(Press-News.org) ANN ARBOR, Mich.---The last-minute holiday dash is on: Men tend to rush in for their prized item, pay, and leave. Women study the fabrics, color, texture and price.
The hunting and gathering ritual of yesteryear continues today in malls around the world. Understanding the shopping behavior of your partner can help relieve stress at the stores, according to a researcher at the University of Michigan.
Daniel Kruger of the U-M School of Public Health says that gathering edible plants and fungi is traditionally done by women. In modern terms, think of filling a basket by selecting one item at a time, he said. Women in foraging societies return to the same patches that yield previous successful harvests, and usually stay close to home and use landmarks as guides.
Foraging is a daily activity, often social and can include young children if necessary. When gathering, women must be very adept at choosing just the right color, texture, and smell to ensure food safety and quality. They also must time harvests, and know when a certain depleted patch will regenerate and yield good harvest again.
In modern terms, women are much more likely to know when a specific type of item will go on sale, for example, than men. Women also spend much more time choosing the perfect gift.
Men on the other hand, often have a specific item in mind and want to get in, get it, and get out. In ancestral times, it was critical to get meat home as quickly as possible, Kruger said. Taking young children isn't safe in a hunt and would likely hinder progress. Of course these behaviors aren't genetically determined and don't apply to everyone, but there are consistent broad themes, Kruger said.
###For more on:
Kruger:
http://www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=kruger
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kruger/
For more on the School of Public Health: http://www.sph.umich.edu/
Watch and link to a video of the researcher discussing his personal experience that led to the project at: http://ns.umich.edu/podcast/video2.php?id=1288
The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been working to promote health and prevent disease since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top public health schools in the nation. Whether making new discoveries in the lab or researching and educating in the field, our faculty, students, and alumni are deployed around the globe to promote and protect our health.
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DURHAM, N.H. – In a study published December 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences (PNAS), a team of researchers including University of New Hampshire scientists Wilfred Wollheim, William McDowell, and Jody Potter details findings that show emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from global rivers and streams are three times previous estimates used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the leading international body for the assessment of climate change.
Waterways receiving nitrogen from human activities such as agriculture and ...
December is a time for twinkling lights, and scientists at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are delivering. They've just produced a long-sought, rare color of laser light 100 times brighter than that generated anywhere else.
The light was produced by Jefferson Lab's Free-Electron Laser facility. The laser delivered vacuum ultraviolet light in the form of 10 eV photons (a wavelength of 124 nanometers). This color of light is called vacuum ultraviolet because it is absorbed by molecules in the air, requiring its use in a vacuum.
"We ...
A psychology professor has found that the way people perceive the Silhouette Illusion, a popular illusion that went viral and has received substantial online attention, has little to do with the viewers' personality, or whether they are left- or right-brained, despite the fact that the illusion is often used to test these attributes in popular e-quizzes.
Niko Troje says that a reported preference for seeing the silhouette spinning clockwise rather than counter-clockwise is dependent upon the angle at which the viewer is seeing the image.
"Our visual system, if it ...
Older men with high-risk prostate cancer frequently are offered fewer – and less effective – choices of treatment than younger men, potentially resulting in earlier deaths, according to a new UCSF study.
The scientists found that men above age 75 with high-risk prostate cancer often are under-treated through hormone therapy or watchful waiting alone in lieu of more aggressive treatments such as surgery and radiation therapies. Instead, say the researchers, old age should not be viewed as a barrier to treatments that could lead to potential cures.
"There is a disconnect ...
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2010 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) applauds Congress for reauthorizing the America COMPETES Act today.
America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science), was originally enacted in 2007 and needed to be reauthorized this year in order to provide continued support for scientific research, technological development, science, technology, engineering and math education.
"I want to extend our appreciation to Congress for passing COMPETES; it is the backbone of our nation's scientific ...
TORONTO, Ont., Dec. 21, 2010 – St. Michael's Hospital today became the first in Ontario to implant a small but powerful new defibrillator into a patient's chest.
The defibrillator – about the size of a Zippo lighter – is the smallest available in terms of surface area and can deliver the highest level of energy, 40 joules.
The narrow shape of the device allowed Dr. Iqwal Mangat to make a smaller incision in the patient's chest, which should mean a faster recovery and smaller scar. The "minimally invasive" procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, with most patients ...
Washington, DC – The Science Coalition issued the following statement today from President Deborah Altenburg after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010:
On behalf of The Science Coalition's 46 member universities, we thank the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate for reauthorizing this vital piece of legislation just days before its expiration and amid a busy lame duck session. The America COMPETES Act has tremendous implications for future job creation, economic growth and American competitiveness abroad. ...
St. Louis, MO, December 22, 2010 – The leading causes of death have shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. These illnesses may be affected by diet. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers investigated empirical data regarding the associations of dietary patterns with mortality through analysis of the eating patterns of over 2500 adults between the ages of 70 and 79 over a ten-year period. They found that diets favoring certain foods were associated ...
Located at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Weld Deluxe have had the privilege to serve prestigious clients from diverse industries that include, oil and gas, construction, aviation, food processing, and ship building. WeldDelux.com ( http://www.weld-delux.co.uk ) is now launched to serve a global client-base.
"Over a period of years we have diversified our services from simple repairs to complete manufacturing and installation of products. Our team of highly skilled fabricators and welders has managed to pull through the toughest of designs, thus earning us the reputation ...
nuAlerts, http://www.nualerts.com, social media marketing platform for business communities, announced today the launch of Livermore Deal Alerts with 24 businesses offering exclusive deals via Friday Flier email, social media, text messaging, Deals widget, Hot Deals page and Deals Calendar. nuAlerts powered Livermore Deal Alerts community is the first such local community to give shoppers various options in receiving Deal Alerts.
"Livermore Deal Alerts Community delivers incredible marketing exposure for local businesses starting at just $25 per month. nuAlerts does ...
