RESEARCH LINE: HUMAN SEXUALITY
Postdoctoral Research Project: “Strategies for promoting mental health among LGBTQIAPN+”
Researcher: Dr. Anthonieta Looman Mafra (CNPq-funded)
This project evaluates the impact of psychosocial and educational interventions on mental health outcomes and stigma reduction in LGBTQIAPN+ populations. Given the elevated rates of anxiety and depression linked to social discrimination, the study implements a two-phase design: (1) educational interventions with 90 adolescents, and (2) psychosocial interventions with 716 adults, using controlled group comparisons. The goal is to develop evidence-based strategies to improve quality of life and inform public policies in Brazil.
Doctoral Project: “Diverse Phenotypes of Male Homosexuality: A Multimodal Analysis of Biomarkers and Psychosocial-Sexual Factors“
Researcher: Bruno Henrique Amaral (CNPq-funded)
While scientific literature has mostly treated male homosexual populations as homogeneous groups for comparison with heterosexuals, emerging research highlights significant behavioral diversity across distinct subcultures. This three-study project systematically investigates these variations. Study 1 examines psychological and social differences across subcultures (e.g., Bears, Twinks, Drag Queens, BDSM practitioners) in Sociosexuality, Childhood gender nonconformity, Self-esteem, Masculinity/femininity, and Life satisfaction. Study 2 analyzes sexuality biomarkers (e.g., handedness, fraternal birth order effect) as predictors of behavioral and personality characteristics (e.g., sexual role preferences). Study 3 qualitatively maps lifestyle patterns unique to each subculture.
Doctoral Project: “The Impact of Humor Styles on Romantic Relationship Dynamics“
Researchers: Leonardo Cezar Silva Costa, Mateus Cardeal (CAPES-funded)
Employing evolutionary and ethological frameworks, this project investigates how humor functions in partner selection and relationship maintenance. Experimental and observational methods examine how humor functions as a signaling mechanism in mate selection; its role in relationship satisfaction and longevity; potential gender differences in humor production and appreciation; and the evolutionary foundations of humor as a social bonding tool.
Master’s Project: “Attraction to Antisocial Traits and Partner Selection Mechanisms“
Researcher: Katharina P. da Silva (CNPq-funded)
This study tests competing hypotheses about attraction to Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy): (1) homogamy (similarity preference) vs. (2) the “byproduct desirability” hypothesis (where antisocial traits are tolerated with compensatory advantages). Preliminary results strongly support homogamy as a driver of attraction patterns.
Master’s Project: “Cognitive-Affective Dimensions in Women With and Without Persistent Orgasmic Difficulties”
Researcher: Letícia Rosa de Paiva
Focusing on primary anorgasmia (lifelong orgasmic disorder), this project compares cognitive-affective profiles between affected and control groups using anonymized online data from cisgender women. Advanced statistical modeling examines associations between orgasmic capacity and psychological factors.
Master’s Project: “Partner Selection Criteria in Dating Apps: Evolutionary Perspectives”
Researcher: Eliana Vaz Fávero
This projects explores how modern digital platforms mediate evolved mating strategies within the Brazilian context. Grounded in evolutionary psychology, the study examines how fundamental psychological factors – including self-esteem, self-perceived mate value, and sociosexual orientation – shape users’ partner selection behaviors on dating applications. The investigation specifically analyzes how these variables influence both users’ romantic intentions (from casual encounters to long-term commitments) and their stated preferences for ideal partner characteristics.
Master’s Project: “Makeup’s Influence on Facial Perception and Attention“
Researcher: Fernanda Rebello
Facial modifications through makeup represent a universal and psychologically significant phenomenon in human social interactions. While existing research recognizes makeup as eliciting supernormal stimulus responses, the fundamental question remains whether isolated makeup techniques—such as eye emphasis versus skin enhancement—follow distinct patterns of unconscious perception and conscious attention. This project aims to resolve whether makeup functions as a unified perceptual stimulus or as a collection of independent elements with unique attentional signatures. Building upon a photographic database of 34 Brazilian women across five progressive makeup stages, the study employs experimental manipulation through Photoshop to create three targeted variants: skin-focused modifications applying heavy foundation and bronzer to bare faces, eye-focused enhancements adding dramatic eye makeup to bare faces, and mouth-focused adjustments featuring bold lip color on bare faces. Using eye-tracking technology with 68 observers, the research precisely measures visual attention across two critical time windows: the initial 300 milliseconds of exposure capturing immediate unconscious perception analyzed through multinomial logistic regression, and the sustained 1000-millisecond period revealing conscious attentional patterns assessed via dwell time metrics. The findings will advance theoretical understanding in evolutionary psychology by testing supernormal stimulus theory in a novel applied context.
Master’s Project: “Romantic Preferences and Sociosexuality in Bisexual Individuals“
Researcher: Jeferson Morais
This study investigates the romantic and sexual preferences of bisexual individuals, addressing a significant gap in current literature that predominantly focuses on heterosexual and gay populations. While existing research has extensively explored partner selection strategies among these groups, bisexual individuals—who experience attraction to multiple genders—remain understudied despite their unique position in romantic and sexual dynamics. The project specifically examines whether bisexual individuals demonstrate consistent preferences across genders or employ distinct strategies depending on their partner’s gender. Using a quantitative descriptive approach, the study will analyze data from sociodemographic questionnaires, the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R-Brazil), and the Ideal/Actual Partner Assessment. Participants will complete the surveys twice, evaluating preferences for different genders each time. The project will thus distinguish the effects of individual sex, sexual orientation, and partner gender on partner preferences and sexual strategies.
RESEARCH LINE: CAPUCHIN MONKEY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
Postdoctoral Project: “Sexual Behavior Development in Wild Capuchin Monkeys”
Researcher: Dr. Irene Delval (FAPESP-funded)
This comparative study tracks the ontogeny of sexual behaviors in wild Sapajus libidinosus and S. xanthosternos populations, focusing on the first three years of life. By documenting behavioral frequencies, sex differences, contextual triggers, and partner preferences, the project reveals how early sexual plasticity varies between species—offering new insights into primate behavioral development.
Undergraduate Research Project: “Juvenile Sexual Development in Wild Bearded Capuchins (S. libidinosus)”
Researcher: Juan Caixeta Mendes Ribeiro (FAPESP-funded)
Monitoring 10 juveniles (5 males, 5 females) Wild Bearded Capuchins across two annual cycles, this subproject analyzes: (1) age/sex-based variations in sexual interactions, (2) behavioral contexts (play, feeding, affiliation), and (3) partner preferences during/outside mating seasons. Findings will clarify the functional significance of early sexual exploration in this tool-using species.
RESEARCH LINE: HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Postdoctoral Project: “Evolutionary Moral Psychology and Corruption Perception in Brazil”
Researcher: Dr. Pâmela Cortez
This project examines how evolutionary moral psychology explains the disproportionate attention given to corruption in Brazilian politics. The central hypothesis posits that corruption is perceived as large-scale cheating behavior, activating deeply rooted psychological mechanisms of morality. The study investigates the relationship between moral foundations, emotional responses, and corruption perception—both in abstract terms and when applied to politicians across ideological spectra. Using Brazil’s 2022 presidential elections as a quasi-natural experiment, the research tracks a voter sample longitudinally: immediately post-election and again in 2024 after electoral fervor subsides. Comparative analyses will reveal how moral psychology shapes—and potentially shifts—corruption perceptions over time.
Doctoral Project: “The Social Impact of Leisure Activities”
Researcher: Yago Luksevicius de Moraes (CNPq-funded)
Games represent a universal, rule-based form of play often involving competition. While evolutionary theories emphasize their role in skill assessment, social sciences highlight their bonding potential. This study bridges these perspectives by testing how games facilitate social bonding and competence evaluation among strangers. Pairs of unacquainted participants engaged alternately in games and dramatizations, with measurements of intimacy and perceived fitness. Preliminary results indicate games consistently enhance intimacy (with no sex differences), while dramatizations show stronger effects in males. The findings illuminate the dual function of play in alliance formation and rival assessment.
Master’s Project: “Heritability of Creativity in Brazilian Twins”
Researcher: Vitor Costa (CNPq-funded)
As the first twin study of creativity in Brazil, this project employs the Classical Twin Design to disentangle genetic and environmental influences, with an initial sample of 168 twins. Standardized creativity and zygosity questionnaires are analyzed using openMX and multiple regression. The research additionally explores sociodemographic correlates and artistic propensity, providing cross-cultural data complementary to Northern Hemisphere studies.