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Bosses Micromanage When They Feel Powerless
New York Magazine: The next time your boss gets too deep into your business, consider this: They may feel powerless, as a new study in Personality and Individual Differences indicates, prompting them to exert control over what you’d rather just take care of yourself. Led by Michael P. Haselhuhn at the University of California, Riverside, the research team ran two experiments. In the first, done with 238 subjects at a large European business school, participants were asked how much they agreed with statements like “In my relationships with others, I can get them to listen to what I say,” which indicates how powerful people feel personally.
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Think you’re a great gift-giver? Probably not
CNN: If you're stressed about finding the perfect presents for your friends and loved ones this holiday season, ask them what they want. It could save you a lot of trouble in the long run, according to a new study. Even the most well-intentioned gift givers don't always give their friends and loved ones what they really want. But it's not for a lack of trying -- it's more of an "expectations vs. reality" dilemma, according to researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Indiana University. This scenario will sound familiar to most people. Read the whole story: CNN
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When Is It OK to Brag?
The Wall Street Journal: Like to brag? That may be a good thing. New research on “self enhancement,” or what most of us call bragging, by psychologists at Brown University shows that people can manipulate how others see them by carefully choosing when and how to boast. Brag when you can back up your claim, or there is zero evidence to refute it, and people will see you as competent, albeit arrogant. Stay quiet about your achievements and people will see you as warm and humble, although less capable. Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal
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How to Predict a Baby’s First Word
The Atlantic: After about a year, give or take, of staring and babbling, babies eventually begin to say their first words. Mama. Ball. Dog. Millions of parents all over the world know this. Now, researchers at Indiana University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered new clues about how that actually happens—how babies learn those initial words. It turns out, the researchers report in a new paper, that a baby’s first words are likely tied to their visual experiences and how they see the world around them. Read the whole story: The Atlantic
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If your gift choices seem to disappoint, psychology may explain why
Los Angeles Times: So, you fancy yourself a really good giver of gifts, don’t you? You think really hard about your prospective gift recipient’s style and taste. You go for something that really says, “I get you!” Choose a gift from someone’s gift registry? Nah, you say: I can do better than that. Sometimes you even spend a little more than you should on that special something. It’s worth it, you figure: My giftee is going to be bowled over by this. ...
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There’s Another Big Window for Learning After Childhood
New York Magazine: Children rightly have a reputation for being little knowledge sponges, absorbing all the information that’s around them. But if you happen to not be a child, take heart: There’s new evidence that your brain may be especially teachable later on down the line, too. Such is the lesson of a recent paper lead-authored by University College London cognitive neuroscientist Lisa J. Knoll and highlighted by David Robson at the BPS Research Digest. Published in Psychological Science, the research suggests that teens and even full-blown adults have a shot at learning excellence. Read the whole story: New York Magazine
