-
How to Be Healthier, Happier and More Productive: It’s All in the Timing
You’re probably getting ready to make a few New Year’s resolutions, solemn promises to yourself to behave better in 2018. You might have pondered how you’re going to accomplish those goals, who could help you and why you need to change. But if you’re like most people—and social science suggests that you and I are like most people—you’ve neglected a question that could help you actually stick to those resolutions: “When?” We all know that timing matters. But most of our decisions on this front are intuitive and haphazard. Timing, we believe, is an art.
-
Close to you: Research helps teams work well in close quarters
Teamwork and leadership are important on any mission, but when the mission is in orbit around Earth, or a multi-year trip to Mars, personalities and styles are magnified. Marissa Shuffler applies the science of industrial and organizational psychology to provide research-based solutions and strategies for NASA, the military and other organizations. A CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation will help Shuffler, an assistant professor at Clemson University, continue her work.
-
The Importance of Fostering Emotional Diversity in Boys
You’re given a choice: Would you rather spend your day feeling happy versus happy interspersed with some moments of sadness, frustration, and anxiety? Most of us would choose the first option in a heartbeat. Psychologists, too, long championed the importance of cultivating positive emotions as one path towards optimizing well being, resilience to stressors, and salutary physical health outcomes. Not surprisingly, when people are asked what emotions they want to feel, we place a heavy emphasis on wanting to feel primarily positive emotions. However, research suggests the choice may no longer be a straightforward one.
-
How Boring Roads Lead to Distracted Driving
A simulation study suggests that drivers’ minds wander more often when they travel on empty roads compared to busy routes.
-
Which New Year’s Resolutions Are Most Likely to Stick?
Come Jan. 1, 40% of Americans determine to be nicer, eat healthier or quit smoking—and stick to that plan for months after. A majority don’t succeed. There’s even an unofficial holiday called Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day on Jan. 17 to acknowledge those failures. People may not follow through because they’re making the wrong kinds of resolutions. John C. Norcross, a distinguished professor of psychology at Pennsylvania’s University of Scranton, is the author of “Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions.” He explains the benefits of specific goals and why a pair of resolutions may lead to better rates of success.
-
Depression may start much earlier than previously thought
Research suggests 1 to 2 percent of children 2 to 5 years old have depression, and that untreated depression in toddlers can lead to more depression later in life.
