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Make Gratitude A Habit
As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving season, turkey and trimmings aside, we should all sit back and reflect on for what, and more importantly, for whom, we are grateful. According to psychologist Daniel J. Levitin, “gratitude is an important and often overlooked emotion and state of mind. Gratitude causes us to focus on what’s good about our lives rather than what’s bad, shifting our outlook toward the positive”. And, those “who practice gratitude simply feel happier.” So, when you sit around the dining room table this Thanksgiving, take a good look at the family and friends around you. Was the last Thanksgiving dinner the last interaction with them you can remember?
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How to Know That You Know Nothing
If there’s one thing we might regret at the end of life, it’s that we missed out on moments that mattered—not because we weren’t physically there, but because our mind wandered off to some unknown place. In this episode of How to Build a Happy Life, we explore why it’s uniquely challenging to “live in the moment,” how we limit our own curiosity by assuming that we know best, and why the illusion of stability pulls us from living every day fully, and in the moment. A conversation with the Harvard University psychology professor Dr. Ellen Langer helps us think through a daily struggle: How do I stay present? ...
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Natural Disasters Bring Married Couples Closer, at Least for Awhile
That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study that looked at couples in the Houston area before and after Hurricane Harvey. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, has implications for how best to help families as they navigate different types of stressors. Researchers had already surveyed 231 newly married couples about their relationship satisfaction shortly before Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast in August 2017, devastating much of the Houston area. With the advent of the hurricane, researchers saw a unique opportunity to track relationship dynamics through the aftermath of a natural disaster.
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New Content From Perspectives on Psychological Science
A sample of articles on childhood adversity, habit formation and mental illness, implicit bias, teleological reasoning, article length, choice and losses, and psychological science in the wake of COVID-19.
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The Science Behind Ouija Boards
Maybe you’re at a sleepover, or a Halloween party. Maybe it’s night, it’s probably night. You sit before a board with the alphabet printed on it, a little sun and moon, the words “yes” and “no” and “goodbye.” You rest the tips of your fingers on a heart-shaped plastic platform and ask a question. You’re not moving it, you swear, and your friend says they’re not moving it either, but the platform glides across the board, from one letter to the next, spelling out a name, an answer to a question it couldn’t possibly know. What’s really happening? For over 130 years, Ouija boards have amazed, entertained, and even frightened people with mysterious messages from the beyond.
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Why We’re Obsessed with Halloween Haunted Houses, According to a Psychologist
Many Halloween fans love that the holiday is an excuse to dress up and eat orange-ified versions of their favorite candy. I’m obsessed with Halloween for a different reason. Every year, I make a list of the best, most frightening haunted house attractions in Southern California and try to hit as many as my calendar allows. I’m kind of a scaredy-cat in most other areas of my life (like, you’re never going to catch me lingering on top of a tall building), yet when it comes to paying people to scare me by wearing clown masks and wielding fake chainsaws, I’m like, yes, please take my money.
