Use of Red Clothing by Women as a Sexual Signal in Intersexual Interactions - Assignment Example

? Use of Red Clothing by Women as a Sexual Signal in Intersexual Interactions Affiliation What Was The Goal Of The Research? Following the argument by various researchers that female red ornamentation denotes a sexual indication, which is intended to draw mates, the researchers aimed to find out whether wearing of red clothing by women acts as a sexual sign in intersexual interactions. Why Did The Researcher Do The Research? The research was important because it established whether clothing choice played a role in non-verbal courtship behavior. The research reveals the various reasons for women choosing red garments as a sexual indication in intersexual interactions. Intersexual interactions are a significant component of people’s social interactions. Therefore, the research was important because it helps in broadening the understanding of people on intersexual interactions, an important component of their social lives. What Did The Study Involve? The study was conducted through two experiments. In the first experiment, the researchers focused on two colors, red vs. green and used 147 female participants who were undergraduate UK students being compensated with 5 pounds for their participation. The experiment used conversation and manipulated questionnaires in order to influence the choice of shirt in terms of color that the participants would choose to wear when meeting with the anticipated man. In the second experiment, the researchers shifted their focus from green to blue and hence compared the choice of the participants between red and blue shirt using the same criteria used in experiment 1. Experiment 2 used 75 female students from the same university and receiving the same compensation as in experiment one. In both the experiments, participants were supposed to be heterosexual individuals with no experiment-relevant color insufficiency. What was the Key Result? The most relevant outcome of this research was that women are increasingly likely to dress in red clothing when anticipate interacting with a good-looking man. From experiment one, women who were anticipating to interact with a good-looking man chose a red shirt whereas those expecting to meet with unattractive man chose to wear the green shirt. In the second experiment, women who were expecting to meet an attractive man chose a red shirt and the ones expecting to meet an unattractive man choose the blue shirt. What can we conclude From This Research? From the research, it can be concluded that red clothing have both aesthetic and functional value. The evidence gathered from the study is enough to conclude that red clothing is a means of sexual signaling by females in sexual interactions. How Might The Results/Conclusions Be Relevant To The Listener's Life? The conclusion is relevant to the listener’s life because it helps in assessing ones intentions in her sexual interactions by just assessing the type of clothing she chooses to wear when meeting with a man. From a man’s perspective, the conclusion from this study is relevant because it helps him to read a woman’s intentions by assessing the color of clothing that she wears when meeting with him. The results are also important to the listener because they broaden his or her understanding on sexual interactions and the various factors that play a role in these important interactions. Are there Any Problems/Concerns with the Research? The research has a problem as it uses manipulated questionnaires to influence the behavior of the participants. Such manipulation without the knowledge of the participants is wrong. The research has some ethical issues concerning people’s physical appearances, as it is clear that the researchers have described some people as unattractive. Ethically, this is wrong since every human being is created in the likeness of God and no one has any right to describe someone as unattractive. What is the next Interesting Question to Be Answered? Since the research has brought out the evidence that confirms red clothing plays a role in women’s intersexual interactions, the next possible question that need to be answered is: how does red color affects a woman’s intersexual interactions. Another question that needs to be answered is what impact does red clothing has on a man’s perception of a woman. In the future, this line of research is also likely to focus on finding out any other color that might play a role and which particular role that it might play in human intersexual interactions. What else do we Know about the Attributions People Make? McLean, Bishop, and Nakagawa (2012) investigated the relative strengths of male ornamental signals in influencing a woman’s selection of quality males using data from Anuran species through meta-analysis. The researchers had hypothesized that extravagant male ornaments influenced women’s selection of quality males. The findings of the study supported the authors’ argument that women assess the quality of a man by evaluating the worth of the ornaments he is wearing. The findings of this study therefore provided support for marker frameworks of inter-sexual choice. The researches concluded that apart from male ornaments, other untested factors might arbitrate inter-sexual interactions. The research is of great importance since it has revealed a factor that plays a role in intersexual interaction and suggests the need for future research to test other possible factors that might affect intersexual interactions hence helping in improving the understanding of intersexual interactions. Elliot and  Pazda (2012) investigated if female red adornment in non-human primates is influential on their intersexual relation, as is the case with human females using red color as a signal to attract men. The results suggested a link connecting women with non-human female primates in using red color as an indication in their intersexual interactions. The study is of relevance to the topic because it has revealed a factor (use of red color by females as a signal in intersexual interactions) that influences these important interactions. The research is also relevant by the fact that it does not only explain factors that influence intersexual interactions in human females only, but also non-human female primates. Bias or Attribution Process Douthat (2013) describes the attribution of biasness and imbalance to journalism issues. In this, bias is seen to cause the imbalance as well as the negative manner the journalists regard one another in terms of competition. This has been brought about by the limitations put by the blinders of press ideology on the crusades mainstream outlets. The imbalance and bias has reduced liberalism whereas parochialism is ruling. Application The example given in the article is a situation whereby journalists work is influenced by different factors, such as the press one is working for or the politicians involved in the particular story being published. The mass media work has thus crumbled because of the biasness resulting from less liberalism on the press’s work. The journalists to some extent are not blame but rather the blinders should be. References Douthat, K. (2013). Balance and bias. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/opinion/sunday/douthat-media-balance-and-bias.html Elliott, A. J., Greitemeyer, T., & Pazda, A. D. (2013). Women’s use of red clothing as a sexual signal in intersexual interaction. The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49, 599 - 602. Elliot, A. J., &  Pazda, A.D. (2012). Dressed for Sex: Red as a Female Sexual Signal in Humans. PLoS One, 7(4), e34607. McLean, M. J., Bishop, P. J., & Nakagawa, S. (2012). Male quality, signal reliability and female choice: assessing the expectations of inter-sexual selection. J Evol Biol, 25(8), 1513-20. Read More