-
Why Saying ‘Thank You’ Makes A Difference
Lifehacker: Most of us were taught that saying “thank you” is simply the polite thing to do. But recent research in social psychology suggests that saying “thank you” goes beyond good manners — it also serves to build and maintain social relationships. This premise has its base in the find-remind-and-bind theory of gratitude, proposed by US psychologist Sara Algoe, from the University of North Carolina.
-
How Not To Teach Climate Change
NPR: In a recent Washington Post piece, Diana Liverman, a professor at the University of Arizona, explains how she used to teach her undergraduates about climate change — and why she stopped. "A few years ago, I discovered my undergraduates had informally renamed my Intro to Environmental Studies class. They called it 'Environmental Depression,' " she writes. She continues later: "Many students left my class feeling despondent and powerless.
-
Forscher enträtselt menschliche Merkwürdigkeiten (Scientists elucidate human oddities)
Die Welt: Was haben das Lachen, Niesen, Gähnen, Husten, der Schluckauf und das laute, schluchzende Weinen gemeinsam? Abgesehen davon, dass die meisten Menschen all diese Dinge von Zeit zu Zeit tun, tun müssen, aus Gründen, von denen noch die Rede sein wird. Für all diese Verhaltensweisen benutzt der Mensch seinen Atemapparat. Der Atemapparat des Menschen hat, anders als etwa der des Schimpansen, nicht mehr die Funktion, den Brustkorb mit Luft zu füllen, um die Stöße der Vordergliedmaßen beim Laufen abzufedern. Der aufrechte Gang hat die Menschen davon befreit, das Atmen und das Laufen synchronisieren zu müssen.
-
Meet The 2014 Winners Of The MacArthur ‘Genius Grants’
NPR: "Using statistical analysis to analyze how a defendant's skin color and hair texture relate to the sentencing decisions of jurors, Eberhardt has shown that black defendants are more likely to receive the death penalty if their facial characteristics are stereotypically black and their victims are white," the MacArthur Foundation writes. "Extending this research to the criminal sentencing of juveniles, she found that simply bringing to mind a black juvenile offender led people to perceive juveniles in general as more similar to adults and therefore more worthy of severe punishment, highlighting the fragility of protection for young defendants when race is a factor.
-
To See Who Holds The Power In Your Relationships, Check Your Old Emails
io9: Power dynamics are everywhere, from our personal relationships to our professional ones. Do you know where do you stand in yours? Here's a little psychology experiment you can run at home. Finding out could be as simple as reading through your old e-mails. ... I'm going to spend the next few paragraphs introducing this subject, partly to contextualize what it is we're talking about, but also because it's just a fascinating subject. What we're dealing with here is language, specifically those parts of language that we often overlook, and how we use it.
-
How Grocery Stores, Restaurants, Your Office And Even Your Kitchen Trick You Into Eating More
The Huffington Post: Chew on this: When it comes to eating healthfully, our environments may be working against us. Not always on purpose. But simple elements -- from the color paint in our kitchens to the size of the plates we use to whether we eat lunch at our desks or in the office break room -- all seem to influence the way we eat. Fortunately, food psychologist and behavioral economist Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, has some actionable tips fornot getting duped by our environments. Wansink literally wrote the book on mindless eating, and now his new book -- titled Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, out Sept.
