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How Can Identical Twins Turn Out So Different?
NPR: A study of genetically identical mice is providing some hints about humans. How can one identical twin be a wallflower while the other is the life of the party? The study of 40 young mice found that their behavior grew increasingly different over three months, even though the mice shared the same genes and lived in the same five-level cage, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. ... The finding could help scientists finally figure out how one identical twin can become very outgoing while the other remains shy, says Eric Turkheimer, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. Read the whole story: NPR
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Restaurant menu psychology: tricks to make us order more
The Guardian: It's not always easy trying to read a menu while hungry like the wolf, woozy from aperitif and exchanging pleasantries with a dining partner. The eyes flit about like a pinball, pinging between set meal options, side dishes and today's specials. Do I want comforting treats or something healthy? What's cheap? Will I end up bitterly coveting my companion's dinner? Is it immoral to fuss over such petty, first-world dilemmas? Oh God, the waiter's coming over. ... Befuddling menu design doesn't help.
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Hail to the Narcissist: POTUS And Personality
The Huffington Post: Looking back on U.S. history, certain presidents clearly stand out as larger than life. Andrew Jackson, TR, LBJ -- these were flamboyant and domineering men, and also great leaders. Some might quibble about who among these had the biggest personality, but no one would put Calvin Coolidge or Millard Fillmore in their company. ... Historians and biographers have commented on the curious co-existence of excellence and malignance in individual presidents. But does this personality type -- this mix of brightness and darkness -- actually predict presidential greatness? A team of psychological scientists has been exploring this idea.
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When Deciding How to Bet, Less Detailed Information May Be Better
People are worse at predicting whether a sports team will win, lose, or tie when they bet on the final score than when they bet on the overall outcome, according to a new study published
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A Good Meal: The Science of Savoring
There’s nothing I like more than sharing a good meal with friends and family. I like everything about it—the shopping for fresh ingredients, the chopping and cooking, and most of all, the mindful savoring and good conversation at the table. If I have time. Which I don’t many days, and I confess that on those days, dinner is often as not a salad or sandwich on my lap, as I watch NCIS reruns. I know this is a bad habit, but it’s just easier not to fuss. A lot of people are opting out of traditional meals in this way. Indeed, one study says that more than half of Americans’ meals are now eaten in a room with the TV on.
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How to Perform in a Clutch
TIME: Life is full of vulnerable moments — occasions when we feel off-balance, unsure of ourselves and our abilities — and in these moments we are likely to perform less well than we might. Social psychologists have developed a simple activity, called a values affirmation, that can intervene in such situations to restore our sense of equilibrium. Here’s how it works: Make a list of the values that matter most to you, or for 10 minutes, write in-depth about a value that is central to your life. Perhaps it’s your close relationship with your family, or your skill with a camera or in the kitchen, or your strong religious faith. What matters is that it’s your value, your identity. ...
