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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science. Features of Planned Hand Actions Influence Identification of Graspable Objects Daniel N. Bub, Michael E. J. Masson, and Terry Lin Research has shown that motor cortical brain regions are activated when people attend to graspable objects. Participants viewed pictures of a left or right hand in a vertical or horizontal grasping position before being asked to identify an object with its handle facing to the left or right.
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6 Ways to Get Me to Email You Back
LinkedIn: Two years ago, I made a commitment to do something that made me profoundly uncomfortable. I had just finished writing my first book, and I promised my publisher that I would reach out to bestselling authors and senior leaders, asking them to read my book and consider endorsing it. I knew their quotes would go a long way toward attracting readers. But as someone who generally prefers to be on the giving side of exchanges, rather than the asking and receiving end, I knew it was time to pick up some new tips. I began seeking advice, scouring the research evidence, and test-driving what I learned in my quest to capture the attention of busy people. ...
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Bizarre Optical Illusion of the Day: Tram Riders Believe Buildings Are Falling Down
The Atlantic: Riders on the Hong Kong Peak Tram continue to perceive that skyscrapers are falling down, despite their knowledge that the buildings are structurally sound. ... The study, "Falling Skyscrapers: When Cross-Modal Perception of Verticality Fails," is published in Psychological Science, required hundreds of trips up Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. Read the whole story: The Atlantic
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How Perfect Is Perfect Pitch?
Scientific American: When I was in college, the choir director used to begin every rehearsal with “Sing me an A!”. The 100 person choir would muddle around, with often hilariously off key results. Over the year, we’d get better and better, usually because we’d tune in to the few people in the choir who we KNEW had perfect pitch, the ability to name a music note (and then, hopefully, produce it) without the aid of another note to give them a clue. And usually, if we all tuned in to the people with perfect pitch, we turned out ok. But sometimes…sometimes even THEN we didn’t. Then the people with perfect pitch would look pretty embarrassed.
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You have more time than you think
CNN: June 21 is the longest day of the year. Yes, from now on, we'll lose a few minutes of daylight each day. Before that panicked feeling of time slipping away kicks in (I already have too much to do and now my days will be even shorter?), take a deep breath. There's hope. First off, it turns out our time isn't as scarce as we have convinced ourselves it is. And second, new research has demonstrated effective strategies to help mitigate the pangs of our time famine. ... So what's the problem with a little less socializing and a little less volunteering? Both of these activities are strongly associated with happiness.
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The hack to save your marriage: Eli Finkel at TEDxUChicago
TEDx: “The marriage hack has eliminated the downward trajectory of marriage dissatisfaction” According to Eli Finkel, we’ve changed how we value our personal relationships: We’ve come to expect our spouses to fill roles traditionally left for platonic friends. And marriages may be suffering because of it, with surveys showing that average satisfaction declines consistently year after year. But that decline could be stopped. At TEDxUChicago, Finkel sheds light on an overwhelmingly simple step that couples can take to maybe save their relationships. Read the whole story: TEDx
