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A second language may help sustain the brain
The Washington Post: Being able to speak more than one language may help you think more clearly in later life, even if you’ve learned the second language as an adult, according to a new study. Thomas H. Bak of the University of Edinburgh Center for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, the author of the new paper, said previous studies had shown that “bilinguals” who suffered dementia began showing symptoms four to five years later than people who spoke only one language. But causality was not clear: Does mastering a second tongue keep brains active longer, or do people with that skill start off with healthier brains than those who don’t? ...
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Look Angry If You Want People to Give In
Discovery News: Remember the middle-school taunt: “Is that a threat … or a promise?” If you want to get the most out of a threat in the adult world, don’t let there be any question about it: Look the part, suggests a new study. In two experiments, people were more willing to give into demands for a larger share of $1 when the person asking for more money looked angry. During one of the experiments, 870 participants were given the task of splitting up $1 with someone else. If they couldn’t agree, neither would get anything. When an actress demanded 70 cents on the dollar with an angry expression, more people agreed than when she used a neutral expression.
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Disrupting the Cycle of Negative Thoughts With Computerized Training
People who tend to ruminate — engaging in a cycle of negative, repetitive thoughts — are at risk for depression and other psychological disorders. Is there a way to stop the broken record? Research published
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Science, Trust And Psychology In Crisis
NPR: When I attended my first scientific conference at the tender age of 20, one of my mentors surprised me with the following bit of advice. Transcribed directly from memory: "You should be sure to attend the talk by so-and-so. You can always trust his results." This casual remark made a deep impression on me. What did trust have to do with anything? This was supposed to be science! Based on evidence! It shouldn't have mattered who performed the experiment, who delivered the talk or whose name was on the ensuing publication. As my training in experimental psychology advanced, I encountered the same idea in various forms.
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Living on Purpose
The New York Times: My late father had a longtime friend, a retired kosher butcher, who lived down the hall in their South Jersey apartment building. Past 90, Manny was older and frailer than my father; he leaned on a cane and could barely see well enough to recognize faces. But every morning, and again in late afternoon, he walked through my dad’s unlocked front door to be sure he was all right and to kibitz a bit. Manny made the rounds, also looking in on several other aged residents in their so-called N.O.R.C. (naturally occurring retirement community). Unless he was ill himself, he never missed a day. Read the whole story: The New York Times
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Does Your Personality Drive You to Express Lanes?
At least 12 US cities now have priced managed lanes on their highways. Also known as “express lanes” or “high-occupancy lanes,” these roadways are designed to manage traffic volume by offering priced, premium access. In some cases, drivers with multiple passengers can travel the roads for free, while single drivers pay a toll. The tolls to these roads generally vary by time of day, increasing as traffic increases (e.g. morning rush hour). Travelers often have to make spur of the moment decisions on whether to pay for a relatively free-flowing trip or a free-but-congested commute. And new research reveals that extent to which our basic personality traits drive those decisions (pun intended).
