behavioral psychology

Buy an unhealthy snack and these vending machines take away 25 seconds of your life you'll never get back. Healthy fare drops instantly. Research suggests this "time tax" helps us make better choices.

Do you look like a Joy? Genes and culture may make it more likely that names and faces align. But researchers say people also may adjust their expressions to match social expectations of their name.

A January poll finds that people's stress levels have spiked since August, with two-thirds of people saying they're worried about the future of the nation.

Girls are less likely to identify their own gender as brilliant than boys are, even at age 5. One question is whether it's the girls who need to change their thinking about innate intelligence.

It's hard to ask someone if they're depressed or suicidal. Colleges are using an online game to help students learn how to have those conversations. The goal: more support and empathy.

Gratitude is linked to better physical and mental health. But some people are wired in a way that they place less value on it. And quickie exercises to boost gratefulness may not pay off.

Cass Frankenstein started wearing sunglasses to protect himself from bullies. Decades later, he still wears them. Some friends and relatives say that holds people at bay. But he says it's worth it.

NPR's Alix Spiegel, co-host of the podcast and program Invisibilia, tells the story of a robbery that was halted when a woman decided to respond to the threat in an unexpected way — with kindness.