Here's the findings, followed by the theory
WASHINGTON: It may be wise to check out a stranger's ears before picking a fight, US researchers have advised.And here's the crazy experiment that led to their findings:They found that women and men with asymmetrical extremities – ears, fingers or feet of different sizes or shapes – were more likely to react aggressively when annoyed or provoked.
This could make sense, the team at Ohio State University said on Monday. Factors such as smoking or drinking during a pregnancy could stress a foetus in various ways, causing not only slight physical imperfections but also poorer impulse control.
"Stressors during pregnancy may lead to asymmetrical body parts. The same stressors will also affect development of the central nervous system, which involves impulse control and aggression," said Zeynep Benderlioglu, who led the study.
"So while asymmetry doesn't cause aggression, they both seem to be correlated to similar factors during pregnancy."
They told 100 college students they were taking part in a study of persuasive ability by asking them to call people to raise money for charity.But their calls went to two experimenters who followed a careful script, either apologetically saying they did not have money to donate, or becoming confrontational and challenging the caller and the charity.
The researchers had rigged the phones so they could measure how hard participants slammed the receiver down after the call.
The more asymmetrical their ears, fingers and feet, the more force the volunteers tended to use when hanging up, they found.
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Article comments
1 - JR
Case in point: Shannen Doherty
2 - Mac Diva
Too nebulous. The differences in ear shape, etc., could relate to the behaviors suggested, or they could relate to completely different behaviors, or, most likely, one suspects, they could have no effect at all in most ways.
My biology professor in college had us examine our little fingers. As he predicted, about a third of us had crooked little fingers. That is said to be typical, though no one knows why. He then (tongue-in-cheek) said crooked little fingers are signs of high intelligence. Guess what? He had crooked little fingers. So do I, but who's zoomin' who?
The problem with poorly designed studies like this one is some people will take them seriously.
3 - Marvin Hutchens
And the problem with some folks is nothing is taken seriously.
Studies are most often done to prove what the researcher believes. [edited] But that's just my hunch.
4 - Mac Diva
[edited]
5 - Marvin Hutchens
Didn't Forrest say:
"stupid is as stupid does."
I'm sure your quick glance at my blog told you so much about me. Thanks for proving my point once again.
6 - Mac Diva
LOL! Justene proves her stripes again. My remarks were deleted. The comment above, in which one of her fellow Right Wingers says I am of "below average intelligence" is left intact." But then, she may have sent for him for just that purpose, eh?
7 - Eric Olsen
Mac, your intelligence is never in question as far as I'm concerned, nor your generally excellent contributions to the site. I wish only that your emotions would not overwhelm you so predictably, and that I and the site would not end up as the fallback targets of your wrath.
8 - Justene
LOL! Justene proves her stripes again. My remarks were deleted. The comment above, in which one of her fellow Right Wingers says I am of "below average intelligence" is left intact." But then, she may have sent for him for just that purpose, eh?
You show again how little you understand about the process. Without context, it's not clear he was referring to you. I get lots of comments and I do other things during the day. I do not review every note for context. Your reference to "Right Wingers was edited out because your history here indicates the context. That comment will now be edited because you pointed it out. However, almost everyone else on this site doesn't throw a tantrum. They email me and explain the context and get the edit. The few who don't get it after the first request. You continue to throw tantrums and continue to insist there's some non-existent bias and continue to attack. All of which is why you get edited more often than most.