This article used sub-national, historical and cross-country data to examine if exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV-R) could be a factor in the formation of individualism and collectivism. The study found support, across all data sets, that increased exposure to UV-R is associated to more collectivism within a culture. The authors theorized that UV-R exposure increases the likelihood of eye disease causing higher rates of blindness. With increased levels of blindness, the more emphasis there will be on close family relations and/or increased uncertainty avoidance from out-groups leading to more collectivism in a culture.

This paper suggests that ancestral irrigation is linked to lower levels of contemporary female labor force participation. The hypothesis is tested using cross-country data, as well as data from various surveys. The study finds evidence that the gender-based division of labor in pre-modern agriculture may be the mechanism behind this relationship, and that cultural transmission across generations, particularly through males, may play a role in perpetuating this pattern.