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Chester A. Arthur Is the Most Forgotten President in U.S. History, According to Science
The third Monday of February, which many Americans know as Presidents’ Day, is supposed to be a time to remember George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday. And few would argue that the first U.S. president doesn’t deserve to be remembered; likewise for Abraham Lincoln, whose Feb. 12 birthday is also remembered by many on the same day. But, while Presidents’ Day may be well and good in terms of historical recognition, Washington and Lincoln hardly need a special day to stay uppermost in Americans’ memories. For other presidents, the matter of memorability is quite a different story, two recent studies have shown. For a 2014 study published the journal Science, psychology researchers Henry L.
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Funeral after funeral, an emotional marathon for survivors of the Parkland school shooting
Under vacation-blue Florida skies, the young mourners have emerged from family SUVs and minivans at funeral after funeral, high school girls in black dresses and heels and teen boys in black shirts and pants. “This is physically and emotionally the kind of marathon I never want anyone else to have to run,” said Ken Cutler, a city commissioner, following one of the funerals Sunday for victims of last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Seventeen people died, mainly teens. “These are children who have never had death touch their lives,” said Cutler, 58, whose wife is a teacher who survived the shooting.
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Power’s Role In Sexual Harassment
Why do they do it? A series of sexual-harassment accusations against well-known business leaders, celebrities and politicians has left people wondering why some successful men behave this way. In many cases, power seems to play a role. Certainly, the majority of influential men treat women appropriately. But what is going on from a psychological standpoint with the ones who don’t? Research shows they have different motivations yet typically share specific personality traits. Their power amplifies proclivities they already have.
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New Research From Psychological Science
A sample of new research exploring experimenter expectations and social priming, loving-kindness meditation and positive emotions, and vicarious optimism.
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Does Bad Air Create Bad Behavior?
Looking for an excuse the next time you get caught doing something unethical? If you live in a highly polluted city, you may be in luck. New research offers evidence that air pollution inspires unethical behavior, ranging from low-stakes cheating to criminal activity. It reports this is likely due to polluted air increasing personal anxiety, which can throw people's moral compasses out of whack. "This research reveals that air pollution may have potential ethical costs that go beyond its well-known toll on health and the environment," lead author Jackson Lu of Columbia Business School said in announcing the results.
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Want to be happier? Think like a bronze medalist
Athletes who win silver medals must be happier than those who win bronze, right? Not exactly. People in one study rated athletes’ emotions — based on their facial expressions — immediately after they learned where they placed. On a 1- to 10-point agony-to-ecstasy scale, bronze medalists scored 7.1 on average, while the silver medalists averaged just 4.8. Later, on the awards podiums, the bronze medalists still got higher happiness scores, 5.7 to 4.3. Why? Psychologists believe it stems from “counterfactual thinking,” or imagining the outcome that didn’t happen.
