STUDY: The sexual overperception bias: Evidence of a systematic bias in men from a survey of naturally occurring events

ABSTRACT:  According to error management theory (Haselton & Buss, 2000), natural selection will often produce adaptively biased systems of judgment, even when these systems produce more errors than alternative designs. In a study of naturally occurring events, evidence of one such bias in men—the sexual overperception bias—was documented. Women (n=102) and men (n=114) reported past experiences in which a member of the opposite sex erroneously inferred their sexual interest. Women reported significantly more false-positive errors committed by men than false-negative errors. Men reported roughly equal numbers of false-positive and false-negative errors committed by women, suggesting no bias in women’s sexual inferences. Several within-sex predictors of misperceptions were identified; for example, individuals high in self-perceived mate value reported more false-positive inferences by others than did individuals lower in mate value.

TRANSLATION. “She totally wants me.”

MARGIN OF ERROR: That other guy. The one who’s all, “I know she’s always calling and bringing me muffins and offering to drive me to the airport and all, but I’m pretty sure she thinks of me only as a friend.”

Via Broadsheet:

During the most unwieldy parts of my pregnancies, the only way I could sleep was by spooning a huge plaid pregnancy pillow called something embarrassing like a Snoozle, or a Froogle, or a Foshizzle, or something or other. With me in my comfy flannel PJs, my pillow and I looked like a huge plaid G-clef, and my husband looked left out. Which is simply to say that yes, I know and embrace the wonder of a well-placed body pillow.

But now there is the Funktiontide — or at least there might be, says its designer Stefan Ulrich — and now, remarkably, we may behold something perhaps even more unsettling than the Real Doll. Ulrich says his pillow prototype, which would use advanced robotics and artificial muscle technology to move and change shape depending on how you hold it, is but a polymer harbinger of the day when bleak, alienated humans will turn to “robots” for emotional satisfaction. (Yeah, like I didn’t already do that with my second husband. Folks!) That, or as we see in this technically G-rated, but somehow NSFW video, maybe the Funktiontide is nothing more than a Shmoo with benefits.

While the video’s human co-star appears rather satisfied with his lot, Ulrich is not unaware that his Pillbury Dough-bot raises some juicy issues. “…[T]he the work’s intention is to create a provocative picture for discussion, which enables us to question how much we want technological products to satisfy our emotional needs,” goes his commentary. “The ambiguity of this scenario is, that it could be understood as a solution to a wide range of different kinds of loneliness. But it might as well be understood as a scenario which should be avoided by all means possible.” Speaking as someone who practically sleeps with her iPhone, I’m sure I have no idea what he’s talking about.

Via BoingBoing.

Struggling with the ultimate romantic choice? The one you’ve got vs. the one that got away? Familiar and stable vs. fizzy and exciting? Veronica vs. Betty?

Well, envy Archie.* Looks like our man in Riverdale may get to have it both ways.

As today’s Times reports: “That perennially teenage redhead…made headlines around the world when word leaked, back in May, that he would propose to his longtime love interest, Veronica Lodge, in issue No. 600 of the comic that bears his name. But that issue, published in August, was only Part 1 of a six-part story. Although Archie did marry Veronica, things will take a turn in November, when Archie proposes to the lady in waiting, Betty Cooper. That’s just the latest twist in the romantic triangle that has thrust this nearly 70-year-old character, and his parent company, into the media spotlight.”

How’s he gonna pull that off? Easy: alternate universe! “The wedding story was written by Michael E. Uslan and illustrated by Stan Goldberg, a longtime ‘Archie’ artist. The first half was called ‘Archie Marries Veronica,’ but issue No. 603, on sale next month, is called ‘Archie Marries Betty.’ The end of bachelorhood began in issue No. 600, in which Archie found himself on a road named Memory Lane, which he has often traveled. This time he walked a different direction and encountered a fork in the road. He chose the left path, which allowed him to see his future with Veronica and their twins, and himself working for her tycoon father. At the end of the October issue, No. 602, Archie goes for an evening stroll and encounters the fork again. In the November issue Archie will find himself back in Riverdale High, this time envisioning a future with Betty as his wife. (A set of twins factors into this destiny as well.)”

(Doctor Who fans will recall when this totally happened to Donna Noble, only instead of twins there was a giant bug. And — Halloween preview — let’s not forget Breakup Girl Friday in Ghost Ex!)

But the question remains: who do you think he should wind up with? (“Jughead” would of course be a revolutionary twist, but I don’t think we’re there yet.)

* And talk to The Guy At The End of the Bar.

MSN.com, Match.com, HappenMagazine.com: they’re in a healthy and satisfying 3-way relationship. Meaning that you’ll find MSN/Match.com’s “Ask Lynn” columns –penned by BG’s alter ego — over at Happen now as well.

In this week’s column, Paranoid is worried that there is more than friendship between her boyfriend and his best gal pal. This is only compounded by the fact that they’re dating long-distance. You can read the column at Happen, check out the comments from the original MSN posting, and comment below!

Above and beyond on March 9, 1998…

Dear Breakup Girl,

I have been with this great guy for about four years. However, all of a sudden he decided that we need space, so he can focus on himself and the issues of how he thinks he treats me and that type of thing. He is a really hard thinker and has to focus on one thing at a time. He said there is nothing that I did, but he thinks that he depends on me too much. We are in love, but are SUPPOSEDLY having space. Now we really haven’t had the space because we are best friends and we still spend time together occasionally. He assures me that I am the love of his life and we will be married one day, and all of that, but I want to know just what I am supposed to do to give him space. I want this to be over as soon as possible because my heart hurts knowing that we are committed to each other but not totally together. Should I be alarmed about this, or just have faith in our love? We have been sweethearts since high school, so therefore, I understand some things that may go through his head. HELP.

— Lonely

(more…)

Yang Ya-Ching, a Taiwanese music student living in Paris, is attempting to kiss 100 strangers and take a photo of each one for her blog. The blog is in Chinese, but Divine Caroline gives us the jist:

The desire for a lasting memory of Paris is what inspired Yang. According to her blog, the first kiss was from a worker installing outdoor advertising and was like “an autumn leaf falling into my pocket by accident.”

Some think her project may be just an excuse to kiss handsome young men. Whether it is or not, she’s hit on a great excuse for the rest of us to go out and kiss handsome young men!

Check out her blog for an album of her photos (taken by Xiang,zhen-hua), or you can see a slideshow here.

A new study seems to say so. It suggests, even, that women are not only more attracted to taken men — call it the “stamp of approval” factor — but also actually willing to pursue them.

“The next question is why,” says researcher Melissa Burkley. In further research, she plans to explore women’s motives even more. One possibility, she speculates: competition; the [alleged, or at least pretty illusory — BG] satisfaction — and self-esteem — derived from mate-stealing.

BG is perhaps naively surprised by these findings. After all, poaching is, of course, verboten. But now I’m curious. Have you [ladies] ever poached? If so, why? Any aftermath?

Via BuzzFeed: A Brooklyn artist beautifully illustrates the sweet, elegiac art of the “missed connection.”

Even if ” white guy, brown hair, blue/white striped shirt, earphones, red book” never again sees “white girl, brown hair, nosering, headphones, blue book,” their would-be love will be brought to life here.

Bonus reading: Mikki Halpin’s poignant and hilarious “My Year of Missed Connections.” (Featured, along with an essay by BG’s alter ego, in Single State of the Union: Single Women Speak Out on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness.)

MSN.com, Match.com, HappenMagazine.com: they’re in a healthy and satisfying 3-way relationship. Meaning that you’ll find MSN/Match.com’s “Ask Lynn” columns –penned by BG’s alter ego — over at Happen now as well.

This week they are featuring the letter from Rubbed Wrong, who was dumped by a guy who continues to act like a boyfriend whenever they see eachother. Read the advice at Happen, then come back here to comment! You can also read the comments from our original posting of the letter.

Love moves in on March 2, 1998…

Dear Breakup Girl,

I recently had a new roommate move into my house. What had recently been a household of girls has now undergone some testosterone revamping. When this guy moved in I thought nothing of him, but now I’m finding myself oddly attracted and I think he’s into me to. What should I do, four months to go and I don’t know if I should tell him or keep it to myself and forget him. Help me!

— Romancing Roomie

Dear Romancing,

Living together is generally something people do after they’ve made a commitment. In your case, play it safe. I wouldn’t want something to be over before it even begins; when your ex is your roommate, all of a sudden those toothpaste trails s/he leaves aren’t so “adorable” anymore. Savor the crush — four months isn’t that long — and when he moves out, then you can consider how to move in.

Love,
Breakup Girl