Karl Grammer | University of Vienna (original) (raw)

Papers by Karl Grammer

Asymmetry is a universal feature characterizing biological systems that occurs in different forms... more Asymmetry is a universal feature characterizing biological systems that occurs in different forms: While fluctuating asymmetry represents the result of developmental perturbations, differentiating organisms according to their developmental stability, directional asymmetry is both said to be genetically determined as well as influenced by biomechanical loading. Both asymmetries can thus be seen as a function of the socio- economic position of an individual, which is influenced by their manual occupation, and forming the basis of differential stress of that individual. In the Early Bronze Age population of Hainburg-Teichtal such a socio-economic differentiation, expressed through the composition of funerary deposits, was connected to measures of asymmetry: Asymmetry scores of 3D-µCT-Data included maximal lengths of second and third metacarpals and GMM-analysis of a proximal joint structure in third metacarpals. Homogeneous fluctuating asymmetry values across status groups indicated homogeneous stress pressure, and thus a rather stable economic situation of the population as a whole. Significant differential directional asymmetry of status groups as well as sexes, combined with significantly status-dependent joint shape variation suggest differences in activity patterns across these groups.

Attractive facial features in women are assumed to signal fertility, but whether facial attractiv... more Attractive facial features in women are assumed to signal fertility, but whether facial attractiveness predicts reproductive success in women is still a matter of debate. We investigated the association between facial attractiveness at young adulthood and reproductive life history-number of children and pregnancies-in women of a rural community. For the analysis of reproductive success, we divided the sample into women who used contraceptives and women who did not. Introducing two-dimensional geometric morphometric methodology, we analysed which specific characteristics in facial shape drive the assessment of attractiveness and covary with lifetime reproductive success. A set of 93 (semi)landmarks was digitized as two-dimensional coordinates in postmenopausal faces. We calculated the degree of fluctuating asymmetry and regressed facial shape on facial attractiveness at youth and reproductive success. Among women who never used hormonal contraceptives, we found attractive women to have more biological offspring than less attractive women. These findings are not affected by sociodemographic variables. Postmenopausal faces corresponding to high reproductive success show more feminine featuresfacial characteristics previously assumed to be honest cues to fertility. Our findings support the notion that facial attractiveness at the age of mate choice predicts reproductive success and that facial attractiveness is based on facial characteristics, which seem to remain stable until postmenopausal age.

Journal of personality and social psychology, 2003

Journal of personality and social psychology, 2004

and 121 Members of the International Sexuality Description Project As part of the International S... more and 121 Members of the International Sexuality Description Project As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poachingromantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship-was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.

Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, Dec 2012

In recent years, evidence has been gathered indicating increased attractiveness of female faces a... more In recent years, evidence has been gathered indicating increased attractiveness of female faces at the point of ovulation. In this paper, we asked what changes in facial appearance occur during menstrual cycle that lead to this shift in attractiveness. We analysed facial photographs of 20 young women with a normal cycle. We found evidence for textural changes, as well as shape changes that might account for the ovulatory peak in attractiveness. Generally, facial shape at ovulation is perceived as more attractive -and ovulating women are perceived as more attractive the closer their face shape is to the "ovulation shape". These findings support the hypothesis that attractive signals might be rooted in signals of fertility.

Journal of Comparative Psychology, 2001

ABSTRACT Planning and architecture of modern housing projects should take into account the fact t... more ABSTRACT Planning and architecture of modern housing projects should take into account the fact that human well-being depends very much on needs derived from the natural history of human evolutionary aspects, which include territoriality, security, and a balance between privacy and communal activity. Although model housing projects should consider space, all to often the need for privacy and the importance of the residential environment has been neglected.

Cross-culturally, fragrances are used to modulate body odor, but the psychology of fragrance choi... more Cross-culturally, fragrances are used to modulate body odor, but the psychology of fragrance choice has been largely overlooked. The prevalent view is that fragrances mask an individual's body odor and improve its pleasantness. In two experiments, we found positive effects of perfume on body odor perception. Importantly, however, this was modulated by significant interactions with individual odor donors. Fragrances thus appear to interact with body odor, creating an individually-specific odor mixture.

Abstract Inclusive fitness theory presumes a human ability to discriminate between kin and nonkin... more Abstract Inclusive fitness theory presumes a human ability to discriminate between kin and nonkin. The present study investigated to what extent computer-generated similarity or dissimilarity can be discerned as phenotypic resemblance or dissimilarity, respectively, on a conscious level. Furthermore, sex differences assumed from female dispersal theory were examined.

Am Beginn einer Schwangerschaft sind alle Embryonen zunächst weiblich und Männlichkeit entsteht a... more Am Beginn einer Schwangerschaft sind alle Embryonen zunächst weiblich und Männlichkeit entsteht aus vorgeburtlichen Signalen, die dem Gehirn und Körper mitteilen, daß sie maskulinisiert werden müssen. Panksepp geht davon aus, daß dies durch den Einfluß von Hormonen auf die reifenden Gehirnschaltkreise und auf die körperliche Entwicklung geschieht. Dadurch wird sozusagen ein Negativ des Geschlechts belichtet.

Abstract Evolutionary theory proposes that adaptive traits are reproduced more successfully than ... more Abstract Evolutionary theory proposes that adaptive traits are reproduced more successfully than maladaptive traits. Accordingly, natural selection should favor heterosexuality as it facilitates reproduction and the propagation of genes. However, the question becomes, what has maintained homosexuality in a small but consistent percentage of the human population? Research into the evolutionary and hormonal factors associated with a homosexual orientation have yielded provocative but inconsistent results.

The menopause can be viewed as the phase of life in which a women is an "at last free grandmother... more The menopause can be viewed as the phase of life in which a women is an "at last free grandmother". On the one hand she is still searching for a ready-to-invest male partner, which results from asymmetrical investment in offspring. On the other hand she adopts male mate choice criteria, like preferences for youthfulness, beauty, and sexual attractiveness of a partner.

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2002

Abstract Communication is a multichannel, multiunit process that works on different levels. It is... more Abstract Communication is a multichannel, multiunit process that works on different levels. It is sequential with specific information carriers on a cognitive accessible level, and dynamic for the regulation of relationships at the same time. One function of communication is the broadcasting of internal states that can be assessed by inferential communication.

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2008

Personality and Individual Differences, 2011

Men and women score differently on some personality traits and people’s behavior reflects who the... more Men and women score differently on some personality traits and people’s behavior reflects who they are. Therefore, males and females could be expected to express themselves differently on a behavioral level. To test this idea we turned the public performances of speakers (20 female and 20 male) into stick figure movies. Students of the University of Vienna (n = 150) rated these movies on scales measuring the Big Five personality traits. The participants experienced difficulties in ascribing the correct sex to the stick figures. Nevertheless, stick figures representing male speakers received higher ratings for extraversion and emotional stability than stick figure animations of female speakers. In addition, gender stereotypes seemed to influence the participants’ ratings. Agreeableness, for instance, was preferably classified as female trait. In conclusion, our results suggest that body motion conveys social information, that men and women present themselves differently, and that people’s judgments are influenced by gender stereotypes.► Body movements of male and female speakers were turned into animated stick figures. ► Participants rated stick figure movies on Big Five personality scale. ► Participants were unable to recognize the stick figure’s sex. ► Male and female stick figures were rated differently for some personality traits. ► Ratings were guided by gender stereotypes.

Evolution and Human Behavior

It was recently shown that Austrians associate car front geometry with traits in a way that could... more It was recently shown that Austrians associate car front geometry with traits in a way that could be related to face shape geometry mapping to those same overall suites of traits. Yet, possible confounding effects of familiarity with the car models, media coverage and entertainment could not be ruled out. In order to address this, the current study uses a cross-cultural comparison. Adult subjects in two countries (Austria and Ethiopia, n=129) were asked to rate person characteristics of 46 standardized front views of automobiles on various trait scales. These two countries differ substantially with regard to their experience with car models and brands, as well as car marketing and media coverage. Geometric morphometrics was then used to assess the shape information underlying trait attribution. Car shapes for perceived maturity, maleness and dominance were highly similar in both countries, with patterns comparable to shape changes during facial growth in humans: Relative sizes of the forehead and windshield decrease with age/growth, eyes and headlights both become more slit-like, noses and grilles bigger, lips and air-intakes are wider. Austrian participants further attributed various degrees of some interpersonal attitudes and emotions, whereas neither Austrians nor Ethiopians congruently ascribed personalities. Morphological correlates of personal characteristics are discussed, as are person perception and its overgeneralization to inanimate objects. Cross-cultural similarities and differences are addressed, as well as implications for car styling, follow-up studies on driving and pedestrian behavior, and fundamental dimensions in inference from (human) faces.

Ethology and Sociobiology, 1989