Helen H. Moore's Blog, page 768
May 26, 2016
Do women really go for “bad boys”? Science settles the age-old question
Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder in "Reality Bites"
“Nice guys finish last” is one of the most widely believed maxims of dating. Fleshed out, the idea goes something like this: heterosexual women might say they want nice characteristics in a partner, but in reality what they want is the challenge that comes with dating a “bad boy”. This idea is so widespread that some people are even making money off the back of it, selling self-help books and teaching men how to pick up women by insulting them – a practice known as “negging”.
Recently, an article published by Broadly claimed, “Everyone knows [bad boys] … are desirable. Thanks to a recent study, this is now scientifically verifiable.”
The research it refers to is a study published earlier this year, which suggested that some men smoke and drink because this makes them more attractive short-term partners.
Leaving aside the obvious point that the article is conflating “bad” with drinking and smoking (as Girl on the Net writes, “badness” is really a lot more than just smoking 20 a day or drinking like there’s no tomorrow), is it really true that women prefer bad boys (read: insensitive, macho jerks)? Let’s take a look at some reliable scientific evidence.
One way to investigate the issue is to present women with hypothetical men with different personality types and see which ones they prefer. In one such study, participants had to help a fictional character named Susan choose a date from three male contestants, based on their answers to her questions. In one version, the man was nice – he was in touch with his feelings, caring and kind. In another, he was a self-described “real man” who was insensitive and unkind. The third contestant simply gave neutral answers.
So which contestant did participants think Susan should date and who did they prefer to date themselves? Contrary to the stereotype that nice guys finish last, it was actually the nice contestant that was chosen most frequently for both Susan and for participants themselves.
In another study, participants who read dating ads in which people described themselves as altruistic (“I volunteer at the food bank”) were rated as more attractive short-term dates and long-term partners than those who didn’t mention such qualities. Other studies have similarly shown that women prefer men who are sensitive, confident and easy-going, and that very few (if any) women want to date a man who is aggressive or demanding. The picture that emerges is clear: when women rate hypothetical partners, they clearly prefer “nice” men.
In fact, the power of niceness shouldn’t be underestimated. Some studies have shown that having a nice personality can even affect impressions of a person’s physical attractiveness. Characteristics such as warmth, kindness, and basic decency are valued by both women and men – having them makes us more desirable partners, but also makes us appear more physically attractive.
The attractive power of narcissists
Of course, sometimes we do find “bad” people attractive. Narcissists – people who show high levels of self-importance, superiority, entitlement, arrogance and a willingness to exploit others – are often perceived as very attractive in initial encounters. This may be because they put a lot of effort into their appearance and how they come across. Studies have shown that female narcissists tend to wear more make-up and show more cleavage than women who score lower on narcissism, whereas male narcissists spend more time building up their muscle mass.
In the very short term, narcissists can even seem more well-adjusted, entertaining and generally nicer. But over the long term, narcissists find it difficult to maintain a favourable impression and tend to be perceived as less adjusted, less warm, and more hostile and arrogant. Not surprisingly, the evidence shows that narcissists don’t like long-term, committed relationships and don’t do well in them anyway.
And there may be all sorts of other reasons why some people end up dating “bad people”. They may be repeating patterns of behaviour they’ve become used to in past relationships or they may find the world of dating stressful and end up making bad decisions. Or they may simply have bought into myths of dating and behave accordingly. But, for the most part, the evidence suggests that both women and men prefer nice partners and are turned off by jerks.
The problem with the nice-guys-finish-last stereotype, aside from going against the grain of years of scientific evidence, is that it may compromise the possibility of forming meaningful relationships. Perpetuating this myth not only creates unhelpful expectations about how we should behave, but trying to live up to the myth can sometimes damage relationships.
In the end, the idea that women want to date bad boys really just reinforces the misogynist’s idea of deceitful women and earnest “nice” men baffled by their lack of dating success. It allows some men to blame and hate women as a means of deflecting attention away from their own shortcomings. So, if you’re looking to science for some advice, it’s simple: be nice.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
May 25, 2016
Debris in Mozambique, Mauritius to be analyzed by MH370 team
FILE - In this July 29, 2015, file photo, French police officers carry a piece of debris from a plane known as a "flaperon" on the shore iof Saint-Andre, Reunion Island. Three new pieces of debris found washed ashore in Mozambique and the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius will be examined by investigators in Australia to see if they came from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Lucas Marie, File) (Credit: AP)
SYDNEY (AP) — Three pieces of debris found washed ashore in Mozambique and the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius will be examined by investigators in Australia to see if they came from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, officials said Thursday.
Two of the pieces were found in Mauritius, and one was discovered in Mozambique, Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said. Other debris from the Boeing 777 that vanished two years ago has previously been found in both countries.
The Malaysian government is arranging to collect the items, Chester said in a statement. The debris will then be flown to Australia for examination.
Chester did not release details on what the debris looked like or who found them, saying only that the items are “of interest.”
Two weeks ago, officials said a piece of engine cowling found in South Africa and an interior panel piece from an aircraft cabin found on Rodrigues Island off Mauritius were almost certainly from Flight 370. Those parts were the fourth and fifth pieces of the plane that have been recovered since it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.
An extensive underwater search of a vast area of the Indian Ocean off Australia’s west coast has turned up empty, with crews expected to complete their sweep of the search zone by July or August. Crews have less than 15,000 square kilometers (5,800 square miles) of the 120,000 square kilometer (46,000 square mile) search area left to scour, and there are no plans to extend the hunt beyond that.
Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, acknowledged it is looking less likely that Flight 370 will be found as the search nears the end.
“That’s just a statement of the obvious,” said Dolan, whose agency is heading up the search effort. “We’ve covered a fairly significant proportion of our total search area without finding the aircraft and so we have to start considering the alternatives. But we’ve still got 15,000 square kilometers to go — which is a big chunk. … So it’s not as though we’ve given up.”
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Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.
Irish author wins time in Hemingway studio in Key West
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — An Irish author has won a 10-day writing stint in Ernest Hemingway’s former Key West study in Florida.
Organizers of the Florida Keys Flash Fiction Contest announced Thursday that Denyse Woods of Inniscarra, County Cork, beat more than 2,100 contestants who submitted entries not exceeding 500 words.
Her story, “Wallpaper,” depicts a woman so enthralled by a stranger’s letters that she papers her walls with them.
Contest judge Karen Russell, a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist for fiction, praised Woods’ story for tingling, vivid word pictures and eloquent description of the reading experience.
Woods receives free accommodations in a residency cottage at The Studios of Key West, travel funds and the never-previously-provided chance to work in the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum study where Hemingway penned several literary classics during the 1930s.
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Online: http://www.fla-keys.com
The Latest: French officials say energy supply won’t run out
LE HAVRE, France (AP) — The Latest on French labor dispute (all times local):
9:50 a.m.
France’s junior minister for transport is insisting that strikes at oil refineries and nuclear plants won’t leave the country without gasoline or electricity.
On a day of nationwide action against a labor reform, Alain Vidalies said on Europe-1 radio Thursday “we don’t risk running out.”
He acknowledged “the situation remains tense,” with five of the country’s eight oil refineries on strike and one closed for maintenance.
After days of gasoline shortages, he says supplies to gas pumps improved slightly Thursday. He says: “We unblocked 11 (fuel) depots and will continue to unblock them.”
He played down any concerns that nuclear plant strikes would lead to blackouts, saying France could import electricity if needed.
Unions are angry at a labor bill loosening the work week and weakening unions.
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9:35 p.m.
With union activists disrupting fuel supplies, trains and nuclear plants, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls opened the door Thursday to possible changes in a labor bill that has sparked intensifying strikes and protests — but insisted the government will not abandon it.
The reform, aimed at boosting hiring by loosening protection for French workers, has escalated into the toughest challenge yet to President Francois Hollande and his Socialist government.
“There could be improvements and modifications” in the bill, Valls said on BFM television Thursday. He didn’t elaborate on what might be changed, and insisted that the “heart” of the bill should remain. Withdrawing the bill “is not possible,” he said.
Members of the CGT union immediately dismissed the gesture, saying they want the bill scrapped, not modified. “It’s inadmissible,” said Arnaud Pacot of the CGT in the Aube region of eastern France said on BFM from a nuclear plant being blocked by activists.
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8:00 a.m.
Union activists are burning tires and blocking a major bridge on the northern French coast on a day of nationwide strikes and protests over a labor reform.
Demonstrators gathered early Thursday morning at a central square in the venerable port town of Harfleur, setting off fireworks and air horns.
Activists were unapologetic about the disruption they planned.
“We have to hit where it hurts,” said union official Gilles Guyomard. “And where it hurts is the bosses’ wallets.”
The activists then went to the 2-kilometer-long Pont de Normandie, which bridges the Seine River at Le Havre, setting a pile of tires aflame and blocking toll booths.
Strikes and protests are being held around France on Thursday against a labor bill that extends the work week and makes layoffs easier.
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Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
More testimony on future of a dangerous jail in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal court hearing is set to resume Thursday on whether operation of New Orleans’ notoriously dangerous jail should be turned over to an independent third party.
That would strip Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman of one of his major duties.
On Wednesday, a court-appointed monitor said Gusman’s staff lacks expertise and knowledge needed to run the jail.
A mental health expert, Dr. Raymond Patterson, also said conditions that led to the suicide of an inmate earlier this year haven’t been completely remedied. Patterson returns to the stand Thursday.
The Justice Department and inmate advocates say Gusman has failed to implement an agreement for reforms approved in 2013.
Gusman says progress has been made. He blames a lack of funding from the city for many of the jail’s problems.
Report traces arc of Hillary Clinton server, agency failures
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department inspector general’s new report about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s computer system provides fresh insights into who knew about it, its vulnerabilities and the bureaucratic mismanagement that allowed it to operate outside normal channels.
The findings released Wednesday also show how the use of private emails by Clinton and other top aides caused internal headaches for the few State Department officials who knew of its existence and for an agency that has long struggled to comply with federal cybersecurity and record-keeping requirements.
The registration in January 2009 for Hillary Clinton’s private internet address was the first hint of the private homebrew email system that has attracted an FBI investigation and raised questions about Clinton’s judgment while serving as the nation’s top diplomat.
Testimony continues in trial of Alabama House speaker
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Testimony is continuing in the ethics trial of the Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard.
A state legislator and others are expected to testify Thursday about Hubbard’s role in 2013 budget language that could have benefited a pharmacy cooperative that was paying Hubbard.
Hubbard’s former chief of staff testified Wednesday that Hubbard didn’t tell him about two consulting contracts and that he was uncomfortable when lines blurred between Hubbard’s private and political work.
Prosecutors have accused Hubbard of using his political positions to make money and solicit favors such as investments from lobbyists. Defense lawyers argue that the transactions were aboveboard and Hubbard made sure not to run afoul of state ethics law.
Hubbard would be removed from office automatically if convicted of any of the 23 felony charges.
Stage is set for toughest National Spelling Bee ever
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — The final day of the Scripps National Spelling Bee could feature the most difficult words ever used in the competition.
Bee organizers decided to make changes after the competition ended in a tie the past two years. This year, the final three spellers could be forced to spell more, and judges can adjust the difficulty of the winning words as needed.
Also, the bee got rid of a second written test that was used to help pare the field down to 10 finalists. That means Thursday’s morning rounds will be as difficult as necessary to eliminate 35 spellers.
Three spellers who finished in last year’s top 10 remain in the bee. The winner gets more than $45,000 in cash and prizes.
France: Day of strikes, protests, fuel blockades over labor
LE HAVRE, France (AP) — With union activists disrupting fuel supplies, trains and nuclear plants, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls opened the door Thursday to possible changes in a labor bill that has sparked intensifying strikes and protests — but insisted the government will not abandon it.
The reform, aimed at boosting hiring by loosening protection for French workers, has escalated into the toughest challenge yet to President Francois Hollande and his Socialist government.
“There could be improvements and modifications” in the bill, Valls said on BFM television Thursday. He didn’t elaborate on what might be changed, and insisted that the “heart” of the bill should remain. Withdrawing the bill “is not possible,” he said.
Members of the CGT union immediately dismissed the gesture, saying they want the bill scrapped, not modified. “It’s inadmissible,” said Arnaud Pacot of the CGT in the Aube region of eastern France said on BFM from a nuclear plant being blocked by activists.
Union activists blocked a major bridge across the Seine River on France’s northern coast and a tunnel in Marseille as part of protest actions and one-day strikes around the country Thursday against the bill.
Demonstrators gathered early Thursday morning at a central square in the venerable port town of Harfleur, setting off fireworks and air horns. Activists were unapologetic about the disruption they planned.
“We have to hit where it hurts,” said union official Gilles Guyomard. “And where it hurts is the bosses’ wallets.”
The activists then went to the 2-kilometer-long Normandy Bridge at Le Havre, setting a pile of tires aflame and blocking toll booths. Protesters dispersed two hours later after closures that snarled traffic and stranded motorists.
At least one pair of travelers said they didn’t mind.
“It’s for us that they’re doing this,” said Jean-Luc Geraert, whose battered white van was caught behind the makeshift barricade set up at the entrance to the bridge.
Geraert, a 55-year-old industrial painter, said Valls needed to withdraw the law.
“If he doesn’t, it’s going to get worse.”
Valls insisted the bill is “good for workers” and small businesses, and argued that many of its critics are ill-informed of its contents.
The bill loosens the 35-hour workweek, makes it easier to fire workers in times of economic downturn, and weakens the power of unions to set working conditions across an entire sector.
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Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
Rescuers retrieve body of Dutch climber who died on Everest
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A helicopter on Thursday retrieved the body of a Dutch climber who died last week on Mount Everest while attempts were being made to retrieve the bodies of two other climbers.
The body of Eric Arnold of Rotterdam was flown from Everest directly to a hospital in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. He died Friday night near South Col after showing signs of altitude sickness.
The orange body bag was taken off the helicopter at the hospital helipad, loaded in a waiting van and driven to the morgue. Team member Arnold Coster was accompanying the body.
Attempts were being made to retrieve the bodies of Australian climber Maria Strydom and Indian climber Subhash Paul, but it was unclear when they will be brought to Kathmandu.
Three climbers have died and two are presumed dead on Everest, while nearly 400 have scaled the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak this month. A search was continuing for two Indian climbers missing since the weekend, but their survival was unlikely given the harsh conditions at such high altitude.
This year’s busy climbing season follows two years of disasters that virtually emptied the mountain.
Few climbers are left on the mountain who haven’t made their summit attempts. The end of May usually brings the monsoon season and bad weather that makes climbing the mountain impossible.
