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Politics and Prejudice – Insights from Psychological Science
New research from psychological science explores factors operating in political attitudes that could explain why political ideology and prejudice are often linked. Liberals and Conservatives Both Prejudiced Against Groups with Opposing Values Research has associated political conservatism with prejudice toward various stereotyped groups. But research has also shown that people select and interpret evidence consistent with their own pre-existing attitudes and ideologies. In this article, Chambers and colleagues hypothesized that, contrary to what some research might indicate, prejudice is not restricted to a particular political ideology.
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Post-Olympic Blues? 10 Ways To Achieve ‘Personal Life’ Best
The Huffington Post: There will be few people today who aren't going to miss the feel-good factor of the Games. If you weren't moved to tears by the achievements of medal winners, broken by the humility of athletes apologising for coming 'second' and motivated by the commitment of sports men and women who have sacrificed friendships and family time in order to break world records, well, you might not be of this planet. Of course, we've still got the Paralympics to go. But, if you're not sure those daily doses of sport will be enough, Elaine Fox, author of Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain, suggests now is the time to for a little 'brain training'.
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Yes, algebra is necessary
The Washington Post: When I first saw yesterday’s New York Times op-ed, I mistook it for a joke. The title, “Is algebra necessary?” had the ring of Thurber’s classic essay, “Is sex necessary?”, a send-up of psychological sex manuals of the 1920s. Unfortunately, the author, Andrew Hacker, poses the question in earnest, and draws the conclusion that algebra should not be required of all students. Read the whole story: The Washington Post
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Teens and Video Games: How Much Is Too Much?
LiveScience: The gamer community had a near-miss this week in Ohio, when a 15-year-old boy collapsed after playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" for up to five days straight. The Columbus teen was rushed to the hospital with severe dehydration, where he recovered, according to a report from TV station WCMH on Aug. 7. Players who delve too deeply into their electronic worlds can face various health risks, ranging from deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots, to severe dehydration. Read the whole story: LiveScience
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New Research on Sensation and Perception From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research on sensation and perception published in Psychological Science. Discrimination and Categorization of Actions by Pigeons Yael Asen and Robert G. Cook Recognizing different types of behaviors is essential for an animal's survival. In this study, researchers examined if and how pigeons classify actions by training them to discriminate among walking and running animal models. Pigeons' knowledge of movement in one animal transferred into knowledge of movement in models of other animals. Additionally, pigeons' movement discrimination abilities remained intact even when the direction of the movement was reversed and the speed of the movement altered.
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Buying presents will earn you brownie points AND encourage you to help others
Daily Mail: Thinking about giving and not receiving motivates people to help others, according to a new university study. We are often told to ‘count our blessings’ and be grateful for what we have. And research shows that doing so makes us happier. But will it actually change our behavior towards others? A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that thinking about what we’ve given, rather than what we’ve received, may lead us to be more helpful toward others.
