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Elaborate Classroom Displays ‘Harm Children’s Education’
The Telegraph: Teachers should consider taking down over-elaborate classroom displays amid concerns maps, artwork and photographs damage children’s education, according to research. Researchers said highly-decorated walls in primary schools undermined pupils’ ability to concentrate during lessons and absorb teachers’ instructions. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that children educated in “sparse” classrooms spent more time "on-task" and gained higher test scores. Read the whole story: The Telegraph
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Will Facebook Make You Sad? Depends How You Use It
Science Magazine: Using Facebook makes people sadder, at least according to some research. But just what is it about the social network that takes a hit on our mood? A study of the different ways of interacting with the site now offers an answer: Grazing on the content of other people’s idealized lives may make reality painful. Scientists have long debated Facebook’s impact on users’ in-the-moment mood as well as their deeper satisfaction with life. Some studies have found that the site makes us happier; others, sadder. Read the whole story: Science Magazine
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Making Aging Positive
The Atlantic: Between 1900 and 2000, average life expectancy increased by nearly 30 yearsin the United States and most other developed countries of the world, and the developing world is catching up quickly. For the first time in history, most people now being born can expect to live seven, eight, nine, or more decades. This achievement changes not only the trajectory of individual lives but also the shape of societies: Adults 60 and older are now the fastest-growing segment of our population. This achievement gives rise to new important questions: What do we want to do with an extra 30 years? How should we, as individuals and as a society, shape the trajectory of our longer lives?
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Dog People vs. Cat People: Who’s More Outgoing? More Intelligent?
LiveScience: "Dog people" and "cat people" really do have different personalities, according to a new study. People who said they were dog lovers in the study tended to be more lively — meaning they were more energetic and outgoing — and also tended to follow rules closely. Cat lovers, on the other hand, were more introverted, more open-minded and more sensitive than dog lovers. Cat people also tended to be non-conformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow the rules. Read the whole story: LiveScience
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Find a Purpose, Set Goals and You’ll Live Longer, Canadian Study Finds
National Post: It takes about 14 years for a child to go through grade school, hit puberty, and be at the cusp of an inescapable question: “What are you going to do with your life?” And that’s about how long a new Canadian study took to examine the ways that having a clear life purpose may help you live longer, no matter your age. The study, published by Carleton University’s Department of Psychology, looked at the life purpose of more than 6,000 participants over a 14-year period, and was published this week in the journal Psychological Science. Read the whole story: National Post
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Taking Notes? Bring a Pen, Skip the Computer
The Boston Globe: Just about every professor has complained about students with screens in front of them flitting over to Facebook or Tumblr instead of listening to a lecture. But, those distractions aside, it’s hard to blame the kids for wanting to type their notes instead of write them out longhand. Think of how much quicker you can type an e-mail than write a letter: Digital note-taking is simply easier. A paper published online in the journal Psychological Science last month, however, suggests that longhand may actually hold an advantage when it comes to the most important reason we take notes—that is, to help us remember what we’ve heard.
