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Can a Nice Doctor Make Treatments More Effective?
In the age of the internet, it’s easier than ever to pull together lots of information to find the best doctor. And if you’re like most patients, the metric you probably rely on most is the doctor’s credentials. Where did she go to school? How many patients has he treated with this condition? You might also read some Yelp reviews about how nice this doctor is; how friendly and how caring. But all that probably seems secondary to the doctor’s skills; sure, it would be great to have a doctor whom you actually like, but that’s not going to influence your health the way the doctor’s competence will.
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Your Flaws Are Probably More Attractive Than You Think They Are
Over the past year, visitors to the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City have been revealing their deepest fears and wishes. As part of a special exhibit, museum-goers were invited to write down their secrets on small pieces of vellum paper and hang the entries on a wall for everyone to see. On one side, people posted their anxieties; on the other side, their hopes.
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Can Outrage Be a Good Thing?
Lately, it has started to feel as if outrage is everywhere. On both sides of the political aisle, people have taken to social media—and to the streets—to express their fury over perceived injustices. The religious right demands a boycott against a popular coffee chain for removing religious iconography from their holiday cups; meanwhile, the left rallies marches in protest against police brutality against young Black men. In the midst of all this anger, both liberal and conservative pundits have started raising the question: has outrage drowned out civil dialogue in America? The moment you read the title of this article, you likely had an immediate, gut-level reaction.
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Are you paying attention?
Earlier this summer, our team had the opportunity to join the Association for Psychological Science’s annual conference in San Francisco. And while we were there, we got to talk to a few psychologists about the application of their research. In our final episode of the series is a discussion on perception and attention with Daniel Simons, Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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American Immigrants and the Dilemma of ‘White-Sounding’ Names
“As a foreigner in the U.S., since the first day I arrived,” says Xian Zhao, “I have been constantly asking myself this question: Should I adopt an Anglo name?” Zhao, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, says that his cousin and his aunt changed their name from Pengyuan and Guiqing to Jason and Susan, respectively, upon moving to the U.S. Some of his grad-school peers made similar decisions, but after some deliberation while completing his Ph.D. in the U.S., he resolved to continue using his given first name, which means “significant” and “outstanding.” “Hearing people calling me Alex or Daniel doesn’t mean anything to me,” he told me.
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Marie Kondo – does tidiness really equal a clean mind?
If you haven't heard of Marie Kondo yet, it won't be long before you do. Thanks to her new Netflix programme, the Japanese tidying guru has become January's "It girl". Chance is, you already know someone who is using her "KonMari" method, which promises not only a de-cluttered house, but also a clean mind. "When you put your house in order, you put your affairs, and your past in order, too," Kondo explains in her 2014 book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying.
