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Biological Psychology Commons

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Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Biological Psychology

Sex-Typical Body Shape, Quality Indicators And Behaviors, Kyungok Sim Jan 2011

Sex-Typical Body Shape, Quality Indicators And Behaviors, Kyungok Sim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

According to evolutionary theory, sex-typical body shapes (a man's muscular physique and a woman's hourglass figure) are an outcome of evolutionary adaptation in reproductive fitness because they convey information about gene quality, health and fertility, which are important elements for mate selection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sex-typical body shape predicts individual variation in morphological traits that signal quality [fluctuating asymmetry (FA), hand grip strength (HGS), digit ratios (2D:4D) and leg-to-torso ratio (LTR)] and in psychological masculinity/femininity and the role of these in reproductive fitness. The results revealed that a man's masculine body shape predicted low …


The Differential Effects Of Genetic And Dietary Alterations In Folate Status On Prefrontal Cortical Functions, Jessica Amanda Ash Jan 2011

The Differential Effects Of Genetic And Dietary Alterations In Folate Status On Prefrontal Cortical Functions, Jessica Amanda Ash

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Folate status plays an essential role in embryogenesis and brain development; however, its importance in supporting cognitive functioning throughout adulthood is less clear. The present study was interested in examining the effects of genetic and dietary alterations in folate status on prefrontal cortical functions in mice, modeling a common polymorphism in the MTHFD1 gene in folate metabolism. A factorial design was used crossing two genotypes (mice with a gene trap insertion in the Mthfd1 gene exhibiting 50% decreased Mthfd1 expression: Mthfd1gt/+ mice or wildtype mice) with two levels of dietary folate (folate sufficient or folate deficient). The mice were tested …


Features Of The Human Body And Voice : The Biological Impact On Perception And Attraction Through Multiple Sensory Domains, Roy Nathan Pipitone Jan 2011

Features Of The Human Body And Voice : The Biological Impact On Perception And Attraction Through Multiple Sensory Domains, Roy Nathan Pipitone

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A growing body of literature has shown that variation in the sound of a person's voice conveys important information about our underlying biology. The present studies further investigate how the human voice can be used as a medium that disseminates characteristics related to mate quality and attraction. The human voice has been shown to be affected by cyclic hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, and raters show preferences for voice recordings at heightened fertility times compared to other times during the menstrual cycle. In the current studies, this finding was replicated multiple times and less masculine males were found to …