-
The Psychology of Cheating
The New York Times: To some it was a fitting end to a pointless witch hunt. On Wednesday, after weeks of graphic testimony about steroid use, a jury in San Francisco cleared the former baseball slugger Barry Bonds of all charges but one, obstruction of justice. And even that might not hold up. But for those who feel most strongly about cheating, the verdict was more like a kick in the stomach. Flouting the rules is, for them, not only morally wrong but a lasting offense to good citizens everywhere: If guilty, offenders should pay, whether they’re rich or poor, malingerers or masters of the universe — like the financial figures central to the economic collapse of 2008.
-
Alcohol-Energy Drink Combo Riskier Than Booze Alone, Study Says
Bloomberg Businessweek: Combining the caffeine jolt of energy drinks with the intoxicating effects of alcohol is riskier than drinking alcohol alone, a new study suggests. Adding to growing research on the effects of trendy cocktails such as vodka and the energy drink Red Bull, scientists from Northern Kentucky University split 56 college students between the ages of 21 and 33 into four groups. The students received either an alcoholic beverage, an energy drink, a mixed drink with both ingredients, or a placebo. All drinks were made to look and taste like alcoholic energy drinks, so participants did not know which they were consuming.
-
The kickback society
The Boston Globe: Greasing the wheels of commerce is a lot easier if everyone’s on board. At least that’s the conclusion of a new study on bribery. Analyzing data for different countries, the authors found that a more collectivist culture was strongly associated with the tendency of that country’s companies to offer bribes abroad. Read the whole story: The Boston Globe
-
Court rulings depend partly on when the judge last had a snack
The Economist: AROUND the world, courthouses are adorned with a statue of a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales and a sword: Justice personified. Her sword stands for the power of the court, her scales for the competing claims of the petitioners. The blindfold (a 15th-century innovation) represents the principle that justice should be blind. The law should be applied without fear or favour, with only cold reason and the facts of the case determining what happens to the accused. Lawyers, though, have long suspected that such lofty ideals are not always achieved in practice, even in well run judicial systems free from political meddling.
-
Say a little prayer to control anger
MSNBC: Furious about an unkind comment? Angry about a social snub? Say a prayer, even if you're not religious. New research from American and Dutch scientists shows praying can help ease anger, lower aggression and lessen the impact of provocation. "People often turn to prayer when they're feeling negative emotions, including anger," said Brad Bushman, a professor of communications and psychology at Ohio State University and a co-author of the study. Read the whole story: MSNBC
-
How Beliefs Shape Effort and Learning
If it was easy to learn, it will be easy to remember. Psychological scientists have maintained that nearly everyone uses this simple rule to assess their own learning. Now a study published in an upcoming issue Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests otherwise: “Individuals with different theories about the nature of intelligence tend to evaluate their learning in different ways,” says David B. Miele of Columbia University, who conducted the study with Bridgid Finn of Washington University in St. Louis and Daniel C. Molden of Northwestern University.
