Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Did dairying climates pave the way for the evolution of modern democracy?

by Eric W. Dolan
August 12, 2018
in Social Psychology
(Photo credit: Kalim)

(Photo credit: Kalim)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Don't miss out! Follow PsyPost on Bluesky!

New research published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology argues that climate played a key role in the cultural evolution of democracy. The study provides evidence that cold and wet climates that allow for cattle husbandry are linked to modern-day freedoms.

“Our team felt that the present-day distribution of fundamental freedoms all over the world is ascribed too much to individual country leaders, to economic prosperity, and to good governance. We therefore wanted to shed some more light on the historical path that led to these and other proximate origins,” said study author Evert Van de Vliert, a professor emeritus of organizational and applied social psychology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

“In a three-day meeting from 17 to 19 May 2016 at Leuphana University we adopted the points of departure that (a) degrees of encultured freedoms are historical solutions to problems, (b) universal problems are climatic survival in a particular place and genetic survival over time, and (c) likely ultimate origins of fundamental freedoms must therefore be sought in the interaction of climates (of primary importance) and genes (of secondary importance).”

An analysis of 108 Old World countries found that cold/wet climates suitable for dairy farming were associated with lactose tolerance in the year 1500, which was in turn associated with higher child survival rates, greater per capita income, and fewer children per family in the year 1800. This enhanced production power was in turn associated with political freedom and civil liberties in the year 2000.

The researchers believe that lactose tolerance led to longer life expectancy and postponed parenthood, which shifted life strategies toward long-term goals and provided people with more time to undertake activities of their choice.

“Who we are and what we think and do has deeper historical roots and routes than we are ready to admit. However, this does not mean that we are unfree. On the contrary, our ancestors have continuously, intelligently, and ingeniously adapted their habits to their habitats, a process that is still going on today,” Van de Vliert told PsyPost.

“A reason for caution is that we had to rely on data restricted to the last five centuries. Among other things, the study suggests that ecological stresses motivate peoples to freely give up freedom, raising the further question where global warming is going to have this impact,” he added.

The study, “Got Milk? How Freedoms Evolved From Dairying Climates“, was authored by Evert Van de Vliert, Christian Welzel, Andrey Shcherbak, Ronald Fischer, and Amy C. Alexander.

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

A surprising body part might provide key insights into schizophrenia risk
Machiavellianism

Massive psychology study reveals disturbing truths about Machiavellian leaders

July 11, 2025

For employees working under a manipulative boss, the damage is clear: lower job satisfaction and higher burnout. A study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior confirms this toxic impact, yet reveals these leaders aren't always penalized for their destructive behavior.

Read moreDetails
Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns
Psychopathy

Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns

July 10, 2025

What if the roots of psychopathy could be traced in our blood? New research is looking beyond psychology and into our endocrine system. A new study suggests hormones like cortisol and testosterone may hold important clues to a person's manipulative and impulsive tendencies.

Read moreDetails
Testosterone shifts political preferences in weakly affiliated Democratic men, study finds
Political Psychology

Testosterone shifts political preferences in weakly affiliated Democratic men, study finds

July 10, 2025

What if the key to swaying a swing voter lies in their biology? New research found giving testosterone to weakly affiliated Democratic men made them less loyal to their party and more open to Republicans, revealing a potential hormonal link to political persuasion.

Read moreDetails
Bullshit is deemed more credible if attributed to a scientist, compared to a spiritual guru
Social Psychology

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

July 8, 2025

A new study of Nobel Prize winners suggests that scientists who change locations or work in multiple places tend to begin their groundbreaking research earlier, highlighting how exposure to diverse environments may help spark innovative, high-impact ideas.

Read moreDetails
The most popular dementia videos on TikTok tend to have the lowest quality, study find
Addiction

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

July 8, 2025

People who frequently use short-video apps like TikTok may show reduced loss sensitivity and impulsive decision-making, according to a new neuroimaging study that links addictive use patterns to changes in brain activity during risky choices.

Read moreDetails
People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes
Narcissism

National narcissism linked to emotional impairments and dehumanization, new study finds

July 7, 2025

A new study suggests that people who see their nation as uniquely important often struggle with recognizing emotions and experience more anger and contempt—factors that may help explain why they’re more likely to dehumanize both outsiders and fellow citizens.

Read moreDetails
Anxious and avoidant attachment are elevated among individuals with eating disorders
Developmental Psychology

Personality may be a key factor connecting negative parenting experiences to adult challenges

July 7, 2025

New research finds a link between how adults recall being parented and their current life difficulties. These challenges may be partly explained by personality traits, such as lower conscientiousness, that are connected to early family environments and adult well-being.

Read moreDetails
Loneliness predicts an increase in TV viewing for older women, but not for men
Sexism

New study finds link between sexism and denial of male victimhood in relationships

July 6, 2025

New research shows that many people endorse myths that minimize abuse against men in relationships. These myths are closely tied to sexist attitudes about masculinity, gender roles, and who is believed to be a “real” victim of violence.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists shed new light on how heroin disrupts prefrontal brain function

New research identifies four distinct health pathways linked to Alzheimer’s disease

A surprising body part might provide key insights into schizophrenia risk

Religious belief linked to lower anxiety and better sleep in Israeli Druze study

A common vegetable may counteract brain changes linked to obesity

Massive psychology study reveals disturbing truths about Machiavellian leaders

Dementia: Your lifetime risk may be far greater than previously thought

Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy