
Facial structure predicts goals, fouls among World Cup soccer players - shitehawk
http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2014/11/11/facial-structure-predicts-goals-fouls-among-world-cup-soccer-players
======
minimax
I read the paper† and I have to admit the statistics ("multilevel generalized
estimating equations with a negative binomial distribution and a robust
estimator covariance") is over my head, but to me it kind of sounds like they
couldn't find any results with a simple model, so opted for something more
complex. Also some of these results are kind of fishy.

 _Across all countries, FWHR only had a marginally significant association
with fouls committed (B=.291, 95 % CI: [−.040, .622], p=.085). When these
effects were examined separately for defenders, midfielders, and forwards, the
relationship between FWHR and fouls were in a negative, nonsignificant
direction in defenders (B=−.361, 95 % CI: [−.841, .119], p=.140), a positive
direction for midfielders (B=.449, 95 % CI: [.015, .884], p=.043), and a more
robust positive direction for forwards (B=.935, 95 % CI: [.401, 1.469],
p=.001)._

So if you are a defender FWHR and fouls are negatively correlated, but if you
are a forward FWHR and fouls are positively correlated? That just seems
confusing, and doesn't at all support the conclusion that "high FWHR is
associated with more aggressive behavior."

†
[http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264545489_An_Examina...](http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264545489_An_Examination_of_the_Associations_Between_Facial_Structure_Aggressive_Behavior_and_Performance_in_the_2010_World_Cup_Association_Football_Players)

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bussiere
A scientist scream at a fleas, it jumps. The scientist cut the legs of the
fleas and scream again. It doesn't jump.

Conclusion : When you cut the legs of a flea it becames deaf

(french story).

Take in fact that there s a lof of factor as club selection of players (they
may prefer a type of face even if they are not aware of) and lot of parameter.
Maybe it's just because the one with one type get more attention.

One explanation could be that one kind of face could be the stereotype of a
footballplayer culturaly. And when you fit in a stereotype you gain advantage
from it. As people treat you as being very good at it even if they are not
aware of.

Personnal experience as a bouncer (when you have to look as one ) and a
hypnotist.

~~~
cheepin
But the stereotype didn't come from nowhere, right?

~~~
bussiere
from culture and i may say Collective unconscious as told by jung (but it's my
point of view)

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carbocation
Link to the actual article is here:

[http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/909/art%253A10.1007%...](http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/909/art%253A10.1007%252Fs40750-014-0003-3.pdf?auth66=1415920060_d7573e8752528aa08a622b363301eb67&ext=.pdf)

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nl
The relationship between FWHR and some types of behavior is well
established[1][2], but not completely understood.

Some studies seem to indicate it only applies to men, and other studies seem
to indicate some ethnic groups are more affected than others.

This isn't the same as the old theory of phrenology because it is measurement
based as opposed to racial biases.

[1]
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886913...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886913012798)

[2]
[http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2014-19538-001/](http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2014-19538-001/)

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istorical
Not super surprising. The more we learn about sex hormones the more we see
that they can cause very different personality traits and performance
differences by task.

One other famous example is the recent research into digit ratio (measures
correlation between prenatal hormone exposures which causes varying digit
ratios and aggressiveness, risk taking behavior, etc.)
[[http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/04-finger-length-
ratio-...](http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/04-finger-length-ratio-can-
predict-aggressive-behavior-and-risk-of-disease)]
[[http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/naturally-
selected/20120...](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/naturally-
selected/201205/what-do-your-fingers-tell-about-your-hormones-personality-and-
sexuali)]

Really fun watching biology deniers claiming biological science is
politically/culturally biased then turn around and make fun of climate change
deniers for claiming climate science is politically/culturally biased.

I don't mean to endorse any of this science or its conclusions. But the
kneejerk reaction many progressives have to researching potential ties between
biology and anything sociological is alarming. We'd like to believe tabula
rasa is as close to true as possible, because it means we are the masters of
our own destinies and have equal opportunities at birth, but that doesn't mean
we should silence research.

I predict that this isn't the sort of thing that jives with the HN hivemind,
but what can I do.

~~~
RV86
I think the reason this sort of research doesn't jive on HN is because most HN
readers/commentators know how difficult it is to isolate a variable and
distinguish between correlation and causation. It's a healthy skepticism IMO.
We question the assumptions and methodologies of studies before we accept
their conclusions as fact.

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bubblemachine3k
Phrenology was debunked long ago.

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jdstafford
Go home, Eugenics. You're drunk.

