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    John Polheber

    Limited research has addressed how social support in the form of a pet can affect both sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity in response to a psychological challenge. The present study examined the effects of social... more
    Limited research has addressed how social support in the form of a pet can affect both sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity in response to a psychological challenge. The present study examined the effects of social support on salivary cortisol and heart rate (HR). Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to three different conditions (human friend, novel dog, or control). All participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test and provided cortisol, HR, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory measures. For participants paired with a dog, overall cortisol levels were attenuated throughout the experimental procedure, and HR was attenuated during the Trier Social Stress Test. For all groups, state anxiety increased after the Trier Social Stress Test, and HR during the Trier Social Stress Test was a predictor of cortisol. These results suggest that short-term exposure to a novel dog in an unfamiliar setting can be beneficial. They also suggest a possible mechanism ...
    The current study examined whether men’s ratings of women’s desirability as a long-term pairbond, based on static photographs, were related to the women’s secondto- fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio and their sexual attitudes and behavior. The... more
    The current study examined whether men’s ratings
    of women’s desirability as a long-term pairbond, based
    on static photographs, were related to the women’s secondto-
    fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio and their sexual attitudes and
    behavior. The 2D:4D ratio was measured in 164 women and
    facial photographs were taken of 55 of these women. All
    women completed the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory
    (SOI). Male participants (n=89), masked to this information,
    rated the 55 female participants on their desirability as a
    long-term sexual partner, specifically along dimensions of
    faithfulness, youthfulness, and attractiveness. Ten independent
    judges rated women’s photographed faces on masculinity.
    Results indicated a significant negative relationship
    between women’s SOI scores and men’s faithfulness ratings
    (more unrestricted sociosexuality was associated with lower
    faithfulness ratings). There was also a significant positive
    relationship between right (but not left) 2D:4D ratio and
    faithfulness ratings (women with female-like ratios were
    rated as being more faithful). The SOI scores of the women
    were not related to 2D:4D ratios. These results suggest that
    the potential for sexual infidelity can be gleaned from static
    facial cues.
    Research Interests: