psychology

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Searching Online May Make You Think You're Smarter Than You Are

5:13pm April 03, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Googling that fact can make insufferable know-it-alls even more sure of their superior abilities, a study finds. The mere act of searching seems to boost faith in one's knowledge.

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Men And Women Use Different Scales To Weigh Moral Dilemmas

3:48pm April 03, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Would you kill a young Hitler to prevent World War II? Men are more likely to say yes, a study finds, while women weigh the moral cost of murder along with lives saved.

Do Parents Nurture Narcissists By Pouring On The Praise?

9:16am March 10, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Telling your kids that they're superfabulous encourages narcissistic thinking, researchers say. And that doesn't bode well for their future happiness. Better to recognize effort and say, "I love you."

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Three types of adversity that make for a tough childhood.

Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn't Mean

4:23pm March 03, 2015

by Laura Starecheski

First developed in the 1990s, the 10 questions of the Adverse Childhood Experiences test are designed to take a rough measure of a difficult childhood. Finding out your score is easy. Now what?

Can A Computer Change The Essence Of Who You Are?

12:46pm February 16, 2015

by Lulu Miller

The latest episode of NPR's Invisibilia takes us online. Some people think interacting with these machines is changing us all — for better and worse.

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You want that soda bottle. But it may not be because you crave soda. It might just be that you love the idea of wrapping your fingers around its enticing shape.

Your Brain May Want That Bottle Of Soda Because It's Easy To Pick Up

12:41pm February 13, 2015

by Marc Silver

Coca-Cola has launched a small, easy-to-hold bottle in Kenya. And the size and shape could make people crave it. That's the belief of psychologist Sian Beilock, author of How the Body Knows Its Mind.

Residents of ShantiNiketan, a retirement community near Orlando, Fla., walk in a Hindu religious procession.

Being With People Like You Offers Comfort Against Death's Chill

1:52pm February 09, 2015

by Lulu Miller

Iggy Ignatius bet that immigrants from India would long to live with other Indians in his Florida condos. He was right. Psychologists say intimations of mortality make us want to be with our own kind.

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Does Binge-Watching Make Us Depressed? Good Question

9:26am February 05, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Recent headlines make it sound as if watching just a few episodes at night can make us depressed and lonely. OK, more than a few. But the science on binge-watching is just getting started.

Want To Perk Up Your Love Life? Put Away That Smartphone

1:06am February 05, 2015

by Alison Bruzek

Sure, you just wanted to take a peek at Facebook. But that can chill a relationship, especially if you and your love aren't on the same page about when it's OK to use technology.

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Think of human relationships as entanglements. How do they bind you; how do they reveal who you really are?

By Impersonating Her Mom, A Comedian Grows Closer To Her

9:24am February 02, 2015

by Alix Spiegel

Human relationships are entanglements, and those connections often aren't clear to us at all. When Maria Bamford impersonated her mom, she realized what she loved about her — and about herself.

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