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For Men, ‘Culture of Honor’ Can Be Deadly
U.S. News & World Report: Psychologists call it the "culture of honor," a mostly male mindset that places a high value on defending one's reputation at any cost. But new research confirms that it's linked with high rates of accidental deaths. "People who embrace these values also report more risk-taking," explained study author Dr. Ryan Brown, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Oklahoma, in Norman. This dangerous male mindset is also more prevalent among those living in the South and West, in such states as South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming, he added. Read the whole story: U.S. News & World Report
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The Myth of Joyful Parenthood
Scientific American: Sure, the soccer uniforms, piano lessons and college tuition add up—but there is nothing like being a parent. Or so we tell ourselves, according to a study in the February issue of Psychological Science. When parents are faced with the financial costs of a child, they justify their investment by playing up parenthood’s emotional payoffs. Psychologists at the University of Waterloo in Ontario gave parents in the study a government report estimating that bringing up a child to age 18 costs more than $190,000. Then half the parents read an additional report about the financial help grown children pro-vide their parents.
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The rewards of ‘nearby nature’
I live in one of the liveliest neighborhoods of a large city. I’ve lived in this city for almost all of my adult life, and I love all the urban sights and noises, right down to the sirens. But I also know the many patches of nature hidden away in my city. On those occasions when I need solitude and quiet and respite from the hectic metropolitan pace, I am minutes from streams and woodland. My rural friends don’t think of these urban enclaves as real nature, but I disagree. I feel restored when I get out among the oaks and sassafras and yarrow and I hear the warblers singing. And new research backs me up on this.
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Psychologists Interrupt the Miserable Cycle of Social Insecurity
Tom likes Susan but he fears she does not like him. Expecting to be rejected, he’s cold toward Susan. And guess what? She snubs him back. His prophesy is self-fulfilled, his social insecurity reinforced. The miserable cycle continues. But what if Tom could be helped to set aside his fears and behave as warmly as he feels? Happily, he can, says University of Victoria psychologist Danu Anthony Stinson.
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Spoiling The Ending Makes For A Better Story
Scientific American: Old Yeller dies, Darth Vader is Luke's dad, Little Red Riding Hood lives. Did I spoil it? Yes I did. But maybe I did you a favor. Spoilers enhance the enjoyment of a story, according to findings to be published in the journal Psychological Science. Researchers presented three versions of classic stories to 30 subjects. Each story had an ironic twist, or a solved-mystery, or a dramatic end. One version was the original—no spoiler–another had the spoiler woven into the story and the third gave the spoiler right off the bat. Turned out the subjects significantly preferred a spoiled version of the ironic twist stories best. The literary stories were the least preferred.
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Nice Guys Can Finish First
Men's Health: Psychologists have discovered that men tend to be more generous with their money when we’re in the presence of attractive women. But flaunting your wealth isn’t the only way to impress the girl of your dreams, or that cute hottie from Sales. Here are four other ways to get her attention and portray yourself as a genuinely considerate guy. First impressions are vital. A recent study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found altruistic traits can be perceived after as little as 20 seconds. But don’t open the conversation with a bullet-point list of your philanthropic history.
