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The Surprising Upside to Your Long Workday
Men's Health: Those long, stressful days at the office may come in handy during happy hour, finds a new study in Psychological Science. Researchers exposed men to either a tough or easy mental task, then monitored the men’s heart rates and amount of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their saliva while playing a series of trust and sharing games. The results: Acute stress from the mental tasks made the men more friendly, generous, and trusting during the games. Being under pressure doesn’t just make you more outgoing. Here are three other surprising ways that stress works in your favor. (But keep in mind, stress isn’t the only thing that can upgrade your day. Read the whole story: Men's Health
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How Politicians Use The IDEA Of Choice To Pick Your Pocket On Healthcare, And Everything Else
Forbes: When people act against their self-interest I see a flashing neon sign: Interesting Psychology Here! Consider how people respond to the Affordable Care Act (and indulge me by forgetting all wonkish policy concerns). What we so far see is a lack of widespread enthusiasm—extending all the way to blind rage and outright hatred for “Obamacare”—from many who would benefit from its full implementation. Reason suggests redistributing medical resources so that those who need get would be celebrated by those who will have easier access. But that’s not the case. Why? Part of the answer can be found in new research showing how politicians can exploit the idea of choice to pick our pockets.
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Learning on the Job: Myth vs Science
I am delighted to introduce Annie Murphy Paul, who today makes her debut appearance as a guest writer for the "We’re Only Human" blog. Annie Murphy Paul is one of the most highly regarded science writers working today, and one of our keenest interpreters of psychological science. Many of you already know her as a contributing writer at Time magazine, a weekly columnist at Time.com and MindShift, and as the author of two popular and well-received books: Origins, an exploration of the crucial nine months before birth, and The Cult of Personality, a cultural history and scientific critique of personality testing. Her latest book, in the works, is on the science of learning.
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Independence Day Science — Insights From Psychological Science
Patriotic and Happy How you feel about your country may affect how you feel about your life. Data from an international poll (that included responses from over 130,000 individuals from 128 countries) showed that national satisfaction (i.e., satisfaction with one's country) was a strong predictor of life satisfaction (i.e., subjective well-being). This relationship was strongest in the poorest countries and among individuals with the least income.
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Rest Is Not Idleness: Reflection Is Critical for Development and Well-Being
As each day passes, the pace of life seems to accelerate – demands on productivity continue ever upward and there is hardly ever a moment when we aren’t, in some way, in touch with our family, friends, or coworkers. While moments for reflection may be hard to come by, a new article suggests that the long-lost art of introspection —even daydreaming — may be an increasingly valuable part of life.
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Vacation Sabotage: Don’t Let It Happen to You!
The New York Times: I’M heading into another vacation, and I’m nervous. I don’t want to kill again. I pretty much did in my last break, this past March. Not an act of premeditation so much as passion. I got so jacked up. Seven days in Hawaii. It was going to be the best vacation I’d ever had. And then it started. Somehow my wife and I had failed to anticipate the effects of a time-zone change on our two toddlers. Then there was the rain. I took refuge in my phone, checking the weather, reading the news. I wondered why I wasn’t relaxed. The pool was too cold. How much were we paying for this? I checked my phone to see if anyone missed me on Facebook. Nope.
