Upward Spirals

Upward Spirals – New Study

University of London study analyzes the upward spirals generated by positive experience, mood, and decision making, compared with the contrary downward ones It’s long been known that mood biases our judgments and perceptions, but this effect has usually been regarded as irrational or disadvantageous. A new theory published Tuesday in Trends in Cognitive Sciences argues that mood draws on […]


selfies

Selfies Are Linked To Narcissism In Men, But Not In Women, New Research Finds

According to new research, selfies are linked to narcissism in men, but not in women. The research, undertaken by Polish psychologist, went further, providing an understanding about which aspects of narcissism were associated with selfie-taking for each gender. Research, though still scant, is emerging about who posts selfies and why. According to the new Polish study, which […]


fragrance

Fragrances are a woman’s secret, even from her friends

A recent study by Dutch design aesthetics researchers has discovered that women closely guard their fragrance identity to the point that they will keep it secret from the entire world if they can — so secret that even their friends cannot copy their personal scent, and they certainly won’t buy perfumes they like for their […]


Hitler and Eva Braun

Females understand consequences of actions same as males, but make decisions differently

Women more likely to avoid harming even a single person, even if it results in thousands of deaths, research finds Although females rationally evaluate the outcomes of actions the same as males, females make different decisions about their actions, according to recent research. Females are more strongly influenced by emotional aversion to causing immediate harm […]


Dark side of cognitive illusions explored in bias research

Dark side of cognitive illusions explored in bias research

A cognitive bias, the “illusion of causality,” has been explored by a joint team of scientists who found that the bias isn’t limited to false beliefs about whatever was originally learned; later on, the bias can prevent new information from being learned — even when the original information is false and the newer information is […]


Health messages decoded differently by experts and the general public, study finds

Health messages decoded differently by experts and the general public, study finds

A recent study has found that health messages–the kind that are posted on billboards to advise the public or decorate the walls of doctors’ offices–have different effects on two different classes of people. The research found that while experts respond better to negative, loss-framed messages that make sense within the context their strong knowledge of […]


Prejudice can be reduced through egal

Prejudice can be reduced through egalitarianism and collectivism, study finds

Predispositions to prejudice can be manipulated, according to new research. By making social minorities appear to hold egalitarian beliefs, researchers demonstrated that those minority individuals would bear less prejudice–both implicit and explicit–from American and Chinese nationals. By manipulating the would-be judges so that they made their appraisals of minority individuals while in a collectivist mind-set, […]


Intellectual humility distict from general humility, study finds

Intellectual humility distinct from general humility, study finds

As part of a larger body of work to explore “the Science of Intellectual Humility,” a joint-research team has investigated the differences between two types of humility. The two types are each characterized by a cluster of traits: general humility by social traits, and intellectual humility by a composite of traits that add up to […]


Elite decisions less rational and self interested, offer more (2)

Elite bargainers refuse low offers more than regular bargainers and make more generous offers – study

In a first-of-its-kind study undertaken by University of California researchers, elite bargainers–those responsible for making today’s most important policy and business decisions–were examined to find out if they, like other people, reject low offers even when those offers involve benefits. The research is expected to offer increased understanding of some of the problems faced in global […]


Personality at least as important as intelligence when it comes to doing well in school, research suggests

Personality at least as important as intelligence when it comes to doing well in school, research suggests

According to new psychology research, personality is at least as important as intelligence when it comes to school. Some personality traits are more important than others, according to the findings, and the study has led researcher Dr. Arthur Poropat of Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology to suggest that educators may do better to target the fluid, teachable capacities […]


Women over three times as empathetic to their partners as men

Women over three times as empathetic to their partners as men

Women feel what is happening to their partners over three times as much as men do. According to new research, the difference between the empathy felt by women and men was the biggest of many factors analyzed. “In our work, we were trying to measure how partners affect each other’s mental health through life events,” […]


Thinking of God leads to increased risk taking - study

Thinking of God leads to increased risk taking – study

Leaps of faith? Gambling on Sundays may be more risky than churchgoers are aware, because, according to research by Radboud University, Netherlands scientists, activation of the concept of God in the minds of individuals increases their propensity to take risks. “Risk taking is influenced by subtle environmental factors. It might not be a good idea […]