-
Treating Trauma With ‘Tetris’
Pacific Standard: Memory reconsolidation—the method that involves re-exposing a patient to a past memory and then updating it while in this allegedly malleable state—has potentially major implications for people who suffer from PTSD flashbacks. But proposed methods for implementation haven't been so sensitive to traumatized individuals. Clinical trials for propranolol have seen mixed results, and electro-convulsive therapy could potentially re-traumatize the very people it's trying to treat. But now, research appears to have landed on an effective, even enjoyable, reconsolidation regimen—playing Tetris.
-
Very superstitious: Weird rituals help athletes perform better
CNN: In his acclaimed book "The Game," Hall of Fame NHL goaltender Ken Dryden described some of the various superstitions he picked up over the years, from nodding at a particular Montreal Forum usherette before home games to shooting a puck off a certain part of the boards at the start of pregame warm-ups. "I don't tell anyone about them, I'm not proud I have them, I know I should be strong enough to decide one morning, any morning, no longer to be a prisoner to them," he wrote. "Yet I seem helpless to do anything about it." Sports are full of superstitions, from athletes who perform a specific routine before every game to ones who consider certain items to be lucky or unlucky.
-
The Science of ‘Inside Out’
The New York Times: FIVE years ago, the writer and director Pete Docter of Pixar reached out to us to talk over an idea for a film, one that would portray how emotions work inside a person’s head and at the same time shape a person’s outer life with other people. He wanted to do this all in the mind of an 11-year-old girl as she navigated a few difficult days in her life. As scientists who have studied emotion for decades, we were delighted to be asked. We ended up serving as scientific consultants for the movie, “Inside Out,” which was recently released. Our conversations with Mr.
-
Good news for foodies: Adventurous eaters may be healthier
CBS: Food lovers are often associated with over-indulgence, but adventurous eaters, often referred to as "foodies," actually weigh less and may be healthier than the less-adventurous among us, according to a new study. Researchers from the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University surveyed just over 500 women from across the United States about their eating habits, perceptions of novel foods, weight satisfaction, and a number of physical, psychological and lifestyle characteristics. In the questionnaire, participants were asked if they had tried 16 foods not typical of the American diet, including beef tongue, seitan, polenta, Kimchi, and bean sprouts.
-
A Full Night’s Sleep Boosts Satisfaction with Work
Treating workers’ sleep problems may be one way to improve employee satisfaction on the job, according to new research. After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 employed adults, a team of psychological scientists from Stockholm University
-
Why Is It So Hard to Take Your Own Advice?
New York Magazine: If there is one piece of advice I give regularly to my friends, it is this: “Just talk to him!” Or her, or them, or whomever. I’m constantly advising my friends that their problems would be more quickly and efficiently solved were they to just say something to the person currently stressing them out. And, probably, this works. I wouldn’t know, as it’s something I rarely do myself. It’s one thing to give advice to someone else, dispensing thoughtful words of wisdom over Gchat. But try applying those same suggestions to your own life and it often falls apart.
