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The Mistakes We Make When Giving to Charity
The Wall Street Journal: All of us think about giving during the holiday season. But it’s possible that we’re thinking about it wrong. That’s the conclusion of recent research, which suggests that our generosity and good intentions are hamstrung by tricks our minds play on us. Most people by their nature are very generous, but they don’t think clearly about the choices they make when they donate to charity. For example, they may donate less than they otherwise would, because they assume that giving will make them less happy than receiving. The fact is that studies show the opposite: When we’re generous and spend on others, we feel happier and more fulfilled.
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Understanding America’s Moral Divides
The Atlantic: Morality is “like the temple on the hill of human nature,” writes the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. “It is our most sacred attribute.” People cherish this sacred sense of right and wrong, put it on a pedestal and surround it with spears, to defend it against attacks. The nearness and dearness of people’s morals means that conflict becomes particularly entrenched when morality gets involved—neither side wants to yield sacred ground. ... “Everyone viewed themselves as though they were at the top of the scale,” says Ben Tappin, a graduate student in psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, and an author of the study.
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Ho-Ho-Horrible: Why We’re So Bad at Choosing Good Gifts
Scientific American: Many of us recognize that familiar feeling of eagerly tearing open a carefully wrapped gift box only to reveal a terrible woolen sweater, a creepy figurine with vacant eyes or a set of crystal “knife rests” for the dinner table. But what makes for a good gift? The answer is very different, depending on whether you ask the gift giver or receiver. A study published this month in Current Directions in Psychological Science highlights the disconnect between the gifts we actually want and the ones we want to give, and offers some insights that may come in handy this holiday shopping season. Read the whole story: Scientific American
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Can’t Wait to Celebrate: Holiday Cheer Increases Impulsivity
World financial markets tend to spike just before holidays, new research suggests this may be because “holiday euphoria” prompts impulsive behavior.
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Year of Upheaval for Restaurants That Ended Tipping
The New York Times: The owners of Huertas, a cheerful Spanish small-plates restaurant in the East Village, knew they would have to raise prices when they abolished tipping last December. But when the octopus plate rose to $21 from $16, they looked at the plate and realized another adjustment was needed. “We decided to add a tentacle,” an owner, Nate Adler, said. The extra limb costs about a dollar, but the more substantial dish eased the sting of the $5 price increase. “Ultimately it’s not about the numbers on the check, but about whether the balance and the value feels right to people as they leave the restaurant,” Mr. Adler said.
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Bosses Micromanage When They Feel Powerless
New York Magazine: The next time your boss gets too deep into your business, consider this: They may feel powerless, as a new study in Personality and Individual Differences indicates, prompting them to exert control over what you’d rather just take care of yourself. Led by Michael P. Haselhuhn at the University of California, Riverside, the research team ran two experiments. In the first, done with 238 subjects at a large European business school, participants were asked how much they agreed with statements like “In my relationships with others, I can get them to listen to what I say,” which indicates how powerful people feel personally.
