This chapter examines the variables that are associated with the evil eye belief cross-culturally. Results suggest that the evil eye belief is significantly associated with various socioeconomic and demographic variables. All hypotheses are supported.

Researchers examine marriage patterns of 186 societies from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS). The eleven predictor variables are pathogen stress, arranged female marriages, population density, father roles during infancy, temperature, social stratification, wealth inequality, internal warfare, assault frequency, female agricultural contribution, and sex ratio. The two outcome variables measuring polygyny are cultural rules constraining polygyny and the percentage of married men who are polygynous. Controlling on phylogeny using a global supertree of the languages, analysis of marriage patterns reveals that assault frequency and pathogen stress are the strongest predictors of polygyny. These findings offer additional support for the theories of harem-defense polygyny and male genetic quality.

In this article, the researcher aims to test the usefulness of grid/group theory, developed by anthropologist Mary Douglas, for cross-cultural research. The article utilizes principal component factor analysis on grid/group indicators to test if "grid" and "group" can be considered as sufficiently independent factors, and thus useful for quantitative cross-cultural research.

The study proposes a model to explain how gift interactions produce changes in interpersonal relations and, subsequently, the structure of social organizations. The authors also suggest that gift interactions are a driving force in the transition of social organization (bands, tribes, and chiefdoms). According to the model, there is a positive correlation between the frequency of gift transactions and economic and social disparities. To verify their theoretical results, the authors compare this model to statistical analysis performed on 155 societies from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. The results support the model, as there are positive correlations between gift interactions and social/economic disparities. As additional results, the authors show that some cultural and environmental factors positively correlate to gift interactions, including population density, surplus production, and herding societies.

An early cross-cultural study that sought to establish correlations between "stages" of economic culture and a variety of different social and political institutions, such as form of government and justice, marriage and kinship, and behaviors during warfare.

This article examines variation in childrens' socialization anxiety across societies of different subsistence types.

This article is primarily concerned with formidability theory. This theory suggests that physical strength among men affects their views on social issues because evolutionary physically stronger men would have benefitted from more unequal power arrangements. Thus, the author seeks to investigate an association between height and views on wealth redistribution among European men. Through modeling, such a relationship was found and the author concludes that there is support for this theory.

In this study, the authors analyze relationships between witchcraft accusations and the gender of the accused. They find that men are most often accused of witchcraft in their sample of 54 Bantu or Bantoid societies, and are particularly more likely to be accused of witchcraft by unrelated or blood-related individuals or in disputes over wealth or prestige. On the other hand, women are more likely to be accused of witchcraft in affinal relationships, particularly husbands and co-wives, and in situations related to fertility or relationships. Elderly women were also more likely to be accused of witchcraft than elderly men. The authors also examined outcomes of witchcraft accusations, finding that 81% of cases resulted in a negative outcome for the accused. They suggest that competition underlies accusations of witchcraft.

The author utilizes Beardsley et al.'s (1956) settlement pattern typology to develop a five-rank scale of cultural complexity. The scale was developed using 30 traits converted into categorical form. The scale is designed for use by archaeologists to infer or presume the existence of certain nonmaterial cultural traits in a given society.

This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).