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Gillian Ragsdale Ph.D.

About

Gillian Ragsdale, Ph.D., developed an interest in anthropology while working in educational publishing for the Middle East and Africa. Combining this with a long-standing interest in evolutionary biology and philosophy led to a Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology at Cambridge. Her main area of interest is the evolution of the mind and behavior—especially in the contexts of empathy, social behavior, family relationships, and kinship.

Recent Posts
Are We Torturing Our Teens?
It's been a tough year—yet many teenagers are less anxious than they were last year. Why is school more stressful for them than COVID-19?
Working Parent Guilt
Do confident parents feel less guilty, and can sacrificing work goals improve your kids’ behavior?
The Hunger for Change

Adolescence is not a pathological state between childhood and adulthood. We just cannot afford to get this so wrong.

Adolescence is not a pathological state between childhood and adulthood. We just cannot afford to get this so wrong.

Fighting Talk

Spectators to conflict are never neutral: how biased reports evolve over time to escalate conflict – independent of the conflict itself.

Spectators to conflict are never neutral: how biased reports evolve over time to escalate conflict – independent of the conflict itself.

Stranger Danger: Real Risks vs. Ancient Terrors

Strange things happen to your brain when you become a parent–and this is just one of them. Because at the gaming table of evolution, some risks are worth taking more than others.

Strange things happen to your brain when you become a parent–and this is just one of them. Because at the gaming table of evolution, some risks are worth taking more than others.

Parents: An Emotionally Vulnerable Market

Parents can be emotionally vulnerable—so are advertisers cheating when they make parents feel guilty in order to sell a product?

Parents can be emotionally vulnerable—so are advertisers cheating when they make parents feel guilty in order to sell a product?

The Maternal Myth

Surely all women must have a maternal instinct or the human race would die out. Some women don’t seem very interested in having babies but that can’t be normal—can it?

Surely all women must have a maternal instinct or the human race would die out. Some women don’t seem very interested in having babies but that can’t be normal—can it?