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Something for the weekend
Financial Times: While waiting for exam results, or the outcome of a job interview, many of us might catch ourselves bargaining with the universe; in return for exam or job success we promise to become better citizens, kinder to our friends etc. Now researchers from Chicago Booth and the University of Virginia have examined this phenomenon a little more closely. They wanted to see whether just as individuals expect others to return a favour, whether these individuals at some level also expect the universe to do the same thing.
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Why you should grin and bear life’s problems – it’s good for the heart
Daily Mail: Grinning and bearing it gets us through many of life’s tricky situations. But researchers have found smiling really does help reduce stress – and boost the health of the heart. A study from the University of Kansas investigated the potential benefits of smiling by looking at how different types of smiling, and the awareness of smiling, affects a person's ability to recover from episodes of stress. Study author Tara Kraft said: 'Age old adages, such as ‘grin and bear it’ have suggested smiling to be not only an important nonverbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life’s stressful events.
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Raising Successful Children
The New York Times: PHRASES like “tiger mom” and “helicopter parent” have made their way into everyday language. But does overparenting hurt, or help? While parents who are clearly and embarrassingly inappropriate come in for ridicule, many of us find ourselves drawn to the idea that with just a bit more parental elbow grease, we might turn out children with great talents and assured futures. Is there really anything wrong with a kind of “overparenting lite”? Parental involvement has a long and rich history of being studied.
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L’alcol è un “lubrificante” sociale (Alcohol is a social lubricant)
La Stampa: Bere in compagnia fa da collante sociale promuovendo lo scambio di idee, risate, convivenza e socialità. Dà una mano anche ai musoni e ai timidi, sebbene l’abuso sia pericoloso. Lo studio L’alcol rompe il ghiaccio e favorisce la socialità, dando anche una mano ai più schivi e timidi. Ecco quanto emerge da uno studio che, pur ricordando che l’abuso è pericoloso e da evitare, suggerisce come una modesta assunzione possa fare da lubrificante sociale.
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The Psychology of Heroism: Why Some People Leap in Front of Bullets
TIME: On Aug. 5, when a gunman drove to a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee and started shooting his 9-mm handgun, some ran and some leapt to stop him. One of the six who died was temple president Santwat Singh Kaleka, who has been hailed as a hero by witnesses who say he tried to disarm the shooter. The first cop on the scene, Brian Murphy, took nine bullets as he also tried to help. Miraculously, Murphy wasn’t killed. Why do some people confront danger while most scamper for the exits? Altruism emerges in many disasters. A few weeks ago, three women came forward to say they survived the cinema shooting in Aurora, Colo., because their boyfriends shielded them. All three men are dead.
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Quick Tip: Relieve Stress By Faking It
Men's Fitness: When it comes to smiling, “fake it until you make it” may be the best way to relieve stress, according to a new study. Smiles are highly visible signs of happiness, but researchers from the University of Kansas wanted to see whether faking a smile could improve a person's mood and help them get through a stressful situation. In the study, published in Psychological Science, participants carried out stressful tasks while holding chopsticks in their mouths. The chopsticks were meant to mimic different facial expressions—neutral, a standard smile involving just the muscles around the mouth, and a Duchenne smile using both the mouth and eye muscles.
