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Study of the Day: Religion Boosts Patience, Has Practical Benefits
The Atlantic: Faith doesn't just assuage fears about the afterlife. Research published in Psychological Science shows that it fuels self-control too. PROBLEM: Religious believers are often called on to exercise self-control. Christians, for instance, are commanded not to lie, steal, or covet thy neighbor's wife. But can following one's faith, which uses up so much willpower, also replenish this limited resource? METHODOLOGY: Researchers led by Queen's University psychology graduate student Kevin Rounding asked participants to unscramble five-word sentences, some of which contained religious themes.
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Fighting willpower’s catch-22
ScienceNews: Willpower comes with a wicked kickback. Exerting self-control saps a person’s mental energy and makes the next desire that inevitably comes along feel more compelling and harder to resist, a study of people’s daily struggles with temptation found. But people best able to resist eating sweets, going out with friends before finishing work or other temptations find ways to steer clear of such enticements altogether, so that they rarely have to resort to self-control, psychologist Wilhelm Hofmann of the University of Chicago reported January 28 at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
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Online Dating: A Critical Analysis From the Perspective of Psychological Science
Read the Full Text Many of us enter the dating pool looking for that special someone, but finding a romantic partner can be difficult. With the rise of the digital age, it is no surprise that people have flocked to the Internet as a way to take control of their dating lives and find their “soul-mate.” But is online dating essentially different than conventional dating, and does it promote better romantic outcomes? In this new report, Eli J. Finkel (Northwestern University), Paul W. Eastwick (Texas A & M University), Benjamin R. Karney (UCLA), Harry T.
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That bad attitude? Blame the birth month
Los Angeles Times: If you don't believe in horoscopes, you're in step with science. But that's not the same as saying the season of your birth cannot affect your fate. Hundreds of studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, have suggested that the month a person is born in is associated with characteristics such as temperament, longevity and susceptibility to certain diseases. Scientists say that even though some of these findings are probably spurious — if you dig around in data, you will eventually find correlations just by chance — other effects are very likely real, triggered not by the alignment of the planets but by exposures during prenatal and early postnatal lives.
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Why Men Always Tell You to See Movies
The New York Times: WHAT gender is the voice of God? The question has been pondered by mystics through the ages, but in the sanctuary of cinema the voice of a sonorous, authoritative, fear-inspiring yet sometimes relatable presence is, invariably, that of a man. Consider the trailer and the omniscient, disembodied voice that introduces moviegoers to a fictional world. “Most movie trailers are loud and strong, and film studios want that male impact, vocally and thematically,” said Jeff Danis, an agent who represents voice-over artists.
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How Sick Do You Think You Are? It Could Affect Your Health Outcome
Huffington Post: How sick you think you are may play a big role in your health outcome, according to a new review of research. Researchers from the University of Auckland and the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College found that the way people perceive their own illness is directly related to them seeking out health care and following doctors' orders, and even their overall survival. The study will be published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. Read the full story: Huffington Post
