Psychology

How Many Personalities Are Inside You?

That irritating co-worker you’re stuck sitting by (again!) sees a decidedly different side of you than your best friend does. That’s because you have many people inside of you (no they’re not imaginary). That’s what veteran science writer, Rita Carter disc ...

Blog Post - Kare Anderson - Nov 18 2008 - 12:12pm

How Our Tech Helps Us Get Along- or Not

Bluntly speaking, we are more likely to cooperate in a group when those who don’t get punished. “Darwin had a blind spot. It wasn’t that he didn’t see the role of cooperation in evolution. He just didn’t see how important it is.” Little has changed until r ...

Blog Post - Kare Anderson - Nov 18 2008 - 12:07pm

Embarrassing Accidents, Oversharing and Real Connection

Those mortifying accidents. Stephen J. Dubner unleashed a pent-up flood of guilt and shame from readers of his New York Times column. Ever written an email, then sent it in haste … to the wrong person? Or cc’d people who shouldn’t have seen your candid mes ...

Blog Post - Kare Anderson - Nov 18 2008 - 12:09pm

When Worry Is Worthless, When Fear Is A Friend

How rational are our fears?   In late 2007 a study discovered the word that evoked the greatest fear.  The study included the words spider, snake death, rape, murder and incest.   “Shark” evoked the strongest reaction. But why?  Sharks rarely come in conta ...

Article - Kare Anderson - Nov 15 2008 - 7:03pm

Brain: Special Memories Are Assets To Be Protected, Not Repeated

Did you go to basic training for the military?  If so, it is a special memory and you remember it vividly but you don't want to repeat it.   On the opposite end of the spectrum, the truly special positive experiences are not something we want to repea ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 17 2008 - 12:30pm

Is Your Starbucks Grande Mocha A Necessity? It Is If You Lack Self-Control

Why do so many people give up on those New Year's resolutions to lose weight or curb luxury spending? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says it has to do with the way our goals intersect with our natures and it uncovers some important di ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 17 2008 - 5:33pm

The Psychology Of Déjà Vu

All of us have experienced being in a new place and feeling certain that we have been there before. This mysterious feeling, commonly known as déjà vu, occurs when we feel that a new situation is familiar, even if there is evidence that the situation could ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 18 2008 - 12:17pm

New Research Helps Solve The Mystery Of Déjà Vu

To some, it's a vague remembrance of a scene from a past life. Others attribute it to viewing something in real life they dreamed the night before. To the leather-clad protagonists of the movie "The Matrix", it happened whenever the machine ...

Article - Chris Rollins - Nov 19 2008 - 11:58am

Stress Hinders Decision-Making In Rats (And Maybe You Too)

A little bit of stress apparently lasts a long time, say neuroscientists from the University of Washington.  They have found that a single exposure to uncontrollable stress impairs decision making in rats for several days, making them unable to reliably se ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 18 2008 - 3:49pm

A Fragment Theory Of Deja Vu

All of us have experienced being in a new place and feeling certain that we have been there before. This mysterious feeling, commonly known as déjà vu, occurs when we feel that a new situation is familiar, even if there is evidence that the situation coul ...

Article - Ashley Cox - Dec 7 2008 - 12:09pm