I spent some time in a position to observe peoples actions and behaviors as they relate to different times of the moon phases.
Not necessarily related to criminal activity, just activity that was not "normal", so to speak.
Let me assure you...the moon phases most certainly do influence human behavior.
Or maybe I just observed one hell of coincidence.
Ask any cop, they'll tell you very quickly that the phases of the moon influence human behavior, and not always to the good.
When the moon is full it is lighter outside,more people (and crooks) out at night because they can see. Don’t know but that might have something to do with it.
That's what I heard, come to think of it. Something about the crime rate perhaps.
It would be interesting to see statistical information.
To my understanding, the pro-(I don't know what to call them) moon people say that it's gravity pulls on the fluid in our brains, much like the tides.
My Mother spent years as a dispatcher for her local Sheriff's department. She has said that she never believed this BEFORE her years working with the police.
I agree with you.Cops will tell you they get 3x the calls during a full moon.Another thign is that I have a friend who works in the OB at the hospital she says they can go a week and have one baby but let the full moon come out and they have 30 in two days!
Bail Bondsman in and near Dallas for a couple of years several years ago.
Full moon = increased revenues.
Not just people out under the light, either.
Subjectively, I tend to agree w/ your assertion “Not necessarily related to criminal activity, just activity that was not “normal”, so to speak.”
As a psychologist, I haven’t come across much bona fide research to back up my personal beliefs. I therefore consider it a “pseudo-scientific theory”.
Here is one related publication:
“Lunar cycles and human behavior”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4345/is_10_37/ai_n42069525/
“The Conclusion
Shakespeare was a great man, but the evidence does not back him up in the case of the moon and madness. Evidence overwhelmingly shows that there is no correlation between human behavior and lunar cycles. So why is this belief so strong? One author offers a hypothesis: Until the availability of domestic and street lighting, moonlight, especially around the days of a full moon, would have permitted many activities, including social gatherings. Perhaps, this belief arose because sleep disruption, which affects illnesses such as bipolar disorder, would have occurred in societies regulated by lunar illuminance (Curr. Biol. 2008;18:R784-94).”
I’d be very interested if anyone could provide some good quality related research which shows the contrary.