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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Failing to Forget: Inhibitory-Control Deficits Compromise Memory Suppression in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ana Catarino, Charlotte S. Küpper, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Tim Dalgleish, and Michael C. Anderson People with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience intrusive memories and flashbacks; however, research has suggested that, to different degrees, people are able to voluntarily suppress these types of unwanted memories. People with and without PTSD who had experienced a past trauma completed a think/no-think task in which they studied cue images paired with traumatic scenes.
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Paracetamol may dull emotions as well as physical pain, new study shows
The Guardian: Researchers in the US may have uncovered an new side-effect of paracetamol with a study that suggests the drug dampens down people’s emotional reactions. The over-the-counter pills are among the most popular painkillers on the market, but if the findings are confirmed, it would mean the drug also reduces the sense of pleasure as well as pain. Scientists have shown before that paracetamol (or acetaminophen) can do more than relieve physical pain. In one study, people who took the drugs felt less emotional pain too, suggesting that similar brain circuits operate for both.
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Mellow Pastimes Can Be Good For Your Health, Too
NPR: This makes total sense: When you're engaged in an activity you truly enjoy, you're happy. And, when you're happy you're not dwelling on all the negative things in life, nor are you stressed about obligations or problems. Certainly this is a good thing from an emotional point of view, but it also has physical benefits. We know exercise reduces stress, but it turns out that more simple stationary things, like doing puzzles, painting or sewing can help, too. To find that out, Matthew Zawadzki, an assistant professor of psychology with the University of California, Merced, looked at how the body reacts to leisure activities, defined as anything a person does in his or her free time.
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Would You Want to Smell BBQ All the Time?
The New York Times: CITY COUNCIL meetings in Austin, Tex., tend to be droning, low-drama affairs, but that wasn’t the case earlier this month when barbecue was on the agenda: specifically, the smell of barbecue and a proposal to control it, in response to some citizen complaints. The suggestion that a smell some would dab behind their ears if possible should be mitigated by special exhaust systems called smoke-scrubbers provoked local outrage, with opponents accusing the complainers of being from California (in Texas, that’s not a compliment). But that’s the thing about smells.
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Strange continuity
Aeon: Suppose you were sitting at home, relaxing on a sofa with your dog, when suddenly your visual image of the dog gave way to that of a steaming bowl of noodles. You might find that odd, no? Now suppose that not just the dog changed, but the sofa too. Suppose everything in your visual field changed instantaneously in front of your eyes. Imagine further that you were in a crowd and exactly the same thing was happening to everyone around you, at exactly the same time. Wouldn’t that be disturbing? Kafkaesque? In 1895 in Paris, exactly this started happening – first to a few dozen people, then to hundreds and then thousands.
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The problem with Earth Day? Human psychology
The Washington Post: This Earth Day, as always, you are going to hear a great deal about the importance of protecting the planet — and about how you can do your part. You might, for instance, adopt one of a number of what some have called “Earth Day resolutions,” such as pledging to walk to work more, or finally program your thermostat — or eat less meat. But there’s a problem. There are reasons to think that Earth Day, as influential as it is in the short term, might not be enough to instill lasting, long-term green behaviors in most people. The problem isn’t the day itself, it’s humans — how they lapse back to old habits and often fail to keep even the most earnest of resolutions. ...
