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Investing in Karma by Doing Good Deeds
For so many important outcomes in life – applying for jobs, waiting for medical test results – there comes a point when you just have to sit back and hope for the best. But that doesn’t mean we always behave that way. New research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that even when an outcome is out of our control we often act as though we can still get on the good side of fate by doing good deeds.
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Why Women Say ‘I’m Sorry’ More Than Men
Business Insider: Women are more easily offended than men. In turn, they perceive more of their own behavior as improper, requiring an apology: Despite wide acceptance of the stereotype that women apologize more readily than men, there is little systematic evidence to support this stereotype or its supposed bases (e.g., men’s fragile egos). We designed two studies to examine whether gender differences in apology behavior exist and, if so, why. In Study 1, participants reported in daily diaries all offenses they committed or experienced and whether an apology had been offered. Women reported offering more apologies than men, but they also reported committing more offenses.
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Matig alcoholgebruik stimulans voor het groepsgevoel
Express Belgium: Een matig gebruik van alcohol in een sociale omgeving kan een stimulans betekenen voor positieve emoties en groepsvorming en bovendien negatieve emoties helpen afzwakken. Dat is de conclusie van een onderzoek van wetenschappers aan de University of Pittsburgh. Eerdere research had weliswaar aangevoerd dat alcohol kan leiden tot negatieve gevoelens en stress, maar daarbij is volgens de onderzoekers in Pittsburgh vooral gekeken naar individuele consumptie. Er wordt aan toegevoegd dat de conclusies opgaan voor zowel mannen als vrouwen.
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Why Thinking About Your Death May Prompt You to Save the Planet
TIME: Thinking about your own death isn’t usually the most pleasant experience, but it can be a beneficial one. Reminders of our own mortality can increase our desire to make decisions that will leave long-term, positive impacts on generations to come, according to a new study published in Psychological Science. Momentary social cues about death, such as reading about a death in the newspaper or walking past a funeral hall, activate the “legacy motive,” which contributes to the drive to gain a sense of purpose in life and to make an impact that will live on after death.
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Study: Children Internalize Stereotypes About Abilities
Education Week: Have you ever heard a girl say she hates math because she's "no good" at it? I've heard it plenty of times, even from my own daughter who actually has an aptitude for the subject. Research has shown that children believe their ability to do certain things depends on how much natural ability they have for the task. These so-called "entity theories" can affect their performance. And now a recent study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that involved 4- to 7-year-olds suggests that children can adopt these beliefs from information they hear about their gender or certain social groups.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about new research using electrophysiological recording methods recently published in Psychological Science. Electrophysiological Examination of Embodiment in Vision and Action Jeremy Goslin, Thomas Dixon, Martin H. Fischer, Angelo Cangelosi, and Rob Ellis This study examined the link between the visual properties of objects and the motor actions associated with those objects. Participants viewed objects with handles facing leftward or rightward and answered questions about the objects by pressing buttons with their left or right hand. In some cases, the button push corresponded with the direction of the handle (congruent), and in other cases it did not (incongruent).
