Why does the male peacock have such a big and colorful tail? The classical Darwinian view of natural selection fails to provide a suitable answer. Natural selection principles suggest that those traits that enhance survivability will be selected. However, a peacock’s tail does not help it move faster, fly higher, or blend in. In fact, it hinders all of those functions. If not natural selection, then what other mechanisms are at play? Why is beautyContinue reading “What can the peacock tail tell us about social trends?”
Category Archives: Social Influences
The Influence of Social Information on Decision-Making: Aesthetic Preferences
Background With the media’s large presence in our lives —whether that be in the form of music, advertisements, fashion trends, politics, and social media—it is incredibly important to understand not only how people judge what they are consuming, but also understand how people can be influenced to judge differently. A study conducted in 2020 sought out to find answers to this question by investigating how external influences can impact our judgments specifically with different typesContinue reading “The Influence of Social Information on Decision-Making: Aesthetic Preferences”