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Engagement In Cognitively Challenging Tasks Led To An Increase In Openness To New Experiences For Older Adults
A program designed to boost cognition in older adults also increased their openness to new experiences, researchers report, demonstrating for the first time that a non-drug intervention in older adults can change a personality trait once thought to be fixed throughout the lifespan. Personality psychologists describe openness as one of five major personality traits...
Behavioral Priming Paradigm Needs Update
Behavioral priming, in which behavior is changed by introducing subconscious influences, is a well-established phenomenon, but a new study shows that the cause may be different than what was previously assumed, and that the experimenter's expectations are also crucial for the priming effect to be seen. The results are reported in the online journal PLoS ...
Are religious people better adjusted psychologically?
Psychological research has found that religious people feel great about themselves, with a tendency toward higher social self-esteem and better psychological adjustment than non-believers. But a new study finds that this is only true in countries that put a high value on religion.
When it comes to accepting evolution, gut feelings trump facts
For students to accept the theory of evolution, an intuitive "gut feeling" may be just as important as understanding the facts, according to a new study. In an analysis of the beliefs of biology teachers, researchers found that a quick intuitive notion of how right an idea feels was a powerful driver of whether or ...
Benefits of high quality child care persist 30 years later
Adults who participated in a high quality early childhood education program in the 1970s are still benefiting from their early experiences in a variety of ways, according to a new study.
Gossip Is Good For You!
Fed up with listening to your spouse or co-workers gossiping away? Leave be, says a new research from University of California Berkeley. Gossip helps to prevent bad behavior, prevent exploitation and reduces stress levels...
When Anticipating Rewards, Adolescents’ And Adults’ Brains Respond Differently
Teenagers are more susceptible to developing disorders like addiction and depression, according to a paper published by Pitt researchers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was led by Bita Moghaddam, coauthor of the paper and a professor of neuroscience in Pitt's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences...
The Social And Psychological Benefits Of Gossip
For centuries, gossip has been dismissed as salacious, idle chatter that can damage reputations and erode trust. But a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests rumor-mongering can have positive outcomes such as helping us police bad behavior, prevent exploitation and lower stress...
If Doughnuts Could Talk They’d Tell You To Take The Elevator Instead Of The Stairs
Humanizing a brand can influence consumer behavior in a healthy or unhealthy direction - depending on how they envision the brand, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "This research suggests that people's behavior will be influenced by the brands they have been asked to think about," write authors Pankaj Aggarwal ...
Unpleasant Emotional Memories Preserved And Enhanced By Sleep
A recent study by sleep researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to suggest that a person's emotional response after witnessing an unsettling picture or traumatic event is greatly reduced if the person stays awake afterward, and that sleep strongly "protects" the negative emotional response...