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To Smoosh Peas Is to Learn
The New York Times: Everybody loves a messy eater. In a study published this month in Developmental Science, 16-month-old children were taught new names for foods like jelly and syrup, then tested to see if they could connect those names with the foods when they were presented in different colors and shapes. The conclusion? The toddlers learned better if they had, shall we say, interacted vigorously with the original samples — in other words, had played with their foods.
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Time, the ethics cop
The Boston Globe: Time is money—or so they say. According to a new study, however, the two concepts push people in opposite directions when it comes to ethical behavior. People who were exposed to time-related words or concepts were significantly less likely to cheat than people who were exposed to money-related words or concepts. Read the whole story: The Boston Globe
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When Being Called “Incredibly Good” Is Bad for Children
Parents and other adults heap the highest praise on children who are most likely to be hurt by the compliments, a new study finds. Researchers found that adults seem to naturally give more inflated praise to children with low self-esteem. But while children with high self-esteem seem to thrive with inflated praise, those with low self-esteem actually shrink from new challenges when adults go overboard on praising them. “Inflated praise can backfire with those kids who seem to need it the most -- kids with low self-esteem,” said Eddie Brummelman, lead author of the study and a visiting scholar at The Ohio State University in autumn 2013.
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5 New Year’s Resolutions That Might Actually Work
TIME: A normal day in our life might look like this: The alarm clock buzzes. We hit snooze twice and steal another 16 minutes. As we get into the office, yesterday’s work crisis weighs heavily on our mind, but instead we log in and check Facebook for a while. After that, we dip in and out of meetings, chase our inbox, and start on a project that is due in 48 hours. And at 7:15, right before walking out the door, 25 minutes later than planned, we grab a sugar cookie from the communal jar to accompany us on the drive home. Read the whole story: TIME
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Our Pleasure in Others’ Misfortune
The New York Times: The world’s highest-paid athlete began his spectacular downfall by crashing a Cadillac S.U.V. into a fire hydrant and a tree. Initial accounts of Tiger Woods’s 2009 accident reported that his wife had broken the vehicle’s window with a golf club to free him, but when word spread that the couple had been fighting over allegations of his infidelity, the smashed window became a metaphor for his shattered reputation. ... The wicked delight over that turn of events has a German name so apt we’ve adopted it in English. Schadenfreude, or “harm-joy,” is the pleasure derived from another’s misfortune, and Richard H.
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Psychology helps explain why Louis C.K. is so funny
Salon: Did you hear the one about Hurricane Sandy? Did you find it hilarious? Tasteless? Or just lame? Newly published research concludes the answer depends in part on exactly when the joke reached your ear, or inbox. An analysis of responses to humorous quips referencing last year’s devastating storm suggests the adage that “comedy equals tragedy plus time” needs to be modified. A research team led by University of Colorado psychologist A. Peter McGraw concludes that, at some specific point in the days and weeks after a horrible event, there is a “sweet spot” when we’re particularly likely to find humor in the darkness.
