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How to Defuse a Hateful Slur
The Huffington Post: Well, now we have a psychological explanation for this counterintuitive phenomenon of self-labeling. Columbia University psychological scientist Adam Galinsky and his colleagues have come up with an elaborate model to illuminate self-disparagement -- its origins, intentions, and consequences. The scientists ran ten experiments to begin documenting this novel theory. It all has to do with power, and perceptions of power, in society. If social power is control over valuable resources, Galinsky argues, then self-labeling is the act of controlling words and their meaning.
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Does This Ad Make Me Fat?
The New York Times: OBESITY is a problem everywhere, with significant consequences for personal health and public spending. People weigh more than ever — but why? If we can find the causes of obesity, we can try to eliminate or counter them. Unfortunately, finding causes is easier said than done, and causes we think we see can turn out to be illusions. Consider a recent study in the journal BMC Public Health under the anodyne title “Outdoor advertising, obesity, and soda consumption: a cross-sectional study.” A team of researchers walked every street in 228 census tracts around Los Angeles and New Orleans and recorded every outdoor ad they saw.
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Events in the Future Seem Closer Than Those in the Past
People experience time as if they’re moving toward the future and away from the past We say that time flies, it marches on, it flows like a river -- our descriptions of time are closely linked to our experiences of moving through space. Now, new research suggests that the illusions that influence how we perceive movement through space also influence our perception of time. The findings provide evidence that our experiences of space and time have even more in common than previously thought.
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Rashness & Rumination: New Understanding About the Roots of Depression
TIME: Two studies explore some of the developmental roots of depression in childhood and adolescence. In the first study, published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, researchers focused on depressive rumination, or the relentless focus on what has gone wrong or will go wrong, coupled with an inability to see a solution to these overwhelming problems. It’s no surprise that rumination has a strong connection to depression— in fact, studies show that some talk therapies can actually make depression worse by compelling people to focus on problems and their origins, rather than guiding them toward positive solutions on what to do about them. Read the whole story: TIME
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Bone-tired? How about ‘gene-tired’?
The Washington Post: Hey, you, yawning in your cubicle at 2 in the afternoon. Your genes feel it, too. A new study, paid for by the U.S. Air Force but relevant for anyone with a small child, a large prostate or a lot on the mind, is helping illuminate what’s happening at the genetic level when we don’t get enough sleep. “There are 50 experiments on total sleep deprivation for every one on partial sleep deprivation — not getting a full night’s sleep,” said David Dinges, head of the Human Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school. “They are incredibly onerous, labor-intensive and difficult.” Read the whole story: The Washington Post
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Will “Call of Duty” Be Assigned for 10th Grade (Gaming) Homework?
Scientific American: Two prominent neuroscientists have published a commentary in the Feb. 28th Naturesuggesting that video games might be crafted to improve brain function and enhance personal well-being. In “Games To Do You Good,” they cite prospects for bettering performance on behavioral measures ranging from visual perception to altruism. Daphne Bavelier of the University of Rochester and Richard J.
