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Socially Responsible Gifts Are Great—Primarily for the Givers
The Wall Street Journal: Those shopping for socially responsible gifts this holiday season, be forewarned: A recent study suggests they have the potential to disappoint. The reason, succinctly put: A fair-trade fruitcake is still just a fruitcake. In fact, socially responsible gifts are appreciated much more by the givers than the receivers, concluded the authors of a study recently published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. ...
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Las redes sociales en la tercera edad: sopesando los efectos positivos y negativos para la salud y el bienestar
Karen S. Rook[1] Universidad de California, Irvine Originalmente publicado en: Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 24 (1), 45-51, 2015. Traducción de: Alejandro Franco Correo: [email protected] Resumen Las redes sociales brindan un conjunto de experiencias positivas y negativas. Los miembros de la red pueden brindar ayuda en tiempos de necesidad así como compañía en el día a día, pero también se pueden comportar de maneras desconsideradas, hirientes o intrusivas. Los investigadores deben abordar estos temas con miras a desarrollar un entendimiento comprensivo sobre cómo los vínculos en las redes sociales afectan la salud y el bienestar.
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‘Run, Hide, Fight’ Is Not How Our Brains Work
The New York Times: IN this age of terror, we struggle to figure out how to protect ourselves — especially, of late, from active shooters. One suggestion, promoted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security, and now widely disseminated, is “run, hide, fight.” The idea is: Run if you can; hide if you can’t run; and fight if all else fails. This three-step program appeals to common sense, but whether it makes scientific sense is another question. Underlying the idea of “run, hide, fight” is the presumption that volitional choices are readily available in situations of danger.
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Beware ‘Star Wars’ Spoilers: Enjoyment Suffers When Plot Revealed
Live Science: The much-anticipated film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in U.S. theaters Friday (Dec. 18), and if you're not already waiting in line to see the very first screenings, you might be worried about spoilers ruining the experience. And now you've got science to support your fears. A recent study found that spoilers — or giving away key plot details — may not ruin an experience entirely, but can reduce suspense and decrease overall enjoyment. ... Johnson explained that, even when a story is "spoiled," there's plenty of evidence to suggest that an emotional payoff is still possible.
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Learning Soft Skills In Childhood Can Prevent Harder Problems Later
NPR: Academic learning is usually in the spotlight at school, but teaching elementary-age students "soft" skills like self-control and social skills might help in keeping at-risk kids out of criminal trouble in the future, a study finds. Duke University researchers looked at a program called Fast Track, which was started in the early 1990s for children who were identified by their teachers and parents to be at high risk for developing aggressive behavioral problems. The students were randomized into two groups; half took part in the intervention, which included a teacher-led curriculum, parent training groups, academic tutoring and lessons in self-control and social skills.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Opportunity Cost Neglect Attenuates the Effect of Choices on Preferences Adam Eric Greenberg and Stephen A. Spiller When someone makes a decision, the cost of not choosing the second-best alternative is called the opportunity cost. In some cases, such as in "whether-or-not" decisions (e.g., to go to a movie or not), opportunity costs may not be apparent, whereas in others, such as "which-one" decisions (e.g., whether to go to a movie or go to a play), they are made explicit.