-
Moderate Doses of Alcohol Increase Social Bonding in Groups
A new study led by University of Pittsburgh researchers reveals that moderate amounts of alcohol—consumed in a social setting—can enhance positive emotions and social bonding and relieve negative emotions among those drinking. While it is usually taken for granted that people drink to reduce stress and enhance positive feelings, many studies have shown that alcohol consumption has an opposite effect. In a new paper titled “Alcohol and Group Formation: A Multimodal Investigation of the Effects of Alcohol on Emotion and Social Bonding,” research shows that moderate doses of alcohol have a powerful effect on both male and female social drinkers when they are in a group.
-
New Research from Current Directions in Psychological Science
Psychological Detachment From Work During Leisure Time: The Benefits of Mentally Disengaging From Work Sabine Sonnentag Are you the type of person who still thinks about work during the weekend? In this article, Sonnentag reviews research examining the psychological benefits of mentally disengaging from work during leisure time -- evenings, weekends, and vacations. She highlights main findings from studies examining the benefits of psychological detachment and discusses factors that help and hinder disengagement from work. She concludes by discussing the future directions and the practical implications of this research.
-
The Eyes Reveal More Than We Might Think – Research Findings from Psychological Science
Our eyes don’t just take in the world around us, they can also reflect our emotional state, influence our memories, and provide clues about the way we think. Here is some of the latest research from the journals Psychological Science and Current Directions in Psychological Science in which scientists show there’s much more to the eyes than people might think. Pupil Dilation Reflects the Creation and Retrieval of Memories Many people know that our pupils shrink when our eyes adjust to bright light, but the size and movement of our pupils can also reflect what’s going on inside our brains. Psychological scientists use pupillometry to measure cognitive processes such as attention and memory.
-
Reminders of Mortality Increase Concern for Environmental Legacy
Reminders of our own mortality may encourage us to keep future generations in mind as we make decisions that have environmental impact.
-
Thinking About Choice Diminishes Concern for Wealth Inequality
Against the backdrop of a worldwide recession, wealth inequality has become a prominent theme in discussions about politics and the economy. In some ways, Americans seem to advocate a more equal distribution of wealth. In surveys and public opinion polls, for example, the majority of Americans supports having a strong middle class. But, when it comes to specific policies, they often vote against measures that would narrow the gap between those with the highest and lowest incomes.
-
New Research From Current Directions in Psychological Science
Expressing Emotions in Stressful Contexts: Benefits, Moderators, and Mechanisms Annette L. Stanton and Carissa A. Low Historically, emotion-focused coping has been linked with negative psychological outcomes; however, better assessment of stressor-related emotional expression has indicated that it can be beneficial. Stanton and Low discuss factors that affect the amount of benefit individuals gain from expressing their emotions and present possible mechanisms through which emotional expression might relieve stress. They conclude by saying that whether emotional expression is beneficial depends on the interpersonal, intrapersonal, and situational contexts of the emotional expression.
