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Why You Won’t Be the Person You Expect to Be
The New York Times: When we remember our past selves, they seem quite different. We know how much our personalities and tastes have changed over the years. But when we look ahead, somehow we expect ourselves to stay the same, a team of psychologists said Thursday, describing research they conducted of people’s self-perceptions. They called this phenomenon the “end of history illusion,” in which people tend to “underestimate how much they will change in the future.” According to their research, which involved more than 19,000 people ages 18 to 68, the illusion persists from teenage years into retirement.
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The Science Behind Persuading People
The Wall Street Journal: One of the most crucial skills to improving your career in the new year may be the ability to persuade people to see things your way. Social norms can play an important role in getting customers, colleagues and businesses to do the things you'd like them to do—such as making a particular purchase or agreeing to your position over a deal, says behavior expert Steve Martin, author of a book on the science of persuasion, "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive." ... An example of the power of consensus messaging is the use of information cards in hotel rooms.
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What A Former FBI Hostage Negotiator Can Teach Us About The Fiscal Cliff
NPR: The tortuous negotiations involved in the "fiscal cliff" talks are like a chess game. To shed some light on the kinds of negotiation techniques that members of Congress might be using during the talks, we asked two negotiators to walk us through their tactics with examples from their everyday lives. Adam Galinsky teaches negotiation at Columbia University's business school. He was recently at an airport in North Carolina, waiting to fly home. The flight was woefully overbooked, and the gate was crowded. Then a crackling voice announced over the PA system: "We're looking for volunteers to fly tomorrow instead of today.
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Many not making New Year’s resolutions
The Boston Globe: This year, Chifuku Kuwahara, an aspiring artist from Roxbury, is making a New Year’s resolution he knows he’s going to keep: He’s vowing to make no resolutions. “There’s this cultural idea that you have to come up with something,” he said, “but pressuring yourself on New Year’s Eve is the wrong way to do it.” Every year a substantial portion of the population sets a personal fiscal or dietary or no-smoking cliff.
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Which Study Strategies Make the Grade?
A scientific review suggests that several popular study strategies are ineffective, while effective strategies are underused. Visit Page
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It’s Complicated: The Psychology of ‘Singlism’
The Huffington Post: I'm married, but I have also been single for significant stretches in my life. I think I'm being honest when I say that I can see the virtues in both life choices, and understand why someone might opt for either. And I have certainly never felt judged, or discriminated against, for choosing to be single or for choosing a partner. So it came as a surprise to me to read recently about "singlism." Apparently, some people do feel judged, and unfairly, for their status. And intriguingly, this subtle form of discrimination appears to cut both ways.
