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Why Labeling Some People as ‘Gifted’ Actually Hurts Us All
ne of the greatest musical geniuses of our time is Itzhak Perlman—but carrying the weight of that title as a child wasn’t easy. The virtuoso violinist describes his early musical education as the “triangle of hell,” with pressure from (and between) his teacher and his parents. Their motto: do as I say. When Perlman got to Juilliard, he was shocked when he was encouraged by his new teacher to be more expressive and self-reflective. Now, in the program for young musicians that he runs with his wife Toby, he uses a similar style with his own students, encouraging each to become the best version of themselves. ... Our intentions in labeling kids as gifted are largely positive.
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Talking Politics With Strangers Isn’t as Awful as You’d Expect, Research Suggests
Many of us avoid discussing politics with someone who holds an opposing viewpoint, assuming the exchange will turn nasty or awkward. But having those conversations is far more gratifying than we expect, new research suggests.
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What we learned from teaching a course on the science of happiness
When you deliver a university course that makes students happier, everybody wants to know what the secret is. What are your tips? What are your top ten recommendations? These are the most asked questions, as if there is some quick, surefire path to happiness. The problem is that there are no life-transforming discoveries, because most of what works has already been talked about. Social connection, mindfulness, gratitude letters, acts of kindness, going for a walk in nature, sleep hygiene, limiting social media use. These are some of the 80 or so psychological interventions which have been shown to work to improve our wellbeing (to a lesser or greater extent). ...
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Men psychology researchers can’t seem to remember their women colleagues
When asked who is an expert in their field, men psychology researchers name significantly fewer women than their women colleagues do, a new study found. The results, reflecting men’s implicit bias, help explain why women are less likely than men to receive citations to their work or to be invited to speak at meetings and apply for jobs—even as more than 70% of Ph.D.s in the field were awarded to women in recent years. ...
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A new religion has Americans looking to the stars
Belief in aliens is no longer fringe. Fifty-one percent of Americans think that unidentified flying objects are likely controlled by extraterrestrials — an increase of more than 20 percentage points since 1996. And one in three believe we’re likely to make formal contact with aliens in the next 50 years. But as someone who studies the psychology of religion, what’s most striking to me isn’t the widespread belief that aliens are out there — in the vastness of the universe, it’s unlikely that we’re alone — but rather the growing popularity of blending this belief with spirituality.
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Discerning Discoveries
New research shows why people often read more into a scientific finding than what the data might show.
