-
Tidy Desk or Messy Desk? Each Has Its Benefits
Working at a clean and prim desk may promote healthy eating, generosity, and conventionality, according to new research. But, the research also shows that a messy desk may confer its own benefits, promoting creative thinking and stimulating new ideas. The new studies, conducted by psychological scientist Kathleen Vohs and her fellow researchers at the University of Minnesota are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “Prior work has found that a clean setting leads people to do good things: Not engage in crime, not litter, and show more generosity,” Vohs explains.
-
Young Versus Old: Who Performs More Consistently?
Tests on memory and perceptual speeds indicate that older adults display more consistent cognitive performance day to day compared with younger adults.
-
New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science. When Holding Back Helps: Suppressing Negative Emotions During Sacrifice Feels Authentic and Is Beneficial for Highly Interdependent People Bonnie M. Le and Emily A. Impett Can suppressing negative emotions help people's relationships? Participants kept a daily diary in which they noted whether they had made a sacrifice for their partner. Each time participants made a sacrifice, they completed measures of suppression and of personal and interpersonal well-being.
-
Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Circadian Rhythm
Bipolar disorder, like most psychiatric disorders, is characterized by the frequency and severity of its symptoms. Many people may exhibit characteristics of the disorder without meeting the criteria for a diagnosis, meaning they may be
-
2013 APS Award Address: Helen J. Neville
In her William James Fellow Award Address, Neville describes findings from her team's basic research on neuroplasticity and also how those findings led them to develop and implement a training program for low socioeconomic-status families. Measures of parenting and, in 3- to 5-year-olds, cognition and event-related-potential measures of attention and language document large, significant, and enduring effects on neurocognitive function.
-
Autism Symptoms Not Explained by Impaired Attention
Finding from a clinical study challenge the hypothesis that impaired attention might be at the root of autism symptoms.