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Under Pressure, Soccer Goalies Tend To Dive Right
NPR: The Japanese women's soccer team stunned the United States a few weeks ago. After a tense match in which Team America seemed to have the upper hand throughout, Japan leveled the game with a late equalizer and then went on to win a penalty shootout. New psychological research suggests that soccer goalkeepers and teams aren't only affected by the high-stakes pressure of a penalty shootout. Without their awareness, goalkeepers also appear to be biased to dive to the right in some situations. The consequences of this bias could potentially affect games ranging from casual pickup matches to world championships.
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Why mirroring an interviewer’s body language and mannerisms can make you seem incompetent
Daily Mail: It might be considered the sincerest form of flattery, but if you take imitation too far in a job interview you could be giving the wrong impression to a potential employer. While subtle forms of mimicking mannerisms and body language can be useful in social situations, it might not have any benefit in the boardroom, research has shown. Scientists have discovered excessive copycatting in a job interview situation leaves an employer thinking you are incompetent, untrustworthy and not very likeable. Read more: Daily Mail
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What Makes You Happy? It May Depend on Your Age
LiveScience: People's happiness levels change with age, an idea reflected in personal experiences and public opinion polls, but a new study shows that much of that change may boil down to how people define happiness itself. Whereas happiness in younger people is often related to excitement, for older people, contentment was associated with a happy existence, the researchers found. The study indicates there are at least two different kinds of happiness, "one associated with peacefulness and one associated with being excited," study researcher Cassie Mogilner, a professor of marketing at Wharton, told LiveScience. Read more: LiveScience
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Are Pet Owners Healthier and Happier? Maybe Not…
The general claim that living with a pet makes for a happier, healthier or longer life has weak scientific backing, a psychological researcher reports.
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Recognizing voices harder for people with dyslexia
USA Today: Pick up the phone and hear, "Hey, what's up?" Chances are, those few words are enough to recognize who's speaking — perhaps unless you have dyslexia. In a surprise discovery, researchers found adults with that reading disorder also have a hard time recognizing voices. The work isn't just a curiosity. It fits with research to uncover the building blocks of literacy and how they can go wrong. The eventual goal: To spot at-risk youngsters even before they open "Go, Dog, Go!" in kindergarten — instead of diagnosing dyslexia in a struggling second-grader. Read more: USA Today
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Prise de risques : Stop aux préjugés hommes/femmes !
France Soir: Cap ou pas cap ? La prise de risque est un phénomène qui intéresse les chercheurs. Selon une étude publiée dans l'édition mensuelle du journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, certaines idées reçues seraient à mettre définitivement au placard. Les femmes des mauviettes ? Les ados des têtes-brûlées ? Tout n'est pas si simple... Selon les auteurs, les expériences scientifiques qui étudient l'exposition au danger jaugent le risque à la manière d'un jeu télévisé. Partir avec la cagnotte ou miser la totalité de son argent pour peut-être gagner plus.
