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Lean Into Negative Emotions. It’s the Healthy Thing to Do.
We’re nervous about an upcoming work presentation, then lament our lack of confidence. We get angry at our partner, then feel guilty about our impatience. Our emotions undoubtedly influence our well-being — but recent research suggests that how we judge and react to those emotions may affect us even more. In a study published last month in the journal Emotion, researchers found that people who habitually judge negative feelings — such as sadness, fear and anger — as bad or inappropriate have more anxiety and depression symptoms and feel less satisfied with their lives than people who generally perceive their negative emotions in a positive or neutral light.
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Extreme Views Are More Attractive Than Moderate Ones
Do you ever feel like everyone on social media has a more extreme viewpoint than your own? We often blame social media companies for the cacophony of politically extreme opinions around us. After all, these companies are generally motivated to promote the most emotionally potent and attention-grabbing content and perspectives. But my colleagues and I have conducted research that suggests these platforms’ users share some of the responsibility. In several studies, we found that people prefer connecting with others who are, on average, more politically extreme than themselves. ...
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What Your Favorite Personality Test Says About You
In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates is said to have theorized that the ratio of four bodily fluids—blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm—dictated a person’s distinct temperament. The psychologist Carl Jung, in his 1921 book, Psychological Types, proposed two major attitudinal types (introversion and extroversion) and four cognitive functions (thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition) that combine to yield eight different psychological profiles. And in 2022, a BuzzFeed contributor suggested that everyone is either an apple or a banana.
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‘There’s a Temptation to Lump Octogenarians Together’: What You Should Know About Work and Aging-Brain Health
In the upper echelons of politics, there’s no shortage of men and women working well past the conventional retirement age. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who turns 90 next month, has said she won’t seek reelection in 2024, but she continues to serve as the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, despite a recent extended medical absence and questions about her mental acuity. In the 2024 presidential election, voters are likely to face a standoff between President Biden, who will be 82 next November, and former President Trump, who will be 78.
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Brain-to-Brain Synchrony Between Students and Teachers Predicts Learning
Monitoring of students’ brain activity shows that “getting on the same wavelength” within groups of students and between students and their teacher is predictive of learning outcomes.
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Psychology’s Role in the Criminalization of Blackness
Podcast: Evan Auguste and Steven Kasparek examine how psychology has contributed to anti-Blackness within psychological research, criminal justice, and mental health, and what scientists and practitioners can do to interrupt the criminalization of Blackness and redefine psychology’s relationship with justice.