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Think You Are Sick? It May Be the Nocebo Effect.
Have you ever walked out of a jam-packed concert or restaurant with a scratchy throat, worried that you just caught a virus? Or swallowed a medication and felt immediately unwell? If yes, you’re personally familiar with the nocebo effect, though you probably didn’t know that’s what it’s called. The nocebo effect is the opposite of the placebo effect — “the evil twin or the dark side of the placebo effect,” said John Kelley, distinguished professor of psychology at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., and deputy director of the program in placebo studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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How Wearable Device Data Can Fuel Digital Interventions
Researchers are using data from wearable devices to deliver digital interventions when people need them most.
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How to Break the Cycle of ‘Sameness’ and Push Yourself in Midlife
1. Find your “will to live.” 2. Keep asking THE question: What is something challenging you’ve always wanted to try or be, but now worry you’re too old to do? 3. Stop believing your competencies are fixed. Adding the word “yet” to your mindset can help, according to the well-known Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. In other words, think, “I’m not an artist, pianist, surfer, runner, entrepreneur … yet.” 4. Be okay looking foolish. 5. Define your “crop.”
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5 Ways to Make Friends (Without Joining a Book Club)
To meet your neighbors, try doing them small kindnesses, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience and the director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University. Compliment their gardening skills, or offer to bring in their trash bins. Why? Dr. Holt-Lunstad’s research has found that these acts can encourage conversations and reduce feelings of loneliness. Pushing yourself to be more social, said Dr. Holt-Lunstad, is like exercise: Even if you know it’s good for you, it can be uncomfortable. ... Dr. Holt-Lunstad also recommended reflecting on the people who have helped you in your life: a coach, a teacher, a neighbor.
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Journal Collection Examines Psychological Science in Pandemics
In a special Perspectives on Psychological Science collection, researchers discuss how psychological science can help policymakers and the public understand and address the spread of infectious disease while preserving constructive social interactions and learning.
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Science for Society: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Eating Disorders
Disordered eating affects millions of people worldwide. As of 2018, 8% of the global population were estimated to have eating disorders (Galmiche et al., 2019). This webinar provides an interdisciplinary perspective that incorporates qualitative and quantitative data from researchers and clinicians.
