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Yes, IQ Really Matters
Slate: The College Board—the standardized testing behemoth that develops and administers the SAT and other tests—has redesigned its flagship product again. Beginning in spring 2016, the writing section will be optional, the reading section will no longer test “obscure” vocabulary words, and the math section will put more emphasis on solving problems with real-world relevance. Overall, as the College Board explains on its website, “The redesigned SAT will more closely reflect the real work of college and career, where a flexible command of evidence—whether found in text or graphic [sic]—is more important than ever.” A number of pressures may be behind this redesign.
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Procrastinating? Blame Your Genes
Science Magazine: Are you supposed to be doing something else right now? If so, you may be able to blame your urge to avoid the task at hand in favor of more tempting distractions on your parents, a new study in Psychological Science suggests. By comparing how much identical versus nonidentical twins tend to procrastinate, researchers report that the tendency is influenced more by genes than by external factors such as upbringing, and is linked to higher rates of impulsive behaviors. Read the whole story: Science Magazine
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Diagnosis, Disorders and Decisions
For more than six decades, the vast majority of mental health professionals have relied on the same handbook for classifying and diagnosing disorders of the mind—and for prescribing treatment. For that same period of time, the DSM (for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, reissued in its fifth version last year) has been the target of harsh criticism, both scientific and political. One recurring line of criticism holds that the manual focuses too much on superficial symptoms of mental disorders, ignoring the underlying dynamics.
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Predicting When Employees Will Lash Out at a Nasty Boss
A mobile game series called Beat the Boss is one of the most popular items in the Google and Apple app stores. The games allow users to vent their rage toward their supervisors by engaging in virtual acts of violence against seven “boss” characters. While most workers wouldn’t dare carry out these actions in real life, many have found themselves disciplined or fired because they sought revenge on a mean or exasperating boss outside of the virtual world. An international team of behavioral scientists, led by Huiwen Lian of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, recently set out to study the circumstances that lead to such retaliations.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Task-Focused Behavior Mediates the Associations Between Supportive Interpersonal Environments and Students' Academic Performance Noona Kiuru, Eija Pakarinen, Kati Vasalampi, Gintautas Silinskas, Kaisa Aunola, Anna-Maija Poikkeus, Riitta-Leena Metsäpelto, Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen, and Jari-Erik Nurmi Does providing students with a supportive environment help them learn, and if so, how? Participating children were followed from the 1st through the 4th grades. Measures of parental authoritative behavior, teacher support, and peer acceptance were collected for children when they were in the 1st grade.
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How Do I Avoid Being A Micromanager?
Fast Company: The micromanager might be one of the most common "bad boss" stereotypes, but it's a tricky situation when you are on the other side. This week's reader question comes from a newly minted supervisor, unsure of how to manage her entry-level employees without becoming a micromanager. For advice on how to deal with this tricky situation we turned to leadership coach Lolly Daskal and psychologist Art Markman Read the whole story: Fast Company