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Talk like your sweetie? What that says about your relationship
The Today Show: It was around the time when Emily Taffel-Schaper accidentally called her mom "dude" when she realized: She was starting to talk exactly like her now-husband, Fritz Schaper. "Sometimes I even notice myself calling my clients 'dude,'" says Taffel-Schaper, a 30-year-old who works in public relations in Del Ray Beach, Fla. It works the other way around, too, she explains: Just last Sunday, her thoughts seemed to have momentarily possessed her husband's speech, when he said one of her oft-repeated words on his weekend Internet radio show: "natch." The two, now married, have been together for 10 years, so clearly something about this talkalike system is working.
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Language Style Predicts Romantic Chemistry
Discovery News: Language style affects long-term relationship strength and the compatibility of existing and would-be couples, suggests a new study. Led by researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, the study -- featured in the journal Psychological Science -- advances our understanding of how language influences romance. Read the whole story: Discovery News
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Religion got it right: pain seems to assuage guilt
The Economist: Catholic theology says that heaven awaits the pure of heart while hell is reserved for unrepentant sinners. For the sinful but penitent middle, however, there is the option of purgatory—a bit of fiery cleansing before they are admitted to eternal bliss. Nor is inflicting pain to achieve purification restricted to the afterlife. Self-flagellation is reckoned by many here on Earth to be, literally, good for the soul. Read the whole story: The Economist
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Younger Immigrants Adjust to a New Culture Faster Than Do Older Immigrants
Moving to a new country is difficult—learning the cultural rules and meanings of your new home is especially challenging. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this process is easier for children, but quickly becomes more difficult after about the age of 15. Psychological scientists have found that many aspects of learning and development have a critical window—if a developmental event doesn't happen by a particular age, it never will.
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Autism, Moral Decision-Making and the Mind
PsychCentral: A new study suggests high-functioning autistic adults appear to have trouble making moral judgments in certain situations. Specifically, the researchers found that autistic adults were more likely than non-autistic subjects to blame someone for accidentally causing harm to another person. Read the whole story: PsychCentral
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Having a Strong Community Protects Adolescents From Risky Health Behaviors
Children who grow up in poverty have health problems as adults. But a new study finds that poor adolescents who live in communities with more social cohesiveness and control get some measure of protection; they're less likely to smoke and be obese as adolescents. The new study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, is part of a long-term examination of children growing up poor in rural upstate New York. The study was designed to discover, "What is it about poverty that leads to these negative outcomes?" says lead author Gary W. Evans, of Cornell University.
