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Don’t Blame Facebook for the Narcissism Epidemic
Discovery News: Social media-minded millennials are the most narcissistic generation on record, but recent psychological research indicates that Facebook isn’t to blame for that image obsession. Despite multiple media reports to the contrary, Facebook and social networking sites (SNS) aren’t fueling a narcissism epidemic among younger people. “We do know that narcissism levels among millennials are higher than previous generations and that this rise in narcissism has coincided with the explosion of Facebook,” said Shawn Bergman, an assistant professor of organizational psychology at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.
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Are Pet Owners Really Happier or Healthier?
Time: "While pets are undoubtedly good for some people, there is presently insufficient evidence to support the contention that pet owners are healthier or happier or that they live longer." Harold Herzog, professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, writing in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. Herzog, a pet owner and pet lover himself, says that to date, studies conducted to determine whether having a pet improves health and longevity have "produced a mishmash of conflicting results." He calls for more scientific study into the matter. Read the whole story: Time
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Psychology: We Play Video Games to Chase Our ‘Ideal Selves’
Time: What exactly is it about video games that holds so much drawing power? Last year, a staggering 500 million video games were sold throughout the world, and, despite some recent slippage earlier in May, the industry as a whole remains one of the biggest, most lucrative markets out there. Now, a new study set to be published in a coming issue of Psychological Science seeks to uncover exactly what it is about video games that attracts such a passionate and dedicated fan base.
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Mental Simulations of Social Thought and Action
We live in a world with people from diverse cultures, different societies and varied communities. Unfortunately, all those differences can sometimes result in segregation and discrimination. Reducing prejudice and creating more open minded societies has been the focal point of recent research and now, a new study in this field suggests that mental simulation is a key component of behavioral change strategies. Though this approach is controversial, authors Richard J. Crisp, Michèle D. Birtel, and Rose Meleady at the University of Kent, believe that this will assist in reducing prejudice and discrimination.
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Avoir un animal de compagnie n’est pas si bon qu’on le pense pour la santé
MSN France: Howard Herzog, professeur de psychologie à l'université Western Carolina (Caroline du Nord, sud-est), affirme dans cette étude publiée dans le numéro d'août de Tendances en Psychologie (Current Directions in Psychological Science), que toutes les études publiées sur le sujet "ont montré des résultats contradictoires". "Avoir un animal familier est incontestablement bon pour certaines personnes, mais il n'y a pas assez de preuves pour dire que ceux qui ont un animal familier sont en meilleure santé ou vivent plus longtemps que ceux qui n'en ont pas", écrit-il. Lire plus: MSN France
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The best Porsche 911? The Carrera GTS, of course
The Globe and Mail: In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that people confronted with a large number of choices (like those offered at a typical big box retailer) suffered from a unique brand of exhaustion that made them score low in psychological testing. Lead author Kathleen D. Vohs concluded that making choices depletes a precious resource within the human brain. With this in mind, consider the plight of the Porsche 911 buyer, who must choose from 23 different models of the same car. Read more: The Globe and Mail
