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Big Mac, Thin Wallet
The New York Times: In recent years we have seen plenty of studies of the impact of fast food on our bodies. But what about our psychological health? It stands to reason that fast food would have an effect on our mental state. From its production to its consumption, fast food both embodies and symbolizes speed and instant gratification. Moreover, through extensive franchising and large advertising budgets, fast-food companies shape many of the cues in our everyday environment.
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Workplace Ostracism More Distressing Than Harassment
Being ignored, excluded, or overlooked at work inflicts more damage on our physical and mental health than does being harassed, a new study shows. Canadian researchers found that while most people consider workplace ostracism more benign than harassment, such exclusion is actually more likely to spur job dissatisfaction, health problems, and resignations. Led by Jane O’Reilly of University of Ottawa, the research team theorized that ostracism is a more common experience at work than is harassment, and wanted to see how employees perceive those conditions. They conducted an online survey of US workers from an array of industries.
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A second language may help sustain the brain
The Washington Post: Being able to speak more than one language may help you think more clearly in later life, even if you’ve learned the second language as an adult, according to a new study. Thomas H. Bak of the University of Edinburgh Center for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, the author of the new paper, said previous studies had shown that “bilinguals” who suffered dementia began showing symptoms four to five years later than people who spoke only one language. But causality was not clear: Does mastering a second tongue keep brains active longer, or do people with that skill start off with healthier brains than those who don’t? ...
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Look Angry If You Want People to Give In
Discovery News: Remember the middle-school taunt: “Is that a threat … or a promise?” If you want to get the most out of a threat in the adult world, don’t let there be any question about it: Look the part, suggests a new study. In two experiments, people were more willing to give into demands for a larger share of $1 when the person asking for more money looked angry. During one of the experiments, 870 participants were given the task of splitting up $1 with someone else. If they couldn’t agree, neither would get anything. When an actress demanded 70 cents on the dollar with an angry expression, more people agreed than when she used a neutral expression.
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Science, Trust And Psychology In Crisis
NPR: When I attended my first scientific conference at the tender age of 20, one of my mentors surprised me with the following bit of advice. Transcribed directly from memory: "You should be sure to attend the talk by so-and-so. You can always trust his results." This casual remark made a deep impression on me. What did trust have to do with anything? This was supposed to be science! Based on evidence! It shouldn't have mattered who performed the experiment, who delivered the talk or whose name was on the ensuing publication. As my training in experimental psychology advanced, I encountered the same idea in various forms.
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Living on Purpose
The New York Times: My late father had a longtime friend, a retired kosher butcher, who lived down the hall in their South Jersey apartment building. Past 90, Manny was older and frailer than my father; he leaned on a cane and could barely see well enough to recognize faces. But every morning, and again in late afternoon, he walked through my dad’s unlocked front door to be sure he was all right and to kibitz a bit. Manny made the rounds, also looking in on several other aged residents in their so-called N.O.R.C. (naturally occurring retirement community). Unless he was ill himself, he never missed a day. Read the whole story: The New York Times
