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Labeling Obesity as a Disease May Have Psychological Costs
Messages that describe obesity as a disease may undermine healthy behaviors and beliefs among obese individuals, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings show that obese individuals exposed to such messages placed less importance on health-focused dieting and reported less concern about weight. These beliefs, in turn, predicted unhealthier food choices.
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Gossip and Ostracism May Have Hidden Group Benefits
Conventional wisdom holds that gossip and social exclusion are always malicious, undermining trust and morale in groups. But sharing this kind of "reputational information" could have benefits for society, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Robb Willer, an associate professor of sociology at Stanford University, explored the nature of gossip and ostracism in collaboration with co-authors Matthew Feinberg, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford, and Michael Schultz from the University of California–Berkeley.
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Effective Mentoring Stems From Workplace Climate
Mentoring a less experienced colleague -- and doing it effectively -- can be a demanding task, especially when deadlines are looming. The relationship is a delicate one, and trying to foster a working dynamic that is productive but also engaging is a skill that requires practice. New findings suggest that how your company operates as a whole can have significant bearing on whether the mentor/protégé bond flourishes or flounders. That is, the overall tenor of the workplace environment influences the give and take of the relationship.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research from Psychological Science: Task Relevance Induces Momentary Changes in the Functional Visual Field During Reading Johanna K. Kaakinen and Jukka Hyönä Research has shown that people zoom in on task-relevant information in text. The authors examined whether a person's functional visual field changes as a function of task relevance by tracking participants' eye movements as they read a large piece of text about different countries. Before reading, participants were instructed to imagine they were going to move to one of the countries described in the text.
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Student Events at the 2014 APS Annual Convention
Applying to graduate school and finding employment after you’re done with your program of study are formidable undertakings, to say the least. At the 2014 APS Annual Convention, to be held May 22–25 in San Francisco, students can get advice from experienced graduate students and professional scientists who know the ropes. The convention will feature programs for undergraduates looking to gain research experience, graduate students preparing to find full-time work, and all the students in between. The Naked Truth Part I: Getting into Graduate School Panelists discuss graduate school preparation and the graduate school application process.
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Detecting Sickness By Smell
Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active, a study shows.
