No abstract

This essay analyzes the late-nineteenth-century epidemic of hypertrichosis, the disease of "superfluous hair," in the context of the U.S. reception of evolutionary theory. Between 1877 and 1920 scores of dermatologists reported at conferences and in medical journals that their female patients were traumatized by excessive facial and body hair. At the same time, the public flocked to see bearded ladies on display at circus sideshows. To make sense of hirsute women, specialists and popular observers alike often invoked evolutionary theory, especially Charles Darwin's theory of sexual selection as explained in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871). Studying the medical and popular fascination with female hirsutism sheds light on the understudied role that gender has played in the U.S. reception of evolutionary theory, reveals how the cultural norm of female hairlessness became naturalized, and helps us better understand the ongoing construction of gender, a highly racialized category.

Numerous laboratory studies suggest that engaging in prosocial action predicts greater psychological well-being, yet little work has examined whether kids (aged 5–12) experience these benefits in real-world community settings. In Study 1, we surveyed 24/25 students who completed their entire Grade 6 curriculum in a long-term care home alongside residents called “Elders.” We found that the meaning that kids derived from interacting with the Elders strongly predicted greater psychological well-being. In Study 2, we conducted a pre-registered field experiment with 238 kids who were randomly assigned to package essential items for disadvantaged children who were either demographically similar or dissimilar to them. Kids self-reported their happiness both pre- and post-intervention. While happiness increased from pre- to post-intervention, this change did not differ for kids who helped a similar or dissimilar recipient. These studies offer real-world evidence that engaging in prosocial action—over an afternoon or year—may enhance kids’ psychological well-being.

No abstract

No abstract