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The psychology of closure – and why some need it more than others
Imagine your partner unexpectedly changes their Facebook status from “in a relationship” to “single” and then refuses to communicate with you. This sounds awfully cruel, completely robbing you of your right to find out why you have been dumped so that you can get some closure and move on. But it is actually becoming so common that Facebook has created new tools to help people manage their Facebook profiles after a breakup and interact with former partners. The need for closure doesn’t just apply to relationships. The death of a loved one, the loss of a job, status or a way of life are other examples of painful endings.
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For Couples, Gratitude Is a Boomerang
It’s easy to take our better halves for granted. We may neglect to thank our partners for, say, picking up milk on the way home, preparing dinner or devoting Saturdays to coaching a child’s soccer team. Over time, we may stop noticing what they do to make our lives better and perhaps focus too much on what we feel they don’t do. This familiar dynamic can be bad news for relationships. A growing body of research finds that couples who regularly express appreciation to each other, even for minor things, enjoy a stronger, more satisfying and committed bond. --- We often underestimate the impact that our gratitude has on others, which may make us less likely to express it.
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Lonely people prefer to stand farther away from those they love
A recent NIA-funded study reports lonely people are more likely to prefer greater interpersonal distances from close friends and family. Over two experiments, close to 600 men and women were surveyed to determine how close they prefer to physically be in relation to others in their intimate, relational, and collective space (and in relation to strangers). Intimate space consisted of those they are closest to (closest family/friends and significant others), relational space included trusted friends and family, and collective space included social groups individuals identified with.
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New Research From Psychological Science
A sample of new research exploring how we think about our interests, language and visual consciousness, and nonverbal behavior in close relationships.
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How Men Get Penalized for Straying from Masculine Norms
When women behave in ways that don’t fit their gender stereotype — for example, by being assertive — they are viewed as less likable and ultimately less hirable. Does that same hold true for men? Are they similarly penalized for straying from the strong masculine stereotype? The short answer is yes. Research demonstrates that men too face backlash when they don’t adhere to masculine gender stereotypes — when they show vulnerability, act nicer, display empathy, express sadness, exhibit modesty, and proclaim to be feminists. This is troubling not least because it discourages men from behaving in ways known to benefit their teams and their own careers.
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‘Indelible in the Hippocampus Is the Laughter.’ The Science Behind Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony
Christine Blasey Ford drew heavily on her psychology background while giving an emotional testimony about her alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, discussing everything from brain chemistry to risk factors for anxiety. --- Experts say that during trauma, the brain does select for salient details. Research indeed shows that norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter released in response to stress or emotional arousal, allows the brain to zero in on certain things and tune out others, says Charan Ranganath, director of the Memory and Plasticity Program at the University of California at Davis.
