Publications

Some of our publications

We typically investigate ideologically divisive topics and try to understand how they are driven by biological and cultural forces. Below is a sample of some of our recent work. You can also find more of our work by viewing Dr Blake’s Google Scholar profile.

  • Female sexualisation, sexy selfies, and physical appearance

    Blake, K. R., Portingale, J., Giles, S., Griffiths, S., Krug, I. (2022). Dating app usage and motivations for dating app usage are associated with increased disordered eating. Journal of Eating Disorders, 10(1), 186–195. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00693-9

    Griffith, S., Cowley-Court, T., Austen, E., Russo-Batterham, D., & Blake, K. (2022). "Spring is the best time to lose weight”: Evidence that dieting is seasonal and reaches peak intensity during Spring. Body Image, 41, 406-416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.04.011

    Griffith, S., Austen, E., Krug, I., Blake, K. R. (2021). Beach body ready? Shredding for summer? A first look at “Seasonal Body Image”. Body Image, 37, 269-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.03.004

    Krug, I., Selvarajaa, P, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Hughes, E, Slater, A., Griffiths, S., Yee, Z. W., Richardson, B., & Blake, K. (2020). The effects of Fitspiration images on body attributes, mood and eating behaviors: An experimental daily monitoring study in females. Body Image. 35, 279-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.09.011

    Krug, I., Yee, Z., Griffiths, S., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Blake, K., & Richardson , S. (2020). The differential impact of viewing fitspiration and thinspiration images on male body image: An experimental ecological momentary assessment study. Body Image. 35, 96-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.08.008

    *Arthur, L., Brooks, R. & Blake, K. R. (2020). Female self-sexualization covaries with mate value but not mate availability. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology. 6, 277-291. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s40750-020-00133-5

    Blake, K. R. & Brooks, R. (2019). Status anxiety mediates the positive relationship between income inequality and female sexualization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116(50), 25029–25033. Available at https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909806116

    • Altmetrics score of 333; News circulation reached >480 million people

    *Kellie, D., Blake, K., & Brooks, R. (2019). What drives female objectification? An investigation of appearance-based interpersonal perceptions and the objectification of women. PLoS One. Available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221388

    • Noted in Scopus for economic impact: United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 Gender Equality

    Blake, K. R., Bastian, B., Denson, T., Grosjean, P., & Brooks, R. (2018). Income inequality not gender inequality positively covaries with female sexualization on social media. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(35), 8722-8727. Available at https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1717959115

    • Altmetrics score of 1258; 99.9999th percentile of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetrics (N = 11.8m); Top ranked paper for 2018 in School of Psychology UNSW Sydney (Altmetrics)

    Blake, K.R., Fourati, M., & Brooks., R. (2018). Who suppresses female sexuality? An examination of support for Islamic veiling in a secular Muslim democracy as a function of sex and offspring sex. Evolution & Human Behavior, 39(6), 632-638. Available athttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.06.006

    • 98th percentile of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetrics (N = 11.8m)
  • Male:male competition, violence, and incels

    Blake, K. R. & Brooks. R. (2023). Societies should not ignore their incel problem. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.11.007

    Brooks, R., Blake, K. R., Fromhage, L. (2022). Effects of gender inequality and wealth inequality on within-sex mating competition under hypergyny. Evolution and Human Behavior, 43(6), 501-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.08.006

    Brooks, R., Russo-Batterham, D. & Blake, K. R. (2022). Incel activity on social media linked to local mating ecology. Psychological Science, 33(2), 249-258. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211036065

    • Altmetrics score of 263
    • Scopus FWCI of 9.01

    Blake, K. R., *O’Dean, S., *Lian, J., & Denson, T. (2021). Misogynistic tweets correlate with and prospectively predict domestic violence incidents over time. Psychological Science, 32(3), 315-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620968529

    • Top 10 of the most cited by all APS journals in 2021; Altmetrics score of 317; Scopus FWCI of 2.23

    Lyon, D., Owen, S., Osborne, M., Blake, K. R., *Andrades, B. (2020). Left / Write / Hook: A mixed method study of a writing and boxing workshop for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. International Journal of Wellbeing. 10(5), 20201206.

    • Noted in Scopus for economic impact: United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 Gender Equality, and Goal 16 Peace, justice, and strong institutions.

    Blake, K., Godwin, M., Letheren, K., Russell-Bennett, R., & Whyte, S. (2020). “I sexually identify as an Attack Helicopter”: Incels, trolls, and non-binary gender politics online. First Monday. 25(9). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v25i9.10601

    Blake., K. R., & Brooks., R. (2019). Income inequality and its implications for gendered conflict. In J. Jetten & K. Peters (eds.), The Social Psychology of Income Inequality. Springer. Available at 10.1007/978-3-030-28856-3_11

    Blake, K. R., & Brooks, R. (2018). High mate value men become more accepting of intimate partner abuse when primed with gender equality. Frontiers in Sociology, 3:28. Available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2018.00028

    Dixson B., Blake, K. R., Denson, T. F., Gooda-Vossos, A., Sulikowski, D., Rantala, M. J., & Brooks, R. C. (2018). The role of mating context and fecundability in women’s preferences for men’s facial masculinity and beardedness. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 93, 90–102. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.007

    Blake, K. R., Bastian, B., & Denson, T. (2017). Heightened male aggression toward sexualized women following romantic rejection: The mediating role of sex goal activation. Aggressive Behavior. 44, 40–49. Available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21722

    • Picked up by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age; Top #20 downloads for Aggressive Behavior in 2017–18; Featured in Women’s Health Victoria Government Policy document

    Blake, K. R., Hopkins, R., Sprunger, J., Eckhardt, C. I., & Denson, T. (2017). Relationship quality and cognitive reappraisal moderate the effect of negative urgency on intimate partner violence. Psychology of Violence. 8, 218–28. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/vio0000121

    Blake, K. R. & Denson, T(2017). Contexts for men’s aggression against men. In T. K. Shackelford & V. A. Weekes-Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer Nature. Available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_862-1

    Blake, K. R., Bastian, B., & Denson, T. (2016). Perceptions of low agency and high sexual openness mediate the relationship between sexualization and sexual aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 42, 483–97. Available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21644

    • 90th percentile for Altmetrics Attention Score for outputs of same age

    Kasumovic, M. M., Blake, K. R, Dixson, B. & Denson, T. F. (2015). Why do people play violent video games? Demographic, status-related, and mating-related correlates in men and women. Personality and Individual Differences, 86, 204–11. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.018

    • 97th percentile for Altmetrics Attention Score for outputs of same age
  • The menstrual cycle, steroid hormones and female competition

    Casto, K., *Arthur, L., *Lynch-Wells, S., & Blake, K. (2023). Women in their mid-follicular phase outcompete hormonal contraceptive users, an effect partially explained by relatively greater progesterone and cortisol reactivity to competition. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 157, 106367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106367 .

    Arslan, R., Blake. K. R., … Stern. J. (2023). Not within spitting distance: Salivary immunoassays of estradiol have subpar validity for cycle phase. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105994

    Blake, K. R. (2022). When fertile, women seek status via prestige but not dominance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(46), e2205451119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2205451119

    Brooks, R., Blake, K. R., Fromhage, L. (2022). Effects of gender inequality and wealth inequality on within-sex mating competition under hypergyny. Evolution and Human Behavior, 43(6), 501-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.08.006

    *Arthur, L., Casto, K., & Blake, K. R. (2022). Hormonal contraceptives as disruptors of competitive behavior: Theoretical framing and review. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 66, 101015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101015

    Blake, K. R., *McCartney, M., & Arslan. R. (2022). Menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception effects on self-efficacy, assertiveness, regulatory focus, optimism, impulsiveness, and risk-taking. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 103, 104382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104382

    • Scopus FWCI of 2.93

    *Arthur, L. & Blake, K. R. (2022). Fertility predicts self-development-oriented competitiveness in naturally cycling women but not hormonal contraceptive users. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 8, 489-519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-022-00198-4

    • Altmetrics score of 101. One of the highest-scoring outputs from this source (#8 of 170).
    • Scopus FWCI of 2.14
    • Article (including interviews) was featured in news outlets such as SBS News, the Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, and ABC Radio.

    Blake, K. R., Anjum, G., & Brooks, R. (2021). Family and gendered fitness interests effects on female stereotyping, attitudes toward female autonomy, and status-seeking in Pakistan. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 7, 382-402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-021-00174-4

    *Kellie, D., Blake, K. R., & Brooks, R. (2021). Behind the makeup: The effects of cosmetics on women’s self-objectification, and their objectification by others. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4-5), 703-721. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2767

    Blake, K. (2021). Attractiveness helps women secure mates, but also status and reproductively relevant resources. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 39-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01949-2

    • Scopus FWCI of 24.65

    Blake, K. R., Brooks, R., *Arthur, L., & Denson, T. (2020). In the context of romantic attraction, beautification can increase assertiveness in women. PLoS One. 15(3): e0229162. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229162

    Blake., K. R., & Brooks., R. (2019). Income inequality and its implications for gendered conflict. In J. Jetten & K. Peters (eds.), The Social Psychology of Income Inequality. Springer. Available at 10.1007/978-3-030-28856-3_11

    Denson, T., *O’Dean, S., Blake, K., & Beames, J. (2018). Aggression in women: Behavior, brain, and hormones. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12:81. Available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00081

    • Altmetrics score of 172; Article has more views than 99% of all articles in Frontiers journals

    Dixson B., Blake, K. R., Denson, T. F., Gooda-Vossos, A., Sulikowski, D., Rantala, M. J., & Brooks, R. C. (2018). The role of mating context and fecundability in women’s preferences for men’s facial masculinity and beardedness. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 93, 90–102. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.007

    • 90th percentile for Altmetrics Attention Score for outputs of same age and source

    Dixson, B., Lee, A., Blake, K. R., Jasienska, G., & Marcinkowska, U. (2018). Women’s preferences for men’s beards do not change with their likelihood of conception. Hormones and Behavior. 97, 137–44. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.006

    • 97th percentile for Altmetrics Attention Score for outputs of same age and source

    Blake, K.R., Dixson, B., O'Dean, S., & Denson, T. (2017). No compelling positive association between ovarian hormones and wearing red clothing when using multinomial analyses. Hormones and Behavior, 90, 129–35. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.005

    • Selected as cover article for this issue of the journal by editor-in-chief

    Blake, K. R., Bastian, B., *O'Dean, S., & Denson, T. (2016). High estradiol and low progesterone positively predict assertiveness in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 75, 91–99. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.008

    Blake, K.R., Dixson, B., *O'Dean, S., & Denson, T. (2016). Standardized protocols for characterizing women’s fertility: A data-driven approach. Hormones and Behavior, 81, 74–83. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.03.004

    • 678 downloads of researcher protocols from Open Science Framework; 96th percentile in Behavioral Neuroscience articles of the same age and type
  • Political attitudes

    Weaving, M., Alshaabi, T., Arnold, M. V., Blake, K., Danforth, C. M., Dodds, P. S., Haslam, N., Fine, C. (2023). Misogyny as backlash: The trajectory of Twitter misogyny during Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election campaign. Scientific Reports, 13, 5266. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31620-w

    Blake, K. R., Wu, A., McGovern, H., & Brooks, R. (2023). Number of close kin but not gendered fitness interests shapes sex role attitudes. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 9, 37-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-022-00207-6

    Kerry, N., Al-Shawaf, L., Barbato, M., Batres, C., Blake, K.…. (2022). Experimental and cross-cultural evidence that parenthood and parental care motives increase social conservatism. Proceedings of The Royal Society B, 289(1982), 20220978. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0978

    *Luberti, F., Blake, K., & Brooks, R. (2022). Changes in positive affect due to popularity in an experimental dating context influence some of men’s, but not women’s, socio-political attitudes. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 8, 202-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-022-00188-6

    *Luberti., F., Blake., K. R., & Brooks., R., (2022). Widespread promiscuity and cheap weddings: Can “low-value" sexual relationships make certain individuals more sexually conservative?. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 2791-2811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02216-0

    *Kellie, D., Blake, K., & Brooks, R. (2021). Prejudice towards sex workers depends on the sexual activity and autonomy of their work, hobbies and daily activities. Collabra: Psychology, 7(1): 24386. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.24386

    Kerry, N., Blake, K. R., Murray, D., & Brooks, R. (2021). Male descendant kin promote conservative views on gender issues and conformity. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 3, e34. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2021.29

    Brooks, R., & Blake, K. R. (2021). Gendered Fitness Interests: A proposal explaining how relatives affect socio-political attitudes and behaviours. Evolution & Human Behavior, 42(4), 295-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.12.002

    Jones, B.C., DeBruine, L.M., Flake, J.K., … Blake., K. R.,… Chartier,C.R. (2021). To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply? Nature Human Behavior. 5, 159-169. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-01007-2

    • Scopus FWCI of 27.53

    *Luberti., F., Blake., K. R., & Brooks., R., (2020). Does the quality of mating competitors affect socio-political attitudes? An experimental test. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 6, 501-531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-020-00151-3

    Kasumovic, M. Hatcher, E., Blake, K. R., & Denson, T. (2020). Performance in video games affects self-perceived mate value and mate preferences. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000231

    *Luberti, F., Blake, K., & Brooks, R. (2019). The effects of the mating market, sex, age, and income on socio-political orientation: Insights from Evolutionary Theory and Sexual Economics Theory. Human Nature, 31, 88-111. Available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-019-09361-5

    • Scopus FWCI of 2.27