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“The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” by Steven Pinker
CBS News: Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book? Steven Pinker: I believe there is such a thing as human nature--that the mind is not a blank slate, and that we don't get all our emotions and drives from culture, parents, and socialization. But the very idea of human nature raises a fear in many people: if we're "killer apes" with "genes for aggression" and a "violent brain," would that mean that we are doomed to perpetual war and mayhem, and shouldn't even bother trying to make the world a better place? But I knew that this fear made no sense for two reasons.
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What is the key to achieving greatness?
Yahoo Singapore: What makes one great? Is it intelligence alone or does it also include sustained practice? Working memory capacity - closely related to general intelligence - may sometimes be the deciding factor between good and great, according to a Michigan State University study. Practice is equally important - if not more - than intelligence in making people stand out, associate professor in psychology Zach Hambrick said. Imagine where Bill Gates would be if he hadn't honed his programming skills, but then Hambrick disagrees with the notion that intelligence plays no role in determining excellence, reports the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.
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Happy Kids a Product of Genes, Parenting, Study Finds
U.S. News & World Report: As scientists continue to tease out the impact of nature versus nurture, it appears that kids unlucky enough to get a "downer" personality gene can end up with sunnier outlooks when they're parented in a warm, positive manner. A new study on nearly 1,900 children aged 9 through 15 with a gene variation predisposing them to lower serotonin levels in the brain -- which can lead to a gloomier disposition -- suggests the youths were more likely to maintain happier emotions when exposed to positive parenting.
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This Just In: Study Shows Songs About Sex Are Hot Sellers
The New York Times: Psychologists sometimes have a way of proving what you always suspected was true. A recent study of popular song lyrics done at the State University of New York in Albany shows not only that messages about sexual relationships dominate the songs at the top of the charts, but also that songs about sex sell better than other songs. Perhaps more surprising were the study’s findings on the gaps between genres. The authors of the study, Dawn R. Hobbs and Gordon G. Gallup Jr., found a large difference between the “reproductive messages” embedded in country music and those found in pop and R&B.
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Can You Raise Your IQ? Yes, If You Think You Can
ABC News: If you think you can, you probably can. If you think you can't, you probably can't. New research shows that it's how you think about your level of intelligence and your ability to grow that determines how quickly you can correct even a minor error and move on. The work suggests that it's not whether you can pump your IQ up a notch or two, but whether you think you can that really matters. Psychologists at Michigan State University in East Lansing conducted a series of experiments to see if "mind set" makes a difference in how humans process and react to mistakes. And it turns out that it not only makes a difference, it does so almost instantaneously.
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The Upside to Embarrassment
National Geographic: If you’re the sort of person who turns red at the mere thought of committing a social faux pas, scientists have some reassuring news for you. A recent study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley found that people who are easily embarrassed are more likely to be trusted than individuals who are harder to fluster.
