-
‘Genius Grant’ Winner Used A Soap Opera To Prove A Point About Prejudice
NPR: What will it take for the people of this world to drop their prejudices, to move past intolerance — and just get along? That's a question Princeton psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck — one of the 24 MacArthur Fellows announced on Wednesday — has dedicated her career to answering. Back in 2002, when Paluck was a graduate student at Yale University, her adviser asked: "What does psychology say about how to reduce prejudice and conflict?" She and her adviser were teaching a class about hate speech and political intolerance, and he wanted to give students examples of ways to counteract those things. Paluck searched and searched. And she drew a blank.
-
Why policy makers should nudge more
Chicago Booth Review: When policy makers around the world want to influence their constituents’ behavior, they have a few options. They can offer a carrot, such as a tax incentive, stipend, or other reward. They can use the legislative stick by passing a mandate or a ban. But research suggests they should turn more often to a third tool, a “nudge,” which in many cases is the most cost-effective option. Nudging is the word used in behavioral science for structuring policies and programs in ways that encourage, but don’t compel, particular choices. For instance, requiring people to opt out of rather than into a program, such as a retirement savings plan, might nudge them toward participating.
-
Mindfulness and Meditation Need More Rigorous Study, Less Hype
The spread of mindfulness and meditation as wellness tools outpaces scientific evidence, a team of researchers concludes.
-
What is mindfulness? Nobody really knows, and that’s a problem
The Conversation: You’ve probably heard of mindfulness. These days, it’s everywhere, like many ideas and practices drawn from Buddhist texts that have become part of mainstream Western culture. But a review published today in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science shows the hype is ahead of the evidence. Some reviews of studies on mindfulness suggest it may help with psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and stress. But it’s not clear what type of mindfulness or meditation we need and for what specific problem. The study, involving a large group of researchers, clinicians and meditators, found a clear-cut definition of mindfulness doesn’t exist.
-
No Evidence for ‘Narcissism Epidemic’ Among College Students
Data indicate that today’s college students are slightly less narcissistic than their counterparts were in the 1990s.
-
Is Curiosity A Positive Or Negative Feeling?
NPR: Curiosity is a familiar feeling among people. But as soon as we scrutinize that feeling, curiosity reveals itself to be a complex emotion indeed. Just ask yourself: Is curiosity a positive feeling or a negative feeling? Is it more like frustration or more like anticipation? Is it a painful reminder of what we don't (yet) know, or a thrilling beacon towards what we might soon discover? Actually, curiosity can be all of these things — and more. Like lust, curiosity has positive and negative faces: one pointed (with happy anticipation!) towards what we desire, one pointed (with cruel frustration!) towards what we have not yet obtained — and may never obtain.
