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A Psychologist Explains Why Your Brain Loves Cheesy Holiday Movies
'Tis the season for friends, family and cheesy holiday movies. Whether you're a fan of the Christmas classics or prefer the dozens of streamable and made-for-TV specials, experts say there's a reason holiday-themed movies are so popular — even the most corny and predictable. In fact, this is part of what keeps us coming back, says Dr. Pamela Rutledge, a media psychologist and director of the Media Psychology Research Center. "You would almost be disappointed if they weren't a little cheesy and predictable, because that's why you're there. You're there to have a feel-good movie," she says.
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Are AI Faces ‘More Human’ Than Real Ones? See if You Can Tell the Difference
Face the facts. AI-generated faces look more “real” than some humans, according to a new study — at least, when it comes to white people. Published in the Psychological Science journal this week, researchers found that AI could reliably fool people into thinking that computer-generated faces look more real than a photograph.
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Vazire Outlines Goals for Transparency, Diversity in Psychological Science
The new Editor-in-Chief of APS’s flagship journal plans new steps to promote continued rigor and transparency in the publication’s content.
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Substance-Use Stigma Impedes Treatment in Various Ways, Scientists Say
Addiction is one of society’s most misunderstood and rebuked health conditions. That stigma discourages many people from seeking treatment for substance dependence, according to a new report published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
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Feeling Lonely? Your Brain May Process the World Differently
The U.S. is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. For a lot of people, the feeling is even more pronounced during the holidays. In addition to the emotional impact of chronic loneliness, it has some dramatic health consequences: increased risk of heart disease and stroke, infections, cancer, even death. Recent research also suggests that loneliness can change the way the brain processes the surrounding world. ...
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Which Is Better, Active Learning or Lecture? It’s Not So Simple.
Students whose STEM courses are taught using active learning perform better than those taught with traditional lectures. That was the top-line finding of a widely cited 2014 meta-analysis, and it has been borne out in many other studies since. While research suggests that lecturing remains the dominant form of STEM instruction, the studies on active learning have bolstered high-profile calls for change that a growing number of instructors have taken to heart in recent years. A new paper suggests, however, that those studies are not as solid, nor their findings as clear-cut, as active-learning proponents would like.
