In an incentivized controlled lab experiment published in the Journal of Economic Psychology, Miloš Fišar together with members of LEVYNA and other colleagues show that there are no systematic effects of ovulatory shift on salient behavioral outcomes like risk preferences, rule violation, and exploratory attitude.
Some evolutionary psychology theories suggests that the impact of ovulatory shift on behavioral outcomes may play an important role in economic decision-making. The authors of the study run an incentivized controlled lab experiment with 124 naturally cycling females to test these effects. Using a within-subjects design, they compared different phases of the menstruation cycle of their participants and found no systematic differences in their risk-taking, rule-violating, and exploring behaviors.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167487023000570?via%3Dihub
In a new study published in Human Nature, LEVYNA was part of a team lead by A.K. Willard, studying how witchcraft beliefs affect social norms and behaviors. Specifically, researchers investigated whether witchcraft is regarded to be motivated by envy and how this notion influences community interactions. The findings show that, while witchcraft accusations were common, they were mostly directed at persons suspected of acting out of envy.
In an ethnographic survey-based study published in the journal Religions, D. Xygalatas and P. Maňo looked at variation in motivations for ritual practice and how it relates to the socioeconomic status of respondents. The findings indicate that whereas people of lower socioeconomic standing address more immediate concerns related to material security and safety in their ritual practices, people at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum tend to focus on the fulfillment of spiritual, social, or cultural needs.
