"Alley Cats and Sex Kittens"
Continuing yesterday's theme, a story in The Age (Aus) reports that a parasite present in up to 40% of adults worldwide may have undiscovered effects on human behavior. Toxoplasma gondii may be responsible for changes in "sexual attractiveness, IQ, schizophrenia and the likelihood of being in a car accident." The article suggests that men infected with the parasite tend to be more involved in crime, unhappier, and less attractive, whereas infected women are friendlier, more promiscuous, and more attractive than non-infected women. Toxoplasmosis is usually contracted from cat feces, but rarely has symptoms in people with healthy immune systems. However, there are dangers of serious brain or eye defects in infants who get infected before birth, which is why women who are pregnant are cautioned not to change litter boxes.
Flegr and Hrdy (1994) correlated toxoplasmosis infection with a weakening of the superego in men. Later, Flegr et al (2000) found infected women scored higher on the superego measure. Both of Flegr's articles insist that it is the infection causing the personality shifts, and not that people with certain personality types are more likely to become infected. Lindova et al (2006) suggests that the gender effects may not necessarily be valid, but that the subjects may be masking undesired personality traits, meaning that socialization of gender affects which traits are expressed on the measures.
I always had cats growing up, and I'm both anti-social and promiscuous. Obviously this research is entirely valid. All women who have cats must be easy, and all men who have cats must be anti-social rule-breakers with untidy clothes. However, this research does put the lie to author Virginia Ironside's ill-considered statement: "cat people are not known for their looks." Maybe she was just talking about the men?
Flegr and Hrdy (1994) correlated toxoplasmosis infection with a weakening of the superego in men. Later, Flegr et al (2000) found infected women scored higher on the superego measure. Both of Flegr's articles insist that it is the infection causing the personality shifts, and not that people with certain personality types are more likely to become infected. Lindova et al (2006) suggests that the gender effects may not necessarily be valid, but that the subjects may be masking undesired personality traits, meaning that socialization of gender affects which traits are expressed on the measures.
I always had cats growing up, and I'm both anti-social and promiscuous. Obviously this research is entirely valid. All women who have cats must be easy, and all men who have cats must be anti-social rule-breakers with untidy clothes. However, this research does put the lie to author Virginia Ironside's ill-considered statement: "cat people are not known for their looks." Maybe she was just talking about the men?