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The Healthy Poor: Demystifying John Henry
The Huffington Post: John Henry is one of the big men of American folklore, a former slave and "steel drivin' man" who helped pioneer the American frontier in the 19th century. According to legend, John Henry was a man of extraordinary physical prowess who wielded a sledge hammer to clear the way for the nation's expanding railroads. He was also a man of extraordinary determination. When the railroad owner threatened to replace men and their muscles with a new steam-driven hammer, John Henry challenged owner and machine to a contest of strength. He won, but lost, dying of exhaustion. That's the John Henry story most Americans know.
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Training People to Inhibit Movements Can Reduce Risk-Taking
New research from psychological scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Cardiff shows that people can be trained to become less impulsive, resulting in less risk-taking during gambling. The research could pave the way for new treatments for people with addictions to gambling, drugs or alcohol as well as impulse-control disorders, such as ADHD. Recently published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, the study assessed whether asking people to stop making simple movements while in a simulated gambling situation affected how risky or cautious they were when betting.
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Why We Make Dumb Choices
Yahoo Health: Decisions, decisions. From the time you wake up (should I hit the snooze?) until you go to bed (should I eat that midnight snack?), you’re making decisions all day long—and some of them turn out to be the wrong ones. Afterward, there’s nothing left to do but shake your head and wonder what you could have been thinking. If you catch a bad decision before you act, however, there’s still time to correct it. That’s where an awareness of common pitfalls comes in handy. Luckily, in the last few years, researchers have learned a lot about psychological factors that can lead smart people to make dumb choices. Here’s what you need to watch out for. Read the whole story: Yahoo Health
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Social Psychology A Chilly Reception
The Wall Street Journal: When we don't see what we expect to see in the face of a conversation partner, the situation starts to feel chilly—literally. In one experiment, a female researcher greeted 40 undergraduates either in a chatty, informal way or in a professional, remote fashion. She continued to act in the chosen mode as she guided each participant through a task involving describing photos. As the two talked, the experimenter either subtly mimicked the partner's expressions and mannerisms or strenuously avoided any imitation. Later, the participants were asked, among other things, how cold they thought the room was. Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal
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Allowing the Mind to Wander Aids Creativity
Scientific American: History is rich with 'eureka' moments: scientists from Archimedes to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein are said to have had flashes of inspiration while thinking about other things. But the mechanisms behind this psychological phenomenon have remained unclear. A study now suggests that simply taking a break does not bring on inspiration -- rather, creativity is fostered by tasks that allow the mind to wander. The discovery was made by a team led by Benjamin Baird and Jonathan Schooler, psychologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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When to Punish, and When to Rehabilitate
The New York Times: The Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on when, if ever, it is appropriate to sentence juvenile offenders to life without parole. The arguments this spring showed the complexity of drawing the lines between child and adult, and between justice and cruelty. When minors commit violent crimes, should they be treated differently from adults? Is prison effective as a punishment and deterrent for juveniles, or does it harden a young person who might otherwise recover? Read the whole story: The New York Times
