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Liar, liar, pants on fire? Your baby will be the judge
msnbc: Babies may be a lot more savvy than we think. A new study has found that babies little more than a year old can tell whether we’re trustworthy enough to listen to, according to a report published in Infant Behavior and Development. “Even at a young age, children do not blindly swallow information,” said the study’s lead author Diane Poulin-Dubois, a professor of psychology at the Centre for Research in Human Development at the University of Concordia. “Doubtful or contradictory information is automatically screened by their cognitive system.
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In the Game of Love, Self-Deception May Be Key
LiveScience: Hot guys tend to underestimate women's interest in them, while other men, particularly those looking for a one-night stand, are more likely to think a woman is much more into them than she actually is, a new study says. Women, however, showed the opposite bias — they routinely underestimated men's interest in them. This sort of self-deception may help both men and women play the mating game successfully, suggest the researchers, a team of psychologists from the University of Texas, Austin. The findings also fits with past research showing that guys are clueless on the subtleties of nonverbal cues from women, taking a subtle smile as a sexual come-on, for instance.
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In Pursuit of the Perfect Gift? It’s a Lot Closer Than You Think
The New York Times: Traditionalists and etiquette mavens are complaining, but the rest of us can thank social scientists this season. They have come up with experimental evidence to support three revolutionary rules for people who hate shopping for holiday gifts: 1. You don’t have to spend any time looking for “thoughtful” gifts. 2. You don’t have to spend much money, either. 3. Actually, you may not have to spend any money. Yes, I know this sounds too good to be true. I was skeptical, too, if only because it contradicts a previous holiday column of mine.
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The hotter the woman, the better men think chances are
msnbc: Consider Howard Wolowitz and Rajesh Koothrappali. They may be fictional characters on a popular sitcom, "The Big Bang Theory," but new research suggests there’s a lot of truth in how they interact with women. Wolowitz is a teeny guy with dorky hair and dorky clothes. He’s brilliant and gainfully employed, but on the attractiveness scale, he’s maybe a 2, possibly a 2 ½. Despite his physical shortcomings, though, he imagines every hot woman who glances his way wants to jump his bones. Of course, he’s always wrong. Read the full story: msnbc
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Sue Shellenbarger answers readers’ questions
The Wall Street Journal: Q: Regarding your column on how IQ can change over one's lifetime, how can I find more information on the effects of musical training on cognitive skills at various ages? M.J.P., Hingham, Mass. A: Three studies are available online by searching for the titles. In "Music Lessons Enhance IQ" by E. Glenn Schellenberg, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto in Mississauga, children who were given keyboard or voice lessons during first grade posted significantly larger gains in IQ scores at the end of the year, compared with control groups. The study appeared in 2004 in Psychological Science. Another study by Dr.
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Klammern am Status quo
bild der wissenschaft: Viele Menschen rechtfertigen ein bestehendes System, auch wenn eigentlich ersichtlich ist, dass es falsch, ungerecht, korrupt oder einfach zum Scheitern verurteilt ist. Um diesem Phänomen auf den Grund zu gehen, haben die beiden Psychologen Aaron Kay und Justin Friesen bereits bestehende Studien verglichen und ausgewertet und sie zu einem einheitlichen Bild zusammengefasst. Dabei kristallisierten sich vier Beweggründe für das Verhalten heraus. Verteidigung der eigenen Sippe Wird ein Familienmitglied von einem Fremden kritisiert oder gar angegriffen, neigen wir dazu, uns auf die Seite unseres Verwandten zu stellen.