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Uncovering a New Angle on Mental Distance
Why does the second hour of a journey seem shorter than the first? According to research from University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) and the Rotman School of Management, the answer lies in how we’re physically oriented in space. In a series of six studies, Sam Maglio, an assistant professor in UTSC’s Department of Management, demonstrated that a person’s orientation -- the direction they are headed -- changed how they thought of an object or event. The research is forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “Feeling close to or distant from something impacts our behavior and judgment,” says Maglio.
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Thinking About a Majority-Minority Shift Leads to More Conservative Views
Facing the prospect of racial minority groups becoming the overall majority in the United States leads White Americans to lean more toward the conservative end of the political spectrum.
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Exploring the Genetics of “I’ll Do It Tomorrow”
Procrastination and impulsivity are genetically linked, suggesting that the two traits stem from similar evolutionary origins related to our ability to pursue and juggle goals.
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New Research From Clinical Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Clinical Psychological Science: Influences of Ovarian Hormones on Dysregulated Eating: A Comparison of Associations in Women With Versus Women Without Binge Episodes Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Racine, Britny Hildebrandt, S. Alexandra Burt, Michael Neale, Cheryl L. Sisk, Steven Boker, and Pamela K. Keel Studies have shown an association between changes in ovarian hormones and amounts of emotional eating women engage in across their menstrual cycles; however, researchers are still unsure whether this relationship differs for women with clinically diagnosed binge-eating episodes.
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Infants Are Sensitive to Pleasant Touch
Infants show unique physiological and behavioral responses to pleasant touch, which may help to cement the bonds between child and parent and promote early social and physiological development, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Previous studies with adults have shown that when the skin is stroked, a specific type of touch receptor is activated in response to a particular stroking velocity, leading to the sensation of “pleasant” touch.
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Early Intervention Reduces Aggressive Behavior in Adulthood
An educational intervention program for children between kindergarten and 10th grade, known as Fast Track, reduces aggressive behavior later in life, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research, led by psychological scientist Justin Carré of Nipissing University in Ontario, Canada, indicates that dampened testosterone levels in response to social threats may account for the intervention’s success in reducing aggression.