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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: When the Spatial and Ideological Collide: Metaphorical Conflict Shapes Social Perception Tali Kleiman, Chadly Stern, and Yaacov Trope In this study, the researchers examined what happens when physical and abstract aspects of a metaphor are in conflict. Participants categorized pictures of past presidents Bill Clinton (a liberal-left Democrat) and George W. Bush (a conservative-right Republican) using a left-hand button press for pictures of Clinton and a right-hand button press for pictures of Bush (compatible condition) or vice versa (incompatible condition). Participants also completed a category-breadth assessment.
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Quick Thinking and Feeling Healthy Predict Longer Life
Suffering from chronic medical conditions and engaging in unhealthy behaviors are known risk factors for early death, but findings from a longitudinal study of over 6,000 adults suggests that certain psychological factors may be even stronger predictors of how long we’ll live. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage Linked to Self-Interest
Why do opponents of same-sex marriage really oppose it? A study concludes that many people believe gay men and women are more sexually promiscuous than heterosexuals, which they may fear could threaten their own marriages.
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New Research From Clinical Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Clinical Psychological Science: Positive Affectivity Is Dampened in Youths With Histories of Major Depression and Their Never-Depressed Adolescent Siblings Maria Kovacs, Lauren M. Bylsma, Ilya Yaroslavsky, Jonathan Rottenberg, Charles J. George, Enikö Kiss, Kitti Halas, István Benák, Ildiko Baji, Ágnes Vetró, and Krisztina Kapornai Depressed individuals often display a reduced ability to experience pleasure and joy, known as anhedonia. Although anhedonia has been extensively studied, several questions remain, such as whether it persists after depression remission and whether it constitutes a risk factor for depression.
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Mastering the Art of Ignoring Makes People More Efficient
People searching for something can find it faster if they know what to look for. But new research suggests knowing what not to look for can be just as helpful. Although previous studies concluded that attempting to ignore irrelevant information slows people down, Johns Hopkins University researchers found that when people are given time to learn what’s possible to ignore, they’re able to search faster and more efficiently. The results, which offer new insight into how the mind processes difficult information, are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Experiencing Financial Stress May Lead to Physical Pain
People who feel that their financial outlook is shaky may actually experience more physical pain than those who feel financially secure, a psychological study suggests.
