age-more-gracefully-but-for-women-its-complicated/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #MarriageAging #SuccessfulAging #GenderDifferences #MarriedMen #AgingGracefully
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Researchers discover surprising gender gap in online reviews on “a gigantic scale” https://www.psypost.org/researchers-discover-surprising-gender-gap-in-online-reviews-on-a-gigantic-scale/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #GenderGap #OnlineReviews #Research #Study #GenderDifferences
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Men Really Do Eat More Meat Than Women, Study Says 🍔🥩
When given the choice, men tend to eat more meat while women eat less, researchers say. 🧑🔬
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-climate-men-eating-meat_l_666b7328e4b082cfb5d9bebe
#MeatEating #DietChoices #GenderDifferences #FoodStudy #ScienceFindings
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Men Really Do Eat More Meat Than Women, Study Says 🍔🥩
When given the choice, men tend to eat more meat while women eat less, researchers say. 🧑🔬
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-climate-men-eating-meat_l_666b7328e4b082cfb5d9bebe
#MeatEating #DietChoices #GenderDifferences #FoodStudy #ScienceFindings
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Songs that are about #science are great - like this one about gender differences in spatial navigation.
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Songs that are about #science are great - like this one about gender differences in spatial navigation.
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⭕️ En 81.000 evaluaciones de equipos, estos son los adjetivos que más se repetían con hombres y mujeres. Vía @loretahur
https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-different-words-we-use-to-describe-male-and-female-leaders
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@draliceevans @AngieMaxwell This is super interesting, Alice. Which survey is it? #sexism #discrimination #genderDifferences #ModernSexism... Remember to use #hashtags so people can find you by topic, Alice.. 😄
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CW: Long rant, gender, "toxic masculinity", society, misanthropy, negative.
@dhfir
4/4… about #journalist pay due to Fakebook domination. No need to look at #UBI. They just needed to #virtueSignal on mythical #narratives of #men behaving badly. Maybe wip out annecdotes of alleged #genderDifferences, etc.The divisiveness of alleged systemic #sexism thus serves #power.
What easier way to split a nation than to split them by sex.
#rhetoric #restrictTheFrame #divideAndRule #post2016Era #distraction