Social insect colonies are more likely to accept unrelated queens when they come with workers

Are Those with Darker Personality Traits more Willing to Corrupt When They Feel Anxious?

This unprecedented research endeavors to investigate the relationship between dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) and corruption intention through the mediation of anxiety.  Based on the resource conservation theory, it is hypothesized that those higher in dark personality traits are more inclined to corrupt when they feel anxious. Having collected data...

Two route landmarks are more useful to navigating ant colonies when they are dissimilar

Visual landmarks are important navigational aids to many animals, and when more than one is available their juxtaposition can convey valuable new information to a navigator about progress toward a goal, depending on the landmarks' comparative distinctiveness. We investigated the effect of presenting rock ant colonies (Temnothorax albipennis) with identical horizontal landmarks either side of th...

Barn swallow chicks beg more loudly when broodmates are unrelated.

Parents of a variety of animal species distribute critical resources among their offspring according to the intensity of begging displays. Kin selection theory predicts that offspring behave more selfishly in monopolizing parental care as relatedness with competitors declines. We cross-fostered two eggs between barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) clutches and compared the loudness of begging between...

Are generous people more likely to vote?

Policymakers in the Unites States and many other countries encourage charitable giving through various subsidies. In the United States, for instance, charitable contributions can be deducted from taxable income making the price of giving inversely related to the marginal tax rate. However, the net effects of such subsidies can be better understood by exploring the relationship between generosit...

Food Taxes: How Likely Are Likely Effects?