Psychology

You Want To Be The Person Your Virtual Avatar Says You Are

There used to be a saying that we should all try to be the person our dogs think we are. In the 21st century we idealize ourselves in online avatars, according to a new paper in Psychological Science,  which has far-reaching implications if how you repres ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 10 2014 - 1:00pm

Is Living Together As Healthy As Being Married?

Has your spouse heard all of your stories by now? Other people haven't and if they are impressed by your wit and personality and openness about personal details, it will add romance points, say social psychologists.  ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 11 2014 - 5:30am

Porn 'Addiction' Is Made Up

If there is a sociological fad, trend or fashion and it catches the attention of the public, you can be sure someone will start doing weak observational studies and get published in journals. Almost anything can be termed an 'addiction' if peopl ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 12 2014 - 5:05pm

No Date This Valentine's Day? Feel Better With An Evolutionary Theory Of Loneliness

Loneliness is not a gnawing, chronic disease without redeeming features, social isolation is just a different scale of organization that can't be grasped outside evolutionary time and evolutionary forces. Well, maybe. If you are alone this Valentine&# ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Feb 14 2014 - 11:12am

A Book That Wins An Award Is Likely To Disappoint You

Looking for a good book? Then stay away from the award-winning section of the bookstore, because high standards means a greater chance for a letdown, according to Amanda Sharkey of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, who finds that a book ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 13 2014 - 2:07pm

Beauty, Not Skin Cancer, Motivates Teens To Wear Sunscreen

Health education videos tell us what really matters to people. Two videos both began by offering information about UV light and sun-protective behaviors but then one describes the increased skin cancer risk of UV exposure and the other describes effects o ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 13 2014 - 2:01pm

Reassurance: Sexy Underwear Is Not The Only Way For Women To Feel Pretty On Valentine's Day

Do television shows and magazines make you feel guilty for not wearing sexy lingerie, ladies? You may just need some marketing empowerment from academics in the humanities. Luckily, at Valentine's Day, the Internet will be filled with insipid advice ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 14 2014 - 11:23am

You Might Look Gay- And That First Impression Sticks, Say Social Psychologists

First impressions are so powerful that they can override what we are told about people, say social psychologists. A new paper presented today at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) annual conference in Austin says that even when told ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 14 2014 - 12:23pm

What Do Women Want? It Depends On Evolution, Their Menstrual Cycle- And Gray Literature

Is your significant other fickle? Blame evolution, say psychologists in a new Psychological Bulletin paper. The authors analyzed dozens of published and unpublished studies to try and determine how women's preferences for mates change throughout the ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 15 2014 - 5:30am

Risk Aversion In Gun-Shy Traders May Lead To Market Crises

Does cortisol, the stress hormone, cause risk aversion and 'irrational pessimism' in bankers and fund managers during financial crises? The authors of a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences correlate the fact that traders exh ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 18 2014 - 5:30am