In Romance, Opposites Attract
Grab your popcorn, Coke, and
Raisinets, because the curtain is about to rise at your local movie house:
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From 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior by Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio, and Barry L. Beyerstein. Copyright © 2010 by Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio, and Barry L. Beyerstein. This material is reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Newsweek: Why do psychologists reject science? (from Psychological Science in the Public Interest)
By Sharon Begley
Newsweek columnist Sharon Begley discusses a new PSPI report on the current state of clinical psychology and what psychologists can do to steer their field (and their patients) in the right direction.
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Ape and Human Cognition: What's the Difference? (from Current Directions in Psychological Science)
By Michael Tomasello and Esther Herrmann
Great apes share a number of cognitive abilities, and some social skills, with humans. But what makes human cognition stand out from that of other primates is our ability to function in cultural groups. Humans not only have skills that allow individuals to survive, but they also possess skills and motivations for sharing ideas with others.
Money and Happiness: Rank of Income, Not Income, Affects Life Satisfaction (from Psychological Science)
By Christopher J. Boyce, Gordon D.A. Brown, and Simon C. Moore
Does money buy happiness? An individual's happiness may be based on how they rank compared to others within an income distribution (e.g., whether they are the second most highly paid person or the eighth), rather than their absolute income or how their income compares with the norm of a comparison group. These findings suggest that unless an individual's perceived rank changes, increasing their income may not necessarily lead to greater life satisfaction.
Directed Attention as a Common Resource for Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation (from Perspectives on Psychological Science)
By Stephen Kaplan and Marc G. Berman
Both executive functioning (e.g., planning, thinking) and self-regulation (the ability to control one's behaviors and resist temptation) may rely on directed attention. However, attention can be easily depleted. Methods for restoring attention--and, thus, mental capacity--are reviewed, including the restorative benefits of being out in nature.
Well-Being Is Related to Having Less Small Talk and More Substantive Conversations (from Psychological Science)
By Matthias R. Mehl, Simine Vazire, Shannon E. Holleran, and C. Shelby Clark
Is a happy life filled with trivial chatter or reflective and profound conversations? Participants completed personality and well-being assessments and wore a digital audio recorder over four days. Compared with the unhappiest participants, the happiest participants spent 70% more time talking, had one-third as much small talk, and twice as many substantive conversations. These findings suggest that the happy life is social rather than solitary and conversationally deep rather than superficial.
