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Defining manhood is no easy task
Milwaukee -Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: You've likely seen one of those TV ads where some guy is told to "man up!" You know, it's where some fellow is portrayed as a wimp, is subsequently insulted by some hot babe or a group of manly men, and then slinks off in humiliation. Well, these advertisers, shameful as they are for employing such tactics, are on to something. In an unconscious way, most men sense that their gender identity, or manhood, is determined by how they are perceived by others far more than by their physiology. Sure, any guy can look in the mirror to confirm his gender, but manhood is much more a state of mind than one of body.
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A Defect That May Lead to a Masterpiece
The New York Times: In learning to draw or paint, it helps to have a sense of composition, color and originality. And depth perception? Maybe not so much, neuroscientists are now suggesting. Instead, so-called stereo blindness — in which the eyes are out of alignment so the brain cannot fuse the images from each one — may actually be an asset. Looking at the world through one eye at a time automatically “flattens the scene,” said Margaret S. Livingstone, an expert on vision and the brain at Harvard Medical School who helped carry out a study on stereo vision.
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The Surprising Connection between Two Types of Perception
The brain is constantly changing as it perceives the outside world, processing and learning about everything it encounters. In a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, scientists find a surprising connection between two types of perception: If you’re looking at a group of objects and getting a general sense of them, it’s difficult for your brain to learn relationships between the objects. It’s not known how these two ways of perceiving are related, says Nicholas Turk-Browne, an Assistant Professor at Princeton University.
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The Psychology of Throwing in the Towel
Aren’t we supposed to admire Rep. Anthony Weiner’s persevering spirit in the face of adversity? Lesser men would be crawling under a rock with such revelations about their personal frailties and sexual oddities. The American tradition, from Ben Franklin to Horatio Alger to Rocky Balboa, is to value grit and determination. The fact is, it’s hard to cheer for giving up, throwing in the towel. So it’s no wonder this never-say-die attitude has made such an appealing plot line for dime novels and Hollywood. But is it really good psychology? Or might there be times when it really is better to simply walk away?
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Income Disparity Makes People Unhappy
Many economists and sociologists have warned of the social dangers of a wide gap between the richest and everyone else. Now, a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, adds a psychological reason to narrow the disparity - it makes people unhappy. Over the last 40 years, “we’ve seen that people seem to be happier when there is more equality,” says University of Virginia psychologist Shigehiro Oishi, who conducted the study with Virginia colleague Selin Kesebir and Ed Diener of the University of Illinois. “Income disparity has grown a lot in the U.S., especially since the 1980s.
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Reclaiming Our Sense of Self in a Globalized World
The Huffington Post: The word "globalization" rings in most people's ears as a signal of our advancement, the recognition of our limitless ability to create and have -- beyond measure -- anything we want. A Delta advert on the subway reads, "A larger network makes a smaller world." So our world appears smaller, and not only does it fill us with a feeling of extended opportunity, but we assume that it is in our best interests. But is it really in our best interests? What are the true impacts of globalization, from an ecological, economic and, more importantly, psychological perspective? In short, what is the psychological impact of globalization on our sense of self?
