On the Newsstand

An Absence of Free Will, A Tendency to Cheat
The New York Times
February 19, 2008
“A study suggests that when people are encouraged to believe their behavior is predetermined — by genes or by environment — they may be more likely to cheat. The report, in the January issue of Psychological Science, describes two studies by Kathleen D. Vohs of the University of Minnesota and Jonathan W. Schooler of the University of British Columbia.”
Coverage of “The Value of Believing in Free Will: Encouraging a Belief in Determinism Increases Cheating” in Psychological Science (Kathleen D. Vohs, Jonathan W. Schooler, Volume 19(1), 49-54).

Stuck on the Couch
Time
March 3, 2008
“In a recent issue of Observer, the magazine of the Association for Psychological Science, Ian Herbert, a journalist and triathlete, reported on numerous other studies that explain why we fall off the exercise wagon.”
Coverage of “Exercising Judgment: The Psychology of Fitness” in Observer (Ian Herbert, Volume 21(1), 13-17).

Happiness can be inherited, research finds
Reuters
March 6, 2008
“A study of nearly 1,000 pairs of identical and non-identical twins found genes control half the personality traits that make people happy while factors such as relationships, health and careers are responsible for the rest of our well-being.”
Coverage of “Happiness Is a Personal(ity) Thing: The Genetics of Personality and Well-Being in a Representative Sample” in Psychological Science (Alexander Weiss, Timothy C. Bates, Michelle Luciano, Volume 19(3), 205-210).

What’s Racist? The Importance of a Glance
Time.com
March 7, 2008
“A new report published in the journal Psychological Science finds that when reacting to an ambiguous but potentially racist situation, non-blacks were much more likely to focus on the reaction of an African American than that of whites.”
Coverage of “Where Do We Look During Potentially Offensive Behavior?” in Psychological Science (Jennifer Randall Crosby, Benoît Monin, Daniel Richardson, Volume 19(3), 226-228).