Role of the androgen receptor gene in explaining self-perceived fighting ability in young men. A cross-cultural perspective.
Postdoc Universidad del Desarrollo
Nohelia Valenzuela (postdoc, responsible researcher)
2021-2022
Collaborating Institutions:
Research Center in Social Complexity, Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD).
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM).
Participants:
UDD:
Carlos Rodríguez Sickert (PAT)
Nohelia Valenzuela (IR)
Pablo Polo (COLN)
José A. Muñoz (COLN).
Other Participants:
Miguel Pita (COLI-UAM).
*IR: Responsible Researcher; PAT: Sponsor; COLI: International Collaborator; COLN: National Collaborator.
Project Description:
According to the literature on social and evolutionary psychology, jealousy is an emotion that is designed by biological evolution to protect close bonds. Jealousy would be directed to drive away individuals perceived as social rivals that potentially threaten the bond with the close person, or this emotion would be oriented towards the retention of the partner. Taking into account this background during this research it will be assessed during early childhood development, as well as later in the development of friendship and romantic bonds, jealousy (non-pathological) would be an emotion to protect close attachment. In this sense, we will try to understand whether this complex emotion presents similar affective, behavioral and physiological characteristics throughout ontogenetic development (in childhood and adulthood). Thus, jealousy arises when emotional behaviors and the respective neurobiological systems that affect the search for proximity, exclusivity, care and reunification with the close attachment figure are activated, varying its characteristics according to the level of maturity and dependence of the individual. In the present investigation, jealousy will be experimentally induced by presenting a social rival to children, same-sex friends and adult romantic partners. From this induction the affective and behavioral response of the participants will be recorded. In addition to this, the psychophysiological reaction will be recorded in same-sex friends and romantic partners. Also, as a methodological innovation in the area of evolutionary psychology, economic games will be incorporated as scenarios of evocation of jealousy, which will be investigated with heterosexual couples and same-sex friends seeking to determine whether jealousy would be an independent emotion or associated with feelings of trust of individuals.
