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Reframing the Debate Over Using Phones Behind the Wheel
The New York Times: For years, policy makers trying to curb distracted driving have compared the problem to drunken driving. The analogy seemed fitting, with drivers weaving down roads and rationalizing behavior that they knew could be deadly. But on Tuesday, in an emotional call for states to ban all phone use by drivers, the head of a federal agency introduced a new comparison: distracted driving is like smoking.
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For ugly Don Juans, false confidence aids when looks are lacking
The Vancouver Sun: When it comes to sex, a new study finds that fortune favours the bold — and the clueless. Reporting in the journal Psychological Science, researchers say men who falsely presume women's sexual interest may actually fare best from an evolutionary perspective. Though there's certainly a cost to getting it wrong — namely, embarrassment or a blow to the ego — the study suggests guys who take for granted that women want them will "score" more often, compared to men who are less presumptuous about mutual desire.
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Traumatic Experiences: Bad in the Start, Good in the Long Run
International Business Times: Traumatic experiences can change life in an instant. Whether it's a car crash, losing a loved one, or sexual abuse, these sorts of incidents can scar a person for life, but not without coming from it with a changed perspective and a tougher skin. Giving meaning to the old saying, "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger," new researches done by Mark D. Seery of the University at Buffalo found that going through a traumatic event in life can help a person in the long run. Previous psychological research shows that having miserable life experiences is bad for a person, and that the best way to go through life is not to encounter one.
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Estimates in the Balance
The Wall Street Journal: Body posture can influence how we estimate such things as age and size, a study shows. Thirty-three undergraduates stood on a Wii Balance Board, a videogame-system accessory. Researchers surreptitiously manipulated the subjects' stances, slightly tilting them, though an onscreen measure misled the students into thinking they were evenly balanced. In each stance, students answered 13 questions, including the height of the Eiffel Tower, the size of the Netherlands and the life expectancy of a parrot. On average, participants gave smaller estimates when they leaned left than when they stood straight or leaned right—stances producing virtually identical results.
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Are Americans crazy for treating our pets like kids?
USA Today: The shopping frenzy has begun. Sweaters, toys and cushy new beds. All for "other" family members. The pets. The season of giving inevitably prompts pet lovers (53% of dog owners and 38% of cat owners) to gift their animals, often lavishly, says a survey by the American Pet Products Association. It also prompts the question: Is there something, well, weird about that? According to a Kelton Research survey commissioned by Milo's Kitchen pet treats: •81% regard their pets as full members of the family. •58% call themselves their pets' "mommy" or "daddy." •77% buy pets birthday gifts. •More than half say they talk about pets more than politics or sex. Read the full story: USA Today
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Nietzsche was right: adversity makes you stronger
The Telegraph: US psychologists found that while traumatic experiences such as assault, bereavement or natural disaster can be extremely damaging, smaller amounts of trauma may help people develop resilience. “Everybody’s heard the aphorism 'whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ ” Mark Seery, a researcher at the University at Buffalo, said. “But in psychology, a lot of ideas that seem like common sense aren’t supported by scientific evidence. “Indeed, a lot of solid research shows that having miserable life experiences is bad for you.
