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The political power of white anxiety
The Boston Globe: What makes voters lean conservative? New research from psychologists at Northwestern University suggests one cause might be anxiety about changing demographics. In a nationally representative survey, whites who identified themselves as independents became significantly more likely to report leaning Republican after being told that California had become a majority-minority state—an effect that was especially pronounced for those who lived closer to California. Likewise, in other experiments, Americans reported significantly greater support for conservative positions—both race-related and non-race-related—after reading that minorities would eventually become the majority.
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People Rely on What They Hear to Know What They’re Saying
You know what you’re going to say before you say it, right? Not necessarily, research suggests. A study from researchers at Lund University in Sweden shows that auditory feedback plays an important role in helping us determine what we’re saying as we speak. The study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “Our results indicate that speakers listen to their own voices to help specify the meaning of what they are saying,” says researcher Andreas Lind of Lund University, lead author of the study.
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Speed-Reading Apps Will Not Revolutionize Anything, Except Your Understanding
Pacific Standard: Spritz, a new speed-reading app company, suggests its technology will allow you to power through Atlas Shrugged in a day. The simple interface flashes one word of content at a time, at a rate you can pre-select. The Boston-based start-up has been operating in so-called “Stealth Mode” for almost three years, perfecting the system. The tool borrows from an older technology called Rapid Serial Visual Presentation, but has been enhanced by rejiggering the alignment of the words to the “Optimal Recognition Point,” the target region of a word which allows your brain to process it. The new wrinkle, the company claims, eliminates the time your eyes squander locating the next OPR.
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Schreiben ist besser als Tippen (Writing is better than typing)
ORF Austria: Wer sich bei Vorträgen und Seminaren Notizen macht, sollte eher zum Kugelschreiber denn zum Laptop greifen, empfehlen US-Psychologen: Handschriftliche Aufzeichnungen sind laut einer Studie gut fürs Gedächtnis. Computer im Uni-Hörsaal sind heutzutage allgegenwärtig, das Schulheft indes haben sie noch nicht ersetzt. Wohl nicht zuletzt deshalb, weil man mit dem Computer auch andere Dinge tun kann, als sich dem Lernstoff zu widmen. Ist der Unterricht öde, entwickelt bekanntlich selbst Solitär Unterhaltungswert. Wobei man zugeben muss: Gedankenflucht ist natürlich auch ohne Computer möglich, wer dem Unterricht partout nicht folgen will, wird das analog auch tun.
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Yes, IQ Really Matters
Slate: The College Board—the standardized testing behemoth that develops and administers the SAT and other tests—has redesigned its flagship product again. Beginning in spring 2016, the writing section will be optional, the reading section will no longer test “obscure” vocabulary words, and the math section will put more emphasis on solving problems with real-world relevance. Overall, as the College Board explains on its website, “The redesigned SAT will more closely reflect the real work of college and career, where a flexible command of evidence—whether found in text or graphic [sic]—is more important than ever.” A number of pressures may be behind this redesign.
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Procrastinating? Blame Your Genes
Science Magazine: Are you supposed to be doing something else right now? If so, you may be able to blame your urge to avoid the task at hand in favor of more tempting distractions on your parents, a new study in Psychological Science suggests. By comparing how much identical versus nonidentical twins tend to procrastinate, researchers report that the tendency is influenced more by genes than by external factors such as upbringing, and is linked to higher rates of impulsive behaviors. Read the whole story: Science Magazine
