Not-so-human sexuality

Two recent stories in the news highlight some of the ways in which human morals and human behaviors are used to discuss sex behavior in the animal world.

In the first story, two western lowland gorillas in Congo were filmed having sex in the “missionary” position - that is, face to face. This is a style of sex that has not been reported before in this subspecies of gorilla, much less filmed in the wild.

Leah and George’s encounter made their plight even more poignant for Breuer.

“It leads me to think about how similar gorillas can be to humans, [and yet] we humans are destroying them,” he said.

In the second story, wildlife experts and animal rights activists are clashing over the controversial pregnancy of a juvenile endangered elephant. Wildlife experts are excited over the pregnancy, as it represents the first pregnancy of a captive elephant in Australia; activists argue that the breeding standards for captive elephants have been violated and the zoo has acted irresponsibly in allowing a juvenile to become pregnant.

Allowing such a young elephant to fall pregnant was “the equivalent of allowing your 12-year-old daughter to become pregnant,” said Erica Martin, Asia Pacific Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

“It is completely irresponsible,” Martin said in a statement on Thursday. Martin said that under captive breeding plans elephants should be at least 11-years-old before conceiving.

Like Lauren’s earlier post on macaques and “grooming for sex,” these two stories are news, in part, because we attach human meaning to animal behaviors. Certainly, humans are animals themselves, but are we reasonable to ascribe human values to animal behaviors? Does face-to-face sex in the gorilla world suggest greater intimacy between partners, as we suggest about human lovemaking? Does the pregnancy of a juvenile in the animal world mean the same thing that it does in the human world? In what other ways do we ascribe human qualities to animal sexual behaviors, or vice versa?

How Cupid’s Arrow Works

In the wake of Valentine’s Day and our discussions about sexual attraction this week, you might want to take notice of several recent research reports.

On Tuesday, the results of two new studies were announced, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The first, soon to be published in the journal Psychological Science, suggests that attractive people are indeed attracted to other attractive people. Surprise, surprise… From the UPI story:

The study, scheduled to be published in the journal Psychological Science, found people with similar levels of physical attractiveness tend to date each other, with more attractive people being more particular about the physical attractiveness of their potential dates.

In addition, the study found people prefer to date others who are moderately more attractive than they are. The researchers also found that most people agree on what is attractive, characteristics like symmetrical faces.

However, results from a different study, soon to be published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, suggest that when people fall in love, they find other people to be comparably less attractive. From a Reuters story:

Feeling love for your romantic partner appears to make everybody else less attractive, and the emotion appears to work in very specific ways in enabling you to push thoughts of that tempting other out of your mind,” said Gian Gonzaga of eHarmony, whose study is published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

“It’s almost like love puts blinders on people,” added Martie Haselton, an associate professor of psychology and communication studies at UCLA.

These two announcements follow on the heels of similar recent research on human sexual attraction:

All of this research might lead one to think that we really have no control over who we fall for in matters of love. In my discussion sections, many students felt that physical qualities were far less important than personality characteristics. Do you agree? If so, is personality something that can be evaluated with first impressions? Do you believe in “love at first sight”? What about “first sound” or “first smell”?

Does Flirting “Count” as Cheating?

In lecture on Wednesday, Dr. Gravlee asked a question about sexual fidelity: Are you being unfaithful if you fantasize about someone other than your partner? Your collective reaction to this question was the loudest so far this semester! Well, what about flirting?

CNN.com recently ran a story examining workplace flirtations. The story suggests that flirting on the job can be good for business, but it also describes a new term for people in platonic work “relationships”: work-spouses.

It’s hardly a unique situation. The career information Web site Vault.com reports that in a 2007 office-romance survey of 575 employees, 23 percent said they had a “work husband” or a “work wife.”

As with real spouses, work spouses turn to each other for mental and emotional support, perhaps share inside jokes or even bicker like married couples. But that’s where the line is drawn.

What does flirting accomplish and why do we do it? If you are in a relationship with someone, do you think that flirting with someone else constitutes “cheating”? What if it was your partner who was flirting with someone else? Have you ever had a workplace relationship similar to those described in the story? Would you feel comfortable with your significant other having, or referring to, their own work-spouse?

Valentine’s Day at the Museum

Are you looking for something to do on Valentine’s Day? Here’s a free alternative to consider: The Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History will offer Valentine’s-themed activities from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Thursday. They’re even serving dessert. Here’s the official blurb:

Visitors to the Harn Museum of Art will be entertained by a live string quartet and a poetry reading by students in the University of Florida graduate poetry program. At 7 p.m. the Harn MUSEs (Museum University Student Educators) will engage participants in activities that explore the numerous ways humans express love. Visitors can also enjoy the monumental Harn exhibition Paradigms and the Unexpected: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Shey Collection, which opens Feb. 10 with 100 works by 75 artists.

At the Florida Museum of Natural History at 7 p.m. Shauna Springer will offer a talk entitled the “The Science of Love: What Science Teaches Us About How to Choose a Mate and Maintain a Strong Relationship” detailing the psychology behind how couples express and experience love. Celebrations Catering will provide various desserts for visitors to enjoy as they explore the museum all evening.

If you’re looking to stimulate your brain in addition to your heart on Valentine’s Day, then these events are for you.

Modern love on WebMD

Heart of candyJust in time for Valentine’s Day, WebMD has launched a special report on “Modern Love: Relationships, Stress, and Your Health” (thanks, Stephanie!). The report includes articles on dating and finding love in a wired world, the science of attraction, and the health effects of stress in relationships.

Do the articles resonate with you? What lines of evidence and assumptions do the authors use to make their arguments? Check it out, and leave a comment to let us know.

Transgender debate back in the news

citysealblue.jpgThe front page of today’s Gainesville Sun reports that the local debate over a city ordinance that protects transgendered people from discrimination has attracted national attention. The Sun’s original story, which I wrote about last week, also appeared on the widely read Drudge Report.

Today’s article focuses on the “heated response” to the anti-discrimination ordinance. According to the Sun, city commissioners continue to receive complaints from opponents of the ordinance. The chief concern appears to be whether local businesses need to accommodate transgendered people in restrooms, dressing rooms, and fitness-center showers.

Joe Cirulli, founder of Gainesville Health & Fitness Centers, the city’s largest fitness provider, was among those who waited in line to address the City Commission Monday night. His comments were quick and to the point: How would this affect GH&FC, which provides showers and locker rooms for both men and women at all its centers except for its one women’s center that has facilities only for women.

Josh Alterman, owner of Alter Ego Fitness in Gainesville, shares Circulli’s apprehension. “It does concern me,” said Alterman. “I would be very uncomfortable letting a transgender customer into our female restroom, and I think that would make our female customers very uncomfortable.”

According to the Sun, the ordinance allows businesses to deny transgendered people access to restrooms and other facilities if equal alternative facilities are available.

But how big an issue is this? The Sun notes that transgender anti-discrimination laws are on the books in “93 cities and counties, 13 states and the District of Columbia.” Is there evidence that the laws have created problems in any of these places? The Sun put this question to city officials from Lake Worth and Key West, where similar provisions are in place; the officials deny that there has been any negative fallout. I wonder if there has been a systematic study of the effects of gender identity provisions in anti-discrimination laws.

The Sun also interviewed Nora Spencer, director of the University of Florida Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. As she points out, “Trans people are using bathrooms now and have been forever. People probably didn’t even realize they were in there.”

What’s your take on this debate?