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Baltimore riots mainly fuelled by thrill-seeking teens, not genuine racial justice concerns, says psychologist
National Post: A Canadian-born psychologist who studies violence says the Baltimore riot is primarily driven by “Type T” (thrill-seeking) teens at the end of a long winter, with probably few social or racial justice motives. “The death of Freddie Gray is probably the opportunity and pretext for riotous fun, thrill, risk and profit (looting),” said Dr. Frank Farley, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and a past president of the American Psychological Association. Gray died from a severe spinal injury a week after police subdued him in an April 12 arrest, the latest in a string of highly publicized deaths involving police and black men in America.
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CEOs Perceived as Moral Rally More Support
Some economists argue that a business leader’s primary responsibility is to maximize company profits and that the pursuit of any other goal, including contributing to the broader welfare, is just bad business. Consider a CEO’s plan to provide employees with free, healthy meals. On the one hand, the CEO could justify the policy on the basis of a moral obligation to care for employees’ health. On the other hand, the CEO could use a pragmatic explanation; the availability of meals will motivate employees to work longer hours. To get this plan off the ground the CEO must decide on the best way to justify this decision to stakeholders.
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To Weather Criticism, It Helps To Think Of The Big Picture
NPR: Think back to the last time you got negative feedback — like when your doctor suggested you lay off the cigarettes or when your mother advised you to get rid of that ridiculous goatee. Though we all understand the value of constructive criticism, we don't like hearing that we've done something wrong. And the knee-jerk reaction is to act defensive. But if you focus on the big picture and future goals, you may be able to trick your mind into being a bit more receptive. That's what researchers at the Ohio State University discovered in a study published Friday in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Read the whole story: NPR
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Real life Dr Dolittles
Nature: Will we ever be able to talk to animals? In this episode, Geoff Marsh meets a variety of researchers and animals who persevere at the communication barrier in the name of science. Listen to the whole story: Nature
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Going to the Principal’s Office, in Black or White
Pacific Standard: Despite decades of political debate, racial disparities continue to run rampant in American schools. One particularly important imbalance: the race gap in school discipline, especially suspension rates. Now, researchers have discovered an unfortunate revelation: Teachers come down harder on black students than whites for the same infractions. ... But an explanation for the gap remained elusive, and without knowing what specific factors were behind the disparity, there wasn't much either researchers or educators could do about it, Stanford psychology graduate student Jason Okofonua writes in an email. ...
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Lilly Pulitzer for Target: They Came, They Waited, They Went Home Mad
The New York Times: Never underestimate the hunger of a barely thawed populace for a warm breeze of Palm Beach. Last Sunday, they lined up in droves at Target stores across the country, or set alarms for predawn hours to wake up and shop Target.com. (Some New Yorkers lined up early at a Bryant Park pop-up on Thursday.) The object of their collective obsession was the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection, an affordable line of brightly printed women’s wear, children’s wear, home goods and matching makeup. ... Combining an artificial scarcity of products with a collect-them-all mentality can be a huge driver of sales, said Michael I.
