Hey guys,
So in a super important email discussion (not really), Aaron, Judy and I decided to open up this old FAU EP blog to the rest of our evolutionary-minded colleagues. Who wouldn't love an(other) outlet to discuss evolutionary ideas and articles, right? Anyway, great to have you new people, and feel free to post any interesting findings you come across, questions, ideas, whatever.
So to kick it all off, has anyone come across any neat-o articles lately? What's the coolest paper you've read recently?
(P.S. Sorry for the very high dork factor in this post. I promise future posts of mine will be much more suave and entertaining. ;)
Emily
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Yes welcome new people! I'm excited to see how the blog will develop with the ideas of new posters! :-D
I'll kick it off with one of the studies that I thought was awesome back in the spring: did you guys see that study in Psych Science about placebo effects and weight loss? Incredible. What do you guys think about the placebo effect in general? Below is the abstract.
Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect
Alia J. Crum and Ellen J. Langer
In a study testing whether the relationship between exercise and health is moderated by one's mind-set, 84 female room attendants working in seven different hotels were measured on physiological health variables affected by exercise. Those in the informed condition were told that the work they do (cleaning hotel rooms) is good exercise and satisfies the Surgeon General's recommendations for an active lifestyle. Examples of how their work was exercise were provided. Subjects in the control group were not given this information. Although actual behavior did not change, 4 weeks after the intervention, the informed group perceived themselves to be getting significantly more exercise than before. As a result, compared with the control group, they showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index. These results support the hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect.
I think I actually read that when it came out. But now I can't remember how they verified that the experimental group did not change their behavior. I mean it could be that people who are told that they are being healthy tend to act as though they are being healthy by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, eating healthier food, turning down snacks.. I'm sure the article discussed this possibility and probably controlled for it. I do notice that when I am maintaining a workout schedule it's a lot easier for me to eat healthier. Could be "cognitive dissonance" in action... it could just be a conscious effort to avoid thwarting your exercise with other bad habits.
Another idea which isn't specific to exercise is that of niches. The theory is that as part of a social group, we humans like to find our niche so that we can become irreplaceable as an ally. Well what if once you're labeled as something good, you either consciously or unconsciously adjust your behavior to really embrace that niche? Obviously if others are recognizing you as excelling in that niche then you already have a headstart to becoming irreplaceable. In this case it might be a "good shape" or "healthy" niche.
Good point! I read it too, though I forget how they controlled for behaviors. On a side note, I just noticed yesterday that Steve Stewart-Williams has written on placebo effects, and I think I might take a look at it. I'm fascinated--I can't help it!
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