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Does Your Gut Always Steer You Right?
The Wall Street Journal: You have an important decision to make. You’ve done research, made a list of the pros and cons, asked friends and family for advice. When should you just trust your gut? ... John Bargh, a psychology professor at Yale and director of the ACME (Automaticity in Cognition, Motivation, and Evaluation) Laboratory, has a book coming out this month: “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do.” Dr. Bargh says that we tend to trust our gut reactions more than our rational ones because they happen so quickly we think they must be true. But there is a problem with this belief, he says: Our emotional states change what our gut tells us.
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President Trump believes in IQ tests. He’s not wrong.
The Washington Post: Most scientists feel a certain nervousness when the topic they research appears in the news. Overstatement is par for the course, misunderstanding a near-inevitability. But what could be more cringe-worthy than the president of the United States engaging in a macho contest with his secretary of state over the area you research? I am, of course, talking about IQ testing. ... In fact, IQ tests tell us much more than that, as a mountain of evidence from the fields of psychology, sociology, neuroscience, genetics and epidemiology attests.
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Where’s the Proof That Mindfulness Meditation Works?
Scientific American: The concept of mindfulness involves focusing on your present situation and state of mind. This can mean awareness of your surroundings, emotions and breathing—or, more simply, enjoying each bite of a really good sandwich. Research in recent decades has linked mindfulness practices to a staggering collection of possible health benefits. Tuning into the world around you may provide a sense of well-being, an array of studies claim. Multiple reports link mindfulness with improved cognitive functioning. One study even suggests it may preserve the tips of our chromosomes, which whither away as we age.
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‘Genius Grant’ Winner Used A Soap Opera To Prove A Point About Prejudice
NPR: What will it take for the people of this world to drop their prejudices, to move past intolerance — and just get along? That's a question Princeton psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck — one of the 24 MacArthur Fellows announced on Wednesday — has dedicated her career to answering. Back in 2002, when Paluck was a graduate student at Yale University, her adviser asked: "What does psychology say about how to reduce prejudice and conflict?" She and her adviser were teaching a class about hate speech and political intolerance, and he wanted to give students examples of ways to counteract those things. Paluck searched and searched. And she drew a blank.
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Why policy makers should nudge more
Chicago Booth Review: When policy makers around the world want to influence their constituents’ behavior, they have a few options. They can offer a carrot, such as a tax incentive, stipend, or other reward. They can use the legislative stick by passing a mandate or a ban. But research suggests they should turn more often to a third tool, a “nudge,” which in many cases is the most cost-effective option. Nudging is the word used in behavioral science for structuring policies and programs in ways that encourage, but don’t compel, particular choices. For instance, requiring people to opt out of rather than into a program, such as a retirement savings plan, might nudge them toward participating.
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Mindfulness and Meditation Need More Rigorous Study, Less Hype
The spread of mindfulness and meditation as wellness tools outpaces scientific evidence, a team of researchers concludes.
