The authors assess and compare preferred interpersonal distances over 42 countries. Environmental and sociopsychological factors are tested in order to explain variability in interpersonal distance across cultures. The authors seek to go beyond previous studies and better understand cultural differences and similarities in proxemic behaviors.

The article examines whether cultural groups tend to use supernatural beliefs more to explain natural phenomena or social phenomena. Analysis of ethnographic text from 114 diverse societies reveals that supernatural explanations are more common for natural phenomena, consistent with the theory that humans tend to perceive intent and agency in the natural world. However, supernatural explanations of social phenomena were more prevalent in urbanized societies with greater social complexity and anonymity. The study highlights how people use supernatural beliefs to explain their world and how this varies across small-scale and urbanized communities.

Theories about the relationship between warfare, militarism, male dominance and authoritarianism are tested.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze thesubsistence activities of the Kung Bushmen. These activities are then used as a benchmark for comparing other hunting and gathering societies. A cross-cultural analysis asks: To what extent are the Bushmen typeical of hunter-gatherers in general? Finding suggets that, as a less reliable subsistence source, hunting is only used as the primarily subsistence strategy when there is no alternative viable subsistence strategy. Findings also suggest that hunting is the dominant mode of subsistence only in the highest latitudes.

The author uses a world-wide sample of societies to address variation in famiy organization and the economic and social factors to which it relates.

This article examines the relationship between grammatical forms and a society’s economic activity, particularly whether property-based societies are more likely to develop the possessive verbs. Analysis supports an association.

This article examines the relationship between warfare and trade and concludes that the relationship varies within different levels of political organization.

This article presents a reanalysis of a study by Ember (1978) examining the predictors of men's heterosexual fear. The author finds that Ember's model is not upheld and presents a new model of men's heterosexual fear using path analysis. Results suggest that mother-child sleeping arrangements and food shortage are directly related to men's heterosexual fear.

This study explores cultural variables associated with frequency of drunkenness and ceremonial drinking. Particular attention was paid to childhood socialization variables, as well as politcal and social organization. Results show a low correlation between frequency of drunkenness and frequency of ceremonial drinking, and various other variables are associated with each.

This article examines the variation in color naming and susceptibility to visual illusions cross-culturally. Results suggest a geographic patterning of color naming and illusion susceptibility which parallels the distribution of eye pigmentation.