psychology

In Court, Your Face Could Determine Your Fate

10:16am July 20, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

How much can someone's face affect the sentence he receives in court? A lot, according to a study that asked people to rate the trustworthiness of convicted murderers based on their mugshots.

Why We Play Sports: Winning Motivates, But Can Backfire, Too

5:08pm July 17, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

How we view winning and losing may help shape whether we play sports as adults, some psychologists say. In NPR's recent poll, 56 percent of adults who play sports say winning is important to them.

Queue Listen Now

By age 3, kids already have a burgeoning sense of empathy, ownership and justice.

That's Not Fair! Crime And Punishment In A Preschooler's Mind

10:59am June 24, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

Children as young as 3 years old will step in to right the wrong if they see someone being mistreated, a study finds. But they aren't as keen as 5-year-olds to dole out punishment.

Joy (left, voiced by Amy Poehler) and Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith) catch a ride on the Train of Thought in Pixar's Inside Out. The movie opens in theaters nationwide June 19.

Science Of Sadness And Joy: 'Inside Out' Gets Childhood Emotions Right

2:26pm June 15, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Pixar's animated fantasy takes viewers inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley. Psychologists say the film offers an accurate picture of how emotions and memories help make us who we are.

Queue Listen Now

Matthew Dellavedova (right) of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals last month.

Sports

Cavs' Matthew Dellavedova — A Standout In The Classroom And On The Court

11:56am June 08, 2015

by Tom Goldman

The NBA Finals spotlight is about to shine on an unlikely starting player. The undrafted 24-year-old went to a small liberal arts college where, his adviser says, he was the academic "real deal."

Workers try to remove some of the 11 million gallons of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez off Alaska in 1989. The ship's third mate may have been up for 18 hours before the accident.

Short On Sleep? You Could Be A Disaster Waiting To Happen

10:25am May 13, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

Megadisasters like Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill were set off by people who were sleep-deprived. Researchers say they're able to pinpoint how lack of sleep derails decision-making.

Tylenol Might Dull Emotional Pain, Too

12:17am April 27, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

People who took acetaminophen responded less strongly to happy or sad photos in a small study. It's one of several studies suggesting that there's an overlap with pain and other feelings.

Queue Listen Now

To Weather Criticism, It Helps To Think Of The Big Picture

10:36am April 24, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

Negative feedback is supposed to be good for us, but it sure doesn't feel so good. Shifting the context by thinking more broadly helps blunt the sting, a study found. So does embracing change.

Men Strive To Give More To Charity When The Fundraiser Is Cute

5:28pm April 17, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

If you're wondering how to get more people to contribute to your online charity drive, consider a photo of you smiling. Even better if you're an attractive woman. Biology is to blame, researchers say.

A direct, friendly gaze seems to help cement the bond of affection between people and their pooches.

Scientists Probe Puppy Love

5:28pm April 17, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

Research shows the mutual gazing between pooches and people spurs release of a "trust hormone" in both. The results suggest dogs really may love us back.

Queue Listen Now