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Religion got it right: pain seems to assuage guilt
The Economist: Catholic theology says that heaven awaits the pure of heart while hell is reserved for unrepentant sinners. For the sinful but penitent middle, however, there is the option of purgatory—a bit of fiery cleansing before they are admitted to eternal bliss. Nor is inflicting pain to achieve purification restricted to the afterlife. Self-flagellation is reckoned by many here on Earth to be, literally, good for the soul. Read the whole story: The Economist
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Younger Immigrants Adjust to a New Culture Faster Than Do Older Immigrants
Moving to a new country is difficult—learning the cultural rules and meanings of your new home is especially challenging. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this process is easier for children, but quickly becomes more difficult after about the age of 15. Psychological scientists have found that many aspects of learning and development have a critical window—if a developmental event doesn't happen by a particular age, it never will.
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Autism, Moral Decision-Making and the Mind
PsychCentral: A new study suggests high-functioning autistic adults appear to have trouble making moral judgments in certain situations. Specifically, the researchers found that autistic adults were more likely than non-autistic subjects to blame someone for accidentally causing harm to another person. Read the whole story: PsychCentral
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Having a Strong Community Protects Adolescents From Risky Health Behaviors
Children who grow up in poverty have health problems as adults. But a new study finds that poor adolescents who live in communities with more social cohesiveness and control get some measure of protection; they're less likely to smoke and be obese as adolescents. The new study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, is part of a long-term examination of children growing up poor in rural upstate New York. The study was designed to discover, "What is it about poverty that leads to these negative outcomes?" says lead author Gary W. Evans, of Cornell University.
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Study Links Physical Activity to Political Participation
How is going for a jog like voting for president? As far as our brains are concerned, physical activity and political activity are two sides of the same coin. Scientists found that people who live in more active states are also more likely to vote. And in an experiment, volunteers who were exposed to active words like "go" and "move" said they were more likely to vote than did people who saw words like "relax" and "stop." The study was inspired by research showing that brains lump all kinds of activity together. For instance, a message that's meant to promote fitness—physical activity—can also trigger people to eat more—another kind of activity, and with the exact opposite result.
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The Neurology of Schadenfreude
An experiment involving fans of Major League Baseball’s most intense rivals unearths a particularly troubling aspect of finding pleasure in others’ pain.
