Psychology

Stereotype Threat Reversal: When Female Chess Players Compete Against Men, They Excel

Stereotype threat is a sociological invention which seeks to rationalized why some people don't perform as well as others. In biology, for example, if a group of women didn't fare well on tests sociologists argue that if there were not enough wom ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 30 2018 - 4:58pm

McMindfulness: Buddhism Sold To You By Neoliberals

Mindfulness is big business, worth in excess of US$1.0 billion in the US alone and linked – somewhat paradoxically – to an expanding range of must have products. These include downloadable apps (1300 at the last count), books to read or color in, and onli ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 24 2018 - 9:00am

Virtual Reality Improves Empathy In Domestic Abusers

A virtual reality system for men who committed a domestic violence crime allows them to 'get into the victim’s shoes'- not by beating them, that likely caused the cycle of violence, according to sociologists. Instead, the belief is that violent p ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 25 2018 - 10:46am

No, Losing Your Money Does Not Increase Risk Of Death

A recent analysis links sudden loss of wealth in middle or old age with a 50 percent higher risk of dying than those who do not have such loss. The effect can last for two decades, and whether participants are very wealthy or have only modest savings made ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 4 2018 - 6:27pm

People Who Smile Are Regarded As Cooler

Imagine one person walks into a room and they are smiling and saying hello to everyone. Then imagine another person who walks in quietly, looks grim, and heads to a corner. Rapper Kanye West once told the press he doesn't smile for photos because &quo ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 20 2018 - 10:12am

Anthony Bourdain Has Committed Suicide And CDC Says Media Should Be Careful About Reporting It

Suicides have gone up in the United States since 1999, according to the CDC, but then state it is more than a mental health issue. There is no rhyme or reason to the increases, half of states, from cultures as different as Vermont and North Dakota, saw lar ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 8 2018 - 1:26pm

Liberals Are More Empathetic Than Conservatives

Liberals in the United States and Germany felt more empathy than conservatives toward protesters injured during an overcrowded demonstration in the United States and Germany, according to survey results of 1,046 participants who read a fake newspaper artic ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 14 2018 - 3:36pm

Meditation Gurus In Academia Should Stop Claiming Social Rejection Causes Violence And Meditation Prevents It

Meditation advocates from three schools say a lower ability to cope with the pain of being rejected by others leads to violence, but that people greater levels of mindfulness, a psychological fad where practitioners maintain attention on and awareness of ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 17 2018 - 7:45am

The World Is Better Than Ever And Continues To Improve. Why Do People Consistently Believe Otherwise?

Worldwide poverty has dropped dramatically, we are in the Long Peace when it comes to war, the old cycles of famine boom and bust have leveled off, science has made it possible for everyone to live better for longer and spend less on basic necessities. The ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 10 2018 - 2:39pm

Crowdfunding Is Easier If A Woman Is In Charge

Gender bias against women is nothing new, especially when it comes to seeking venture capital financing for business start-ups,  but in modern crowdfunding-  where a "crowd" of amateur investors make small investments in new companies- culture i ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 18 2018 - 4:21pm