In 1974 an article appeared in Science magazine with the dry-sounding title “Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases” by a pair of psychologists who were not well known outside their discipline of decision theory. In it Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman introduced the world to Prospect Theory, which mapped out how humans actually behave when faced with decisions about gains and losses, in contrast to how economists assumed that people behave. Prospect Theory turned Economics on its head by demonstrating through a series of ingenious experiments that people are much more concerned with losses than they are with gains, and that framing a choice from one perspective or the other will result in decisions that are exactly the opposite of each other, even if the outcomes are monetarily the same. Prospect Theory led cognitive psychology in a new direction that began to uncover other human biases in thinking that are probably not learned but are part of our brain’s wiring.

Thinking fast and slow.

Ethnic Groups in Conflict

Evaluating Model Fit

Why do girls tend to earn better grades in school than boys? Why are men still far more likely than women to earn degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? And why are men on average more likely to be injured in accidents and fights than women? These and many other questions are the subject of both informal investigation in the media and formal investigation in academic and scientific circles. In his landmark book "Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences", author David Geary provided the first comprehensive evolutionary model to explain human sex differences. Using the principles of sexual selection such as female choice and male-male competition, the author systematically reviewed and discussed the evolution of sex differences and their expression throughout the animal kingdom, as a means of not just describing but explaining the same process in Homo sapiens. Now, over ten years since the first edition, Geary has completed a massive update, expansion and theoretical revision of his classic text. New findings in brain and genetic research inform a wealth of new material, including a new chapter on sex differences in patterns of life history development; expanded coverage of genetic research (e.g. DNA finger printing to determine paternity as related to male-male competition in primates); fatherhood in humans; cross-cultural patterns of sex differences in choosing and competing for mates; and, genetic, hormonal, and socio-cultural influences on the expression of sex differences. Finally, through his motivation to control framework (introduction in the first edition and expanded in "The Origin of Mind", 2005), Geary presents a theoretical bridge linking parenting, mate choices, and competition, with children's development and sex differences in brain and cognition. The result is an even better book than the original - a lively and nuanced application of Darwin's insight to help explain our heritage and our place in the natural world.

Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences

Testosterone and Human Aggression: An Evaluation of the Challenge Hypothesis

https://www.uv.es/labnsc/art%20labnsc/2003/salvador%20et%20al.,%202003%20pnec.pdf

Anticipatory cortisol, testosterone and psychological responses to judo competition in young men.

https://www.uv.es/labnsc/art%20labnsc/1999/gonzalez_bono%20et%20al.,%201999%20horm%20behav.pdf

Testosterone, cortisol, and mood in a sports team competition.

Relationships between perceived exertion and blood lactate have usually been studied in laboratory or training contexts but not in competition, the most important setting in which sports performance is evaluated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between psychological and physiological indices of the physical effort in a competition setting, taking into account the duration of effort. For this, we employed two Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE and CR-10) and lactic acid plasma concentration as a biological marker of the effort performed. 13 male judo fighters who participated in a sports club competition provided capillary blood samples to assay lactate concentrations and indicated on scale their Recall of Perceived Exertion in the total competition and again in just the Last Fight to compare the usefulness of RPE and CR-10 in assessing discrete bouts of effort and a whole session. Analysis showed that perceived exertion or the effort made during the whole competition was positiv...

Relationships between recall of perceived exertion and blood lactate concentration in a judo competition.

Este estudio pretende comparar la respuesta psicofisiologica (emocional, hormonal y cardiovascular) a una jornada laboral con la de un dia de descanso en un grupo de profesores. Ademas, se pretenden analizar las diferencias de genero y su posible relacion con el «burnout». El procedimiento basico consistio en la medicion del estres percibido, el estado de animo, la frecuencia cardiaca y los niveles hormonales de testosterona cortisol en diversos momentos de ambas jornadas. Durante la jornada laboral se ha producido mayor percepcion de estres y frecuencia cardiaca junto a un empeoramiento del estado de animo en comparacion con el dia de descanso. Ademas, en el caso de las mujeres los niveles de testosterona son menores durante el dia de trabajo. Por otra parte, las puntuaciones en «burnout» correlacionan en positivo con el estado de animo negativo. La respuesta psicofisiologica a estresores reales difiere en funcion de las demandas ambientales. Psychophysiological stress response in a working day. The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychological, cardiovascular and endocrine response to real stressors in natural conditions, by means of the comparison of a working and a non-work day in a group of teachers. Additionally, others aims were to study the gender differences and the relationship between this response and burnout. Perceived stress, mood, heart rate and testosterone and cortisol levels were measured in different moments of both days. The results show that the working day produces a worse negative mood and higher perceived stress and heart rate than the non-work day in the total sample, and lower testosterone levels only in the case of women. In addition, burnout scores correlate positively with negative mood. Psychophysiological response to real life stressors depends on the environmental demands.

https://www.uv.es/labnsc/art%20labnsc/2005/mora_albiol%20et%20al.,%202005%20psicothema.pdf

Respuesta psicofisiológica de estrés en una jornada laboral

Mood, personal merit, and/or its perception have been suggested to be mediating factors in testosterone responses to competition. Previously we have found that personal contribution and attribution were related to testosterone levels after successful competition. To confirm such associations, two basketball teams (n = 17 players) that emerged as winners in two actual matches were studied. Salivary testosterone levels and mood were measured before and after the games. Individual contribution to the outcome was assessed, and personal satisfaction and causal attribution of outcome were reported by players. Testosterone concentrations increased to near significance in Team 1 but not in Team 2, who attributed their victory more to luck than did Team 1. This latter team showed notably decreased vigor, and both teams showed fatigue at the end of the match. Post-match testosterone levels were only significantly, negatively related to external attribution. The results support the idea that causal attribution of the outcome is contributing to the variance of the testosterone responses to real confrontations where the outcome is highly dependent on personal merit.

Miguel Ángel Serrano

Papers

Anticipatory cortisol, testosterone and psychological responses to judo competition in young men.

Testosterone, cortisol, and mood in a sports team competition.

Relationships between recall of perceived exertion and blood lactate concentration in a judo competition.

Respuesta psicofisiológica de estrés en una jornada laboral

Testosterone and attribution of successful competition