April Bleske-Rechek

Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Curriculum VitaeTeachingPublicationsResearchLinks


Journal Articles and Scholarly Essays

Clark, C. J., Jussim, L., Frey, K., Stevens, S. T., al-Gharbi, M., Aquino, K., Bailey, J. M., Barbaro, N., Baumeister, R. F., Bleske-Rechek, A., Buss, D., Ceci, S., Del Giudice, M., Ditto, P. H., Forgas, J. P., Geary, D. C., Geher, G., Haider, S., Honeycutt, N., Joshi, H., Krylov, A. I., Loftus, E., Loury, G., Lu, L., Macy, M., Martin, C. C., McWhorter, J., Miller, G., Paresky, P., Pinker, S., Reilly, W., Salmon, C., Stewart-Williams, S., Tetlock, P. E., Williams, W. M., Wilson, A. E., Winegard, B. M., Yancey, G., & von Hippel, W. (2023). Prosocial motives underlie scientific censorship by scientists: A perspective and research agenda. PNAS, 120(48), e2301642120. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A. (2023, Sept. 27). Advanced Placement: The next target in the assault on merit? [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Robinson, D. (2023). Standardized admission tests are not biased. In fact, they’re fairer than other measures. Skeptic Magazine, 28, 16-22.[Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Bernstein, M. (2023, July 8). Some sex differences are more problematic than others. Unsafe Science Substack. [Link]

Abbot, D., Bikfalvi, A., Bleske-Rechek, A. L., Bodmer, W., Boghossian, P., Carvalho, C. M., Ciccolini, J., Coyne, J. A., Gauss, J., Gill, P. M. W., Jitomirskaya, S., Jussim, L., Krylov, A. I., Loury, G. C., Maroja, L., McWhorter, J. H., Moosavi, S., Nanya Schwerdtle, P., Pearl, J., Quintanilla-Tornel, M. A., Schaefer III, H. F., Schreiner, P. R., Schwerdtfeger, P., Shechtman, D., Shifman, M., Tanzman, J., Trout, B. L., Warshel, A., & West, J. D. (2023). In defense of merit in science. Journal of Controversial Ideas, 3(1), 1, In Defense of Merit.[Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Gunseor, M., & Nguyen, K. (2023). I “knew” they wouldn’t last: Hindsight bias in judgments of a dating couple. Social Psychological Bulletin, 18, e9967. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A. (2023, May 1). Offense=harm=violence: Consequences of concept creep for free speech on campus. Heterodox STEM Substack. [Link]

Bernstein, M., & Bleske-Rechek, A. (2023, April 16). Who agrees with Hitler? Unsafe Science Substack. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Giordano, E., Kasper, E., Peterson, G., & Shiell, T. (2023, February 1). Student views on freedom of speech: Summary of student responses. Report for University of Wisconsin System, available at Survey Report 2023.

Bleske-Rechek, A., Deaner, R. O., Paulich, K. N., Axelrod, M., Badenhorst, S., Nguyen, K., Seyoum, E., & Lay, P. S. (2023). In the eye of the beholder: Situational and dispositional predictors of perceiving harm in others’ words. Personality and Individual Differences, 200, 111902. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Deaner, R. (2022). Societies also prioritize female survival. (Comment). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 45, e128: 29-30. [Link]

Deaner, R. O., Dunlap, L. C., & Bleske-Rechek, A. (2022). Sex differences in competitiveness in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Evolutionary Psychology, 20(2), 14747049221109388. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A. (2022, January 11). Equal, not identical: In sharing family tasks, consider the preferences of men and women. The Institute for Family Studies Blog. Available at: The Institute for Family Studies Blog

BeBeau, H., & Bleske-Rechek, A. (2021). The influence of outcome knowledge: Hindsight bias in the context of suicide. Academia Letters. Article 2649. [Link]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Nuck, G., & Gunseor, M. M. (2021). Individual differences in romantic attachment: Shared environment does not predict shared attachment style. Journal of Individual Differences.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Gunseor, M. M. (2021). Gendered perspectives on sharing the load: Men’s and women’s attitudes toward family roles and household and childcare tasks. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. [PDF] Advance online publication: https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000257

Bleske-Rechek, A. (2019, July 30). The other crisis in psychology. Quillette. Available at: Quillette.com

Bleske-Rechek, A., Paulich, K., & Jorgensen, K. (2019). Therapeutic touch redux: Twenty years after the “Emily Event,” energy therapies live on via bad science. Skeptic, 24, 24-31.[Preview]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Paulich, K., Shafer, P., & Kofman, C. (2019). Grammar matters: The tainting effect of grammar usage errors on judgments of competence and character. Personality and Individual Differences, 141, 47-50. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Gunseor, M. M., & Maly, J. R. (2018). Does the language fit the evidence? Unwarranted causal language in psychological scientists’ scholarly work. the Behavior Therapist, 41, 341-352. [PDF]

Andrews, T. M., Lukaszewski, A. W., Simmons, Z. L., & Bleske-Rechek, A. (2017). Cue-based estimated of reproductive value explain women's body attractiveness Evolution and Human Behavior, 38, 461-467. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Joseph, W. E., Williquette, H., & Donovan, B. (2016). Sex differences in young adults’ attraction to opposite-sex friends: Natural sampling versus mental concepts. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 2, 214-219 doi: 10.1007/s40806-016-0056-6 [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Donovan, B. A. (2015). Scientifically adrift: Limited change in scientific liteeracy, and no change in knowledge and acceptance of evolution, over three years of college. EvoS Journal: The Journal of the Evolutionary Studies Consortium, 7, 21-43. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Morrison, K., & Heidtke, L. (2015). Causal inference from descriptions of
experimental and non-experimental research: Public understanding of correlation-versus-causation.
Journal of General Psychology, 142, 48-70.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Ryan, D. E. (2015). Continuity and change in emerging adults’ mate preferences
and mating orientations. Personality and Individual Differences, 72, 90-95. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Browne, K. (2014). Trends in GRE scores and graduate enrollments by gender and
ethnicity. Intelligence, 46, 25-34. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2014.05.005 [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Kolb, C., Stern, A. S., Quigley, K., & Nelson, L. A. (2014). Face and body: Independent predictors of women’s attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43, 1355-1365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0304-4 [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Kelley, J. A. (2014). Birth order and personality: A within-family test using independent self-reports from both firstborn and laterborn siblings. Personality and Individual Differences, 56, 15-18. access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.08.011 [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Somers, E., Micke, C., Erickson, L., Matteson, L., Schumacher, B., Stocco, C., & Ritchie, L. (2012). Benefit or burden? Attraction in cross-sex friendship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Online first: April 25, 2012. doi:10.1177/0265407512443611. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Fuerstenberg, E. A., Harris, H. D., & Ryan, D. E. (2011). Men and women, work and family: A test of competing perspectives. Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology, 5, 275-292. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Fritsch, A. (2011). Student consensus on RateMyProfessors.com. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 16. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Harris, H. D., Denkinker, K., Webb, R. M., Erickson, L., & Nelson, L. A. (2011). Physical cues of ovulatory status: A failure to replicate enhanced facial attractiveness and reduced waist-to-hip ratio at high fertility. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 336-353. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Nelson, L. A., Baker, J. P., Remiker, M. W., & Brandt, S. J. (2010). Moral decisions in the Trolley Problem: People save five over one unless the one is young, genetically related, or a romantic partner. Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology, 4, 115-127.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Lighthall, M. (2010). Attractiveness and rivalry in women’s friendships with women. Human Nature, 21, 82-97. doi: 10.1007/s12110-010-9081-5 [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Michels, K. (2010). RateMyProfessors.com: Testing assumptions about student use and misuse. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 15. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Remiker, M. W., & Baker, J. P. (2009). Similar from the start: Assortment in young adult dating couples and its link to relationship stability over time. Individual Differences Research, 7, 142-158.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., VandenHeuvel, B., Vander Wyst, M. (2009). Age variation in mating strategies and mate preferences: Beliefs versus reality. Evolutionary Psychology, 7, 179-205.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Remiker, M. W., & Baker, J. P. (2008). Narcissistic men and women think they are so hot…but they are not. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 420-424. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Zeug, N., & Webb, R. M. (2007). Discrepant performance on multiple-choice and short answer assessments and the relation of performance to general scholastic aptitude. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 32, 89-105. [PDF]

Haselton, M. G., Mortezaie, M., Pillsworth, E. G., Bleske-Rechek, A., & Frederick, D. A. (2007). Ovulatory shifts in human female ornamentation: Near ovulation, women dress to impress. Hormones and Behavior, 51, 40-45. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Remiker, M. W., Swanson, M. R., & Zeug, N. M. (2006). Women more than men attend to indicators of good character: Two experimental demonstrations. Evolutionary Psychology, 4, 341-354.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Buss, D. M. (2006). Sexual strategies pursued and mate attraction tactics deployed. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1299-1311.

Lubinski, D., Benbow, C. P., Webb, R. M., & Bleske-Rechek, A. (2006). Tracking exceptional human capital over two decades. Psychological Science, 17, 194-199. [PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P.  (2004). Meeting the educational needs of special populations: Advanced Placement’s role in developing exceptional human capital. Psychological Science, 15, 217-224.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A., & Webb, R. M. (2002). Neglected aspects and unsupported claims [Comment]. American Psychologist, 57, 1132-1133.

Shackelford, T. K., LeBlanc, G. J, Weekes-Shackelford, V. A., Bleske-Rechek, A. L., Euler, H. A., & Hoier, S. (2002). Psychological adaptations to human sperm competition. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 123-138.

Bleske, A. L. (2001). Obedience, conformity, and social roles: Active learning in a large introductory psychology class. Teaching of Psychology, 28, 260-262.

Bleske, A. L., & Buss, D. M. (2001). A comprehensive theory of human mating must explain between-group and within-group differences [Comment].Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 593-594.

Bleske, A. L., & Shackelford, T. K. (2001). Poaching, promiscuity, and deceit: Combating mating rivalry in same-sex friendships. Personal Relationships, 8,407-424.[PDF]

Bleske-Rechek, A. L., & Buss, D. M. (2001). Opposite-sex friendship: Sex differences and similarities in initiation, selection, and dissolution. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 1310-1323.[PDF]

Bleske, A. L., & Buss, D. B. (2000). Can men and women be just friends?Personal Relationships, 21, 131-151. [PDF]

Friedman, B. X., Bleske, A. L., & Scheyd, G. J. (2000)Incompatible with evolutionary theorizing [Comment]. American Psychologist, 55, 1059-1060.

Shackelford, T. K., Weekes, V. A., LeBlanc, G. J., Bleske, A. L., Euler, H. A., & Hoier, S. (2000). Female coital orgasm and male attractiveness. Human Nature, 11, 299-306.

Buss, D. M., Haselton, M. G., Shackelford, T. K., Bleske, A. L., & Wakefield, J. C. (1999). Interactionism, flexibility, and inferences about the past [Reply].American Psychologist, 54, 443-445.

Buss, D. M., Haselton, M. G., Shackelford, T. K., Bleske, A. L., & Wakefield, J. C. (1998). Adaptations, exaptations, and spandrels.  American Psychologist, 53, 533-548.

Krueger, R. F., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Bleske, A., & Silva, P. A. (1998). Assortative mating for antisocial behavior: Developmental and methodological implications. Behavior Genetics, 28, 173-186.


©2023 April Bleske-Rechek. All rights reserved.