The N-Effect: More Competitors, Less Competition (from Psychological Science)

By Stephen M. Garcia and Avishalom Tor
Life is often compared to a rat race, but it turns out that our motivation to succeed depends on the number of rats competing with us — the greater the competition, the less likely we are to try our best to come out on top. It may be helpful to bear in mind this phenomenon, known as the "N-effect," when considering academic classroom size and workplace environments.

When Eyewitnesses Talk (from Current Directions)

By Daniel B. Wright, Amina Memon, Elin M. Skagerberg, and Fiona Gabbert
Eyewitness testimony is highly influential in court, but evidence has been accumulating that eyewitness accounts are easily tainted: Sometimes just discussing the event with another person is enough to create false memories. This Current Directions article describes how witnesses’ memories can be distorted, especially when there is social pressure to agree with others.

The National Cancer Institute: A Hub for Psychological and Behavioral Sciences (from the Observer)

The National Cancer Institute is at the forefront of advancing basic and applied behavioral research that will help reduce the burden of disease.

Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health (from Perspectives)

By Bert N. Uchino
The more social support you receive, the healthier you are — but why? A new report suggests that when people get a lot of perceived support from positive early family environments, they develop positive traits like good social skills and high self-esteem; these qualities may contribute to good health through better coping behaviors, lower stress, and healthier behavioral choices like exercising more and quitting smoking.

Averting the Tragedy of the Commons (from Current Directions)

By Mark Van Vugt
Saving the environment has become an important social and political issue. But a big obstacle is that our personal interests do not always match up with what is best for our community. A new Current Directions report identifies key strategies for designing interventions to protect the environment that overcome the conflict between self-interest and the common good.