-
Do Superior Abilities Keep Women Out of STEM?
Science: Researchers seeking to explain why women are less likely than men to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers long focused on females' purported inferior mathematical prowess. But new research suggests a very different explanation: women's superior abilities in other areas. In "Not Lack of Ability but More Choice: Individual and Gender Differences in Choice of Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," published in Psychological Science, psychologists Ming-Te Wang, Jacquelynne S.
-
Arguments in the Home Linked With Babies’ Brain Functioning
Being exposed to arguments between parents is associated with the way babies’ brains process emotional tone of voice, according to a new study to be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The study, conducted by graduate student Alice Graham with her advisors Phil Fisher and Jennifer Pfeifer of the University of Oregon, found that infants respond to angry tone of voice, even when they’re asleep. Babies’ brains are highly plastic, allowing them to develop in response to the environments and encounters they experience.
-
Des distractions pour aider la mémoire des seniors (Distraction Can Reduce Age-Related Forgetting)
Le Figaro: La mémoire est de moins en moins fiable avec l'âge, même s'il existe de grandes variations entre les individus. Autre inconvénient, peut-être moins connu, le fait que l'on se laisse plus facilement distraire à 70 ans qu'à 20 ans. Pourtant, il serait possible de contourner ces handicaps inhérents au vieillissement. Lynn Hasher, professeur de psychologie à l'Université de Toronto (Canada), mène depuis plus de trente ans des recherches sur l'évolution de l'attention avec l'âge.
-
Osservare le regole? Può creare frustrazione (Observing the rules can create frustration)
La Stampa: La frustrazione non si scatena esclusivamente quando una persona non riesce a centrare un obiettivo produttivo o ad appagare un bisogno positivo. Se l’essere umano non coglie al volo la possibilità di violare una regola, barare, imbrogliare, insomma di adottare un atteggiamento controproducente e negativo, il senso di inadeguatezza si presenterà ugualmente. Lo dimostra un nuovo studio dell’Ohio State University. Si tratta della prima ricerca a concentrarsi sulla frustrazione generata dal mancato soddisfacimento delle esigenze negative. Read the whole story: La Stampa
-
Can Our Beliefs About Exercise Make Us Fat?
Everyone is an expert when it comes to weight and weight control, and I’m no exception. I am what’s known as an “exercise theorist.” That is, I ascribe to the lay theory that sedentary lifestyle is a major cause of obesity, and that regular exercise is the cure. That’s one of the reasons I show up at the gym most days—and nag others to come with me. Not everyone agrees with this. In fact, so-called “diet theorists” believe that food is much more important than exercise. These everyday theorists believe that the obesity epidemic sweeping the U.S. and other developed countries is a consequence of portion size and fattening food choices.
-
Mindfulness Helps Us Understand Our True Personalities, Study Says
The Huffington Post: It's easy to have blind spots when examining our own selves and personalities. After all, it's incredibly difficult to judge ourselves in an objective manner. But a new study suggests the best way to really get to know ourselves -- without help from rose-colored glasses -- is through mindfulness. The study, published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, shows just how mindfulness can help us really know ourselves, without the negative or positive bias. This is important because "blind spots" in knowing ourselves can spell trouble.
