-
Why are we so bad at predicting what will make us happy? (Pt.2)
Business Insider: I previously posted about why we’re awful at predicting what will make us happy: we’re lousy at remembering our predictions so we don’t learn how to correct our errors. There are some others
-
The Myth of Joyful Parenthood
Scientific American: Sure, the soccer uniforms, piano lessons and college tuition add up—but there is nothing like being a parent. Or so we tell ourselves, according to a study in the February issue of Psychological
-
A Cultural Lens on Facial Behavior in Emotions
Many contemporary psychology textbooks (Gleitman, 1995; Myers, 1998) describe facial expressions of emotions as universal, citing famous studies by both Ekman and Izard and their colleagues (Ekman, 1973, 1994; Ekman et al., 1987; Izard, 1980
-
Modeling Cognition
Philip Johnson-Laird, studies how people infer and deduce the possibility and probability of something happening. He has developed computer programs which quantify the validity of certain deductions, paving the way toward greater understanding of deductive
-
How Relationships Shape Emotions
Humans are very emotional creatures. James Coan studies how our emotions are shaped by our social relationships. In particular, he is interested in how we use various emotional behaviors–such as facial expressions and verbal communication–to
-
Oxytocin: Not Just the “Cuddle Chemical”
SELF Magazine: Feeling all warm and fuzzy? Chalk it up to oxytocin, the touchy-feely hormone that enables mothers to bond with their babies (thus the nickname the “cuddle chemical”). Oxytocin fluctuates throughout our lives–during and
