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Humans Get the Gist of Complex Sounds
When faced with many different sounds, such as notes in a violin melody, the brain quickly summarizes individual pitches to get an overall gist of what is being heard.
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Putting a Little Personality Into Social Psychology (and Vice-Versa)
The personal and the social intertwine inextricably. In a 2011 paper published in the European Journal of Personality, a group of psychological scientists note that when we talk about an individual’s personality, part of what we are talking about is how that individual interacts with others. Furthermore, the scientists write, “social relationships would not be such a challenging part of our lives if all people were equal in how they act, think, and feel” — that is, if all people were equal in their personalities (90). Over time, social experiences play an important role in shaping personality, and personality shapes social experiences, too. Yet, according to lead author Mitja D.
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People Anticipate Others’ Genuine Smiles, But Not Polite Smiles
Smile and the world smiles with you -- but new research suggests that not all smiles are created equal. The research shows that people actually anticipate smiles that are genuine but not smiles that are merely polite. The differing responses may reflect the unique social value of genuine smiles. “These findings give us the first clear suggestion that the basic processes that guide responses to reward also play a role in guiding social behavior on a moment-to-moment basis during interactions,” explains psychological scientist and lead researcher Erin Heerey of Bangor University (UK).
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Perfect Pitch May Not Be Absolute After All
People who think they have perfect pitch may not be as in tune as they think, according to a new study in which people failed to notice a gradual change in pitch while listening to music.
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The Influence of Family Dynamics: Mental Health of Colombian Dementia Caregivers
Megan E. Sutter of Virginia Commonwealth University is a 2013 RISE Research Award recipient. Sutter presented her research on “The Influence of Family Dynamics: Mental Health of Colombian Dementia Caregivers” at the 25th APS Annual Convention.
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When Families Do Not Fit, nor Measure Up: Categorization and Evaluation of ‘Modern’ Families
David Kille of the University of Waterloo, Canada, is a 2013 RISE Research Award recipient. He presented his research on “When Families Do Not Fit, nor Measure Up: Categorization and Evaluation of ‘Modern’ Families” at the 25th APS Annual Convention in Washington, DC.