11/18/08 The Smart Way To Study

Combine the aphorisms that “practice makes perfect” and “timing is everything” into one and you might get something resembling findings published in this month’s issue of Psychological Science. Read More

11/18/08- Bound By Attention: Bringing Rats and Humans Together

When picking through a basket of fruit, it doesn’t seem very difficult to recognize a green pear from a green apple. This is easy, thanks to “feature binding” —a process by which our brain combines all of the specific features of an object and gives us a complete and unified picture of it. Read More

11/18/08- The Psychology of Déjà vu

All of us have experienced being in a new place and feeling certain that we have been there before. This mysterious feeling, commonly known as déjà vu, occurs when we feel that a new situation is familiar, even if there is evidence that the situation could not have occurred previously. Read More

11/12/08- How Our Senses Combine to Give Us a Better View of the World

From a young age we are taught about the five senses and how they help us to explore our world. Although each sense seems to be its own entity, recent studies have indicated that there is actually a lot of overlap and blending of the senses occurring in the brain to help us better perceive our environment. Read More

11/12/08- The Comparative Mind-set: From Animal Comparisons to Increased Purchase Intentions

Previous research has shown that expressing preference for two commercial products makes us more willing to purchase not only one of these products but also different products that we consider later on. The increased purchase intentions are due to a mind-set that is activated in the process of comparing those products.  Read More

11/12/08- Decisions, Decisions: Feedback Influences Decision Making

Numerous studies have shown that people will choose differently, depending on whether they are choosing based on experience or description. But, what is it that causes people to choose differently in the two situations? Read More

11/12/08- Those Were the Days: Counteracting Loneliness with Nostalgia

With the days getting shorter (and colder) and the Holidays quickly approaching, many of us start thinking back to days gone by. This sentimentality and desire for the past is known as nostalgia. A new study indicates that nostalgia may serve a greater purpose than just taking us back to the good old days. Read More