This idea is a but fuzzy, but I was surprised to see no category in the HB for any of the following: Geography Science:Geology Science:Psychology Science:Health:Location nor any of several other possibilities.
I propose a scientific study of the relationship between geographical location and Psychology. From my non-expert observation, there seem to be numerous indications of links between psychological health and latitude, and I've not seen a satisfactory explaination of the Red/Blue political distribution in the US.
A true non-judgemental survey might go a long way toward understanding a complex subject.-- csea, Dec 11 2010 Wall Street Journal (2008) http://online.wsj.c...11987961064719.html"Researchers Identify Regional Personality Traits Across America" [jutta, Dec 11 2010] London Psychogeographical Association http://www.unpopula...anisations/lpa.htmlProbably nothing to do with the Museum of Jurassic Technology [nineteenthly, Dec 11 2010] Wikipedia: Psychogeography http://en.wikipedia...iki/PsychogeographyNot the study of interactions between geography and psychology, other than in a very loose sense. [jutta, Dec 11 2010] Toward a Geography of Personality Traits http://jcc.sagepub....nt/35/1/13.abstractJüri Allik, University of Tartu. "Distance from the equator and mean temperature were not meaningfully related to personality factors. However, cluster analysis showed that geographically proximatecultures often have similar profiles, and multidimensional scaling showed a clear contrast of European and American cultures with Asian and African cultures." [jutta, Dec 11 2010] Non-Logical-Idea-Guy asks .... http://www.sciforum...wthread.php?t=72600... and is answered. [jutta, Dec 11 2010] (??) //skinheads in bomber jackets// http://ww2db.com/im...other_kamikaze1.jpg [mouseposture, Dec 11 2010] Should We All Take a Bit of Lithium? https://www.nytimes...bit-of-lithium.htmlDiscusses correlation between mental health and naturally occurring lithium levels in drinking water in different places [notexactly, Feb 03 2019] But what about that whole "Everyone who lives in California is a fruit cake" theory.-- blissmiss, Dec 11 2010 perhaps putting the world first? interesting thought IT-- po, Dec 11 2010 // Everyone who lives in California is a fruit cake" theory. //
That's not a theory, that's a proven fact.-- 8th of 7, Dec 11 2010 so a study of suicide rates by country (or state) would fall here?-- theircompetitor, Dec 11 2010 Have you heard of psychogeography? I'll see if i can find a link.-- nineteenthly, Dec 11 2010 It came up in a by-election in Tower Hamlets when there was a claim that the BNP were attempting to re-enact the Omphalos ritual in Tower Hamlets. I have great difficulty in working out what the heck psychogeography is, if it's anything at all. I think they were basically trying to win the election by means of Feng Shui, which conjures up an odd image of skinheads in bomber jackets doing rather non-stereotypical things.-- nineteenthly, Dec 11 2010 //skinheads in bomber jackets doing rather non- stereotypical things// Oh, it all depends on which set of stereotypes you're working with <link>.-- mouseposture, Dec 11 2010 //real estate developers and social workers//
Some of the links are close. I was hoping for an actual scientific study, with hypotheses, double-blind data gathering, and statistical analysis.-- csea, Dec 14 2010 Yes, thanks, I added the book to my wish list. At $104, I hope it's good!-- csea, Dec 14 2010 I always assumed it was something in the water...-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 15 2010 Not to drag up an old chestnut, but chronopsycology (or at least seasonal-dependent personality profiling) may already exist in the form of astrology - at least where personality profiles are concerned (the prediction of the future stuff is probably just tat that's adhered over time).
Imagine yourself in western europe at some time in the early middle ages (western europe so that the climate is the same for nearly everyone, and middle ages because of the general lack of central heating back then). If you are born in the depths of winter, your development, and the environment in which you find yourself during key stages of that development will be very different to the experiences of a child born in the midst of summer. e.g. The December child's first few months may be spent wrapped up warm and immobile, surrounded by the family who are also staying in out of the cold. Meanwhile, the Spring, or Summer Child may find themselves outside a lot more, naked and free to wiggle about in the grass, the family unit more dispersed or at least more mobile, as they go about their pastoral business. Over time as the children get older, it all sort of evens out, but if you think that there's a sort of staged development incorporating a rapid onboarding of tactile, motor and societal cognition, it would make sense to assume that these differing experiences would imprint upon the personality of the child - and if you accept that this could happen, you have the basis for a seasonally dependent range of personality types.
Before you start pointing and shouting "Witch!" however, it's probably worth pointing out that we don't live pastoral lives in the Middle Ages any more, so the seasonal affects are likely to be mitigated by central heating and the 9-to-5 working pattern - and, for the theory to make any sense, you have to factor in Australia, and invert all of the star-signs for anyone raised in temperate locations south of the Equator. Non temperate locations (i.e. those nearer the equator) are likely to be less effected by seasonal variation (due to lack of seasons) or at least, not by European ones (maybe monsoons could be substituted for Winter-time) - so any belief in the effects of astrology beyond the limitations outlined earlier, are probably bollocks.-- zen_tom, Dec 15 2010 WIIIIIIITCH !
I've always wanted to do that - thanks.-- normzone, Dec 15 2010 //the Spring, or Summer Child may find themselves outside a lot more// These medieval babies obviously developed a lot quicker than our rubbishy, modern knock-offs! Wouldn't it, in fact, be the opposite. Babies born in the summer would be stuck indoors just about the time that they learnt to crawl whereas those born in the winter would be crawling around in glorious sunshine, right up until the moment that they get eaten by a wolf...or a bear...or the local baby-eating bishop?-- DrBob, Dec 16 2010 Yeah, I guess you're right to give a six-month start/delay, but the main point is that seasonal variation in behaviour remains (whichever way around it goes) and as such would continue to have some equally seasonal variation in temperament. I wonder if that means that all lambs (who tend to be born at the same time of the year) have a similarly limited behavioral distribution?-- zen_tom, Dec 16 2010 //probably// marked for tagline.-- po, Dec 16 2010 [zen tom] I used similar logic as an explanation to someone who thought that star signs predicted personality too accurately to be nonsense. I suggested that to prove my theory, all you would need to do is compare those from different hemispheres (planet not brain) to see if the seasonal opposites matched.
I also included the fact that a large amount of development takes place in the womb (some say a third, with another third genetic), so during this time, the activity of the mother and available food types would perhaps play just as significant a role as the post-partum environment.
This is in essence something that would be covered under the proposed scientific discipline.
[zen tom] In the UK, lambs are now born year round.-- marklar, Dec 16 2010 There was some talk in the book 'Outliers' about how hockey players born at the beginning of the year have much more success and we more likely to become pros because of age/stature difference-- RayfordSteele, Dec 16 2010 I'd really like to be involved in anything anyone would like to do with regards to this. It's something I've been interested in since some half-observed anthropology lessons i took at university.
I've often thought that particular traits can be ascribed to geography, from physical/physiological (the sing-song articulation of welsh/swedes/other types who live in mountainous regions, and 'evolved' to modulate their voices for better communication) aspects to more psychological traits (like, british/english sangfroid due to the wonderful location of the english channel, german 'efficiency' due to being surrounded by aggressive tribal populations, etc). This is something that would need to be discussed carefully, of course, to avoid racial prejudices (even eynsenck (sp?) type stuff).-- Euryon, Apr 21 2011 Since deficiency diseases such as goitre (enlarged thyroid) are caused by a lack of trace elements, there's no reason why levels of other minerals - at trace amounts as found in natural supplies - shouldn't be included. It could just be added in with the medications that the Illuminati/Masons/CIA /Greenpeace/Reader's Digest* are already secretly pumping into the drinking water.
*Delete if not applicable.-- 8th of 7, Feb 03 2019 random, halfbakery