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New Research in Psychological Science
A sample of research on positive psychological factors, the moral significance of aesthetics in nature imagery, attention, the status quo and its relationship to technology, and much more.
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Why Taking Gender Out of the Equation Is So Difficult
It turns out a rock can tell us a lot about gender. In a recent study, Ashley Martin, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, recruited more than 200 participants and gave each a rock. One group was asked to decorate its rocks as creatively as possible; the other was asked to anthropomorphize them with “uniquely human qualities.” (The participants were told that the rocks that received the highest ratings from a pair of judges would win $100.) People in both groups were more likely to ascribe gender to their rocks than other social categories such as race, age, or sexual orientation.
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‘The Strength of Weak Ties’ Then and Now, Show Me Your Kale-Face, R.I.P. to Labels ‘Millennial’ and ‘Gen Z,’ and More
Oh, kale no! When I (Evan) was a kid, about five or so, I loved Popeye—the cartoon sailor man with ridiculously large forearms and a passion for spinach. In a violation of unspoken kid law, I loved spinach too. My brother Max was around one at the time, and I convinced my mom he needed to get on the Popeye diet. My mom dutifully bought a jar of the green stuff. As the spoon-turned-airplane made its approach, my brother’s face contorted, it did not have permission to land. It was the only food my brother spit out as a baby. Max would empathize with the participants of a recent study that explored the taste of leafy greens, albeit they were a bit younger.
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How to Actually Change Someone’s Mind
Raise your hand if you’ve recently engaged in an insult-slinging argument that started as an attempt at a civil discussion about some hot-button issue. Many of us have, and with high-stakes elections looming, the already fiery discourse will likely only intensify. Though it might feel satisfying in the moment, calling someone a bleeping—insert your favorite derogatory term here—is never going to help them understand your point of view. Rather, experts in persuasive communication say, it’s crucial to focus on curiosity and compassion, and to make it clear that you don’t think the person you’re talking to is the enemy—or look down on them. ...
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What Music Does to Us
Amy Belfi from the Missouri University of Science and Technology joined APS’s Ludmila Nunes to speak about her career as a neuroscientist studying music perception and cognition as well as how poetry and other forms of art can impact the brain and behavior.
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A Broader Definition of Learning Could Help Stimulate Interdisciplinary Research
Humans and other mammals aren’t the only entities capable of adapting to their environment—schools of fish, robots, and even our genes can learn new behaviors.
