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The hidden power of mothers: How moms improve their children’s lives
The Washington Post: Ever wonder why it is that mothers seem to have a magical fix for problems? Or always seem to say the right thing? Join Dr. Peter Vishton Friday, May 6 at 1 p.m. ET, as he chats about how scientists are discovering many surprising, and previously unrecognized, ways in which a mother may promote the well-being of her child starting from the child's fetal stage through his/her toddler years. Read more: The Washington Post
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Does this green card make me look fat?
The Vancouver Sun: Moving to the U.S. could be bad for your waistline, according to a forthcoming study linking fatty foods with the desire to belong. Within 15 years of moving to the States, research has shown that immigrants approach American levels of obesity — a finding previously linked to the ubiquity of cheap, high-calorie fast food and larger portion sizes. But investigators now suggest it's not simply the presence of such dishes but also immigrants' notion that eating them somehow validates their "Americanness." Think of it as a patriotic version of the axiom "You are what you eat," with the drive-thru doubling as a rite of passage. Read the whole story: The Vancouver Sun
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Who knows you best? Not you, say psychologists
Know thyself. That was Socrates’ advice, and it squares with conventional wisdom. “It’s a natural tendency to think we know ourselves better than others do,” says Washington University in St. Louis assistant professor Simine Vazire. But a new article by Vazire and her colleague Erika N. Carlson reviews the research and suggests an addendum to the philosopher’s edict: Ask a friend. “There are aspects of personality that others know about us that we don’t know ourselves, and vice-versa,” says Vazire.
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Uomo: fare il macho è un mestiere difficile
TGCOM: Anche i machi hanno la vira dura. Anzi durissima: guadagnarsi la fama di "tipo tosto" è un cammino lungo e complicato, mentre è facilissimo, purtroppo, perdere il titolo dopo averlo conquistato. Tant'è vero che, quando un uomo si sente minacciato nella sua virilità, diventa subito aggressivo e in attimo passa al contrattacco. Sono le conclusioni di uno studio della University of South Florida (Usa) pubblicato sulle pagine di "Current Directions in Psychological Science", rivista della Association for Psychological Science. Spiega Jennifer Bosson, autrice dello studio insieme a Joseph Vandello: "Il sesso è un fatto sociale e gli uomini lo sanno.
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Why Happiness Isn’t Always Good: Asians vs. Americans
TIME: Among journalists — and less so among psychologists — the subset of mental-health research called “positive psychology” has become powerfully influential. Positive psychology, which was more or less founded by a University of Pennsylvania professor named Martin Seligman, focuses not on ordinary or pathological behavior — the two subjects that most psychologists study — but on how we can cultivate positive emotions to build resilience and well-being. Many research psychologists, either out of academic rigor or academic jealousy, have questioned Seligman's work.
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Does Revenge Serve an Evolutionary Purpose?
Scientific American: Spontaneous patriotic chants and flag-waving crowds were sparked by word that Osama bin Laden had been killed earlier this week. Despite the man's loathed reputation as the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the jubilation over bin Laden's death raises the question: Why the celebration? Was it relief, a sense of justice—or the simple pleasure of revenge? As draconian as lethal retribution might seem, science has shown that the human brain can take pleasure in certain kinds of revenge.
