A recent study published in the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science reports that the presence of an attractive woman elevates testosterone and physical risk taking in young men. According to Sage Journals Online:
The authors report a field experiment with skateboarders that demonstrates that physical risk taking by young men increases in the presence of an attractive female. This increased risk taking leads to more successes but also more crash landings in front of a female observer. Mediational analyses suggest that this increase in risk taking is caused in part by elevated testosterone levels of men who performed in front of the attractive female. In addition, skateboarders’ risk taking was predicted by their performance on a reversal-learning task, reversal-learning performance was disrupted by the presence of the attractive female, and the female’s presence moderated the observed relationship between risk taking and reversal learning. These results suggest that men use physical risk taking as a sexual display strategy, and they provide suggestive evidence regarding possible hormonal and neural mechanisms.
I used to have a graphic reserved for this. Where is it? Oh yeah, right here. The pinup girl above right was a sticker design found on eBay somewhere, I lost my spotlight comments. is that your sexy look or are you pissed off? I kind of prefer Charlotte Diesel.
– Thanks to Steve B for the tip. [Source: Ars Technica]
14 comments
curtis
the jornal of social psycological and personality science? duh! what a bunch of limp dicks! instead of using the term “young men”, they could say “males”. I am 40 and I am aware I turn my game up a notch in the presence of a female with reproductive capabillities, she does not need to be all that “attractive” either. how do these people get through college and not learn that stuff? what was the thought process behind hatching the idea of this study? “I will PROVE once and for all through statistical science that boys show off in front of girls!” what a waste of resources
Talentlessquitter
Does the chick on the left have a big Jessee Sungod tattoo around her p……..ok…
Mac
Curtis, it’s called “publish or die.” Academics live by this creed. Some psych grad students at the University of Queensland in Australia were out of ideas for their thesis so they went down to the quad to hit the ledge. Some “attractive females” strolled up, and the ripping, and crashing, commenced. Light bulb. Next thing you know, their thesis is in Skate & Annoy.
mb
What kinda dumbass only figures out that boys show off in front of hot girls when he gets to uni? I went to uni but i figured that shit out years before hand.
ticorico
next thing they’ll discover drinking beer improves one’s rippitude. Duh.
roszco
That’s why I suck when PRBL’s around. He has the total opposite effect.
Ticorico, I can rip around.
Mac
mb, of course everyone knows this, but the brilliant stroke is finding something that everyone knows is true, proving it scientifically, and then publishing a paper about it. That’s the key to success in academia.
michael
we also would have accepted when slayer “angel of death” comes up on thee ole I-pod!!!
Estes' Ghost
Regurgitated story from Boardistan.com eh Randy?
kilwag
Estes, you should know better. If it’s regurgitated, I give credit where credit is due. This one came via a friend who is a regular on ARS, as noted in the byline. This may only be a simple skateboarding wenb site, but I gots ethics!
marek
i saw this for the first time on psychologytoday.com about three months ago. who cares. my question is: what if the skater is gay? doesnt it give him and unfair advantage in the field full of sweaty young dudes? what if i just discovered the secret of all real rippers???
ssk
Another great leap forward for science.
curtis
aside from the jason jessee tatoo, as a non catholic or even religious person at all, I am mostly hot for the nun chick on the left.
curtis
the other left. the usual right