-
We took the world’s most scientific personality test—and discovered unexpectedly sexist results
Personality tests are both incredibly popular and largely bogus. BuzzFeed made its name in part by publishing quizzes telling readers which ‘90s kid they are, which Friends character they are, which Disney princess they are, and…well…which Disney princess they are, really. None of these have any scientific basis. Then there’s the somewhat more reputable Myers-Briggs test, inspired by Jungian theories about personality types. Some 2.5 million people take it every year, and 88% of Fortune 500 companies use it. Despite its reputation, however, the Myers-Briggs has poor scientific validity.
-
Is Loneliness a Health Epidemic?
Last month, Britain appointed its first “minister for loneliness,” who is charged with tackling what Prime Minister Theresa May called the “sad reality of modern life.” Public-health leaders immediately praised the idea — and for good reason. In recent decades, researchers have discovered that loneliness left untreated is not just psychically painful; it also can have serious medical consequences. Rigorous epidemiological studies have linked loneliness and social isolation to heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes and suicide.
-
Cognitive Ability and Vulnerability to Fake News
“Fake news” is Donald Trump’s favorite catchphrase. Since the election, it has appeared in some 180 tweets by the President, decrying everything from accusations of sexual assault against him to the Russian collusion investigation to reports that he watches up to eight hours of television a day. Trump may just use “fake news” as a rhetorical device to discredit stories he doesn’t like, but there is evidence that real fake news is a serious problem. As one alarming example, an analysis by the internet media company Buzzfeed revealed that during the final three months of the 2016 U.S.
-
Anne Treisman, 1935-2018
APS Past Secretary and William James Fellow Anne Treisman, who developed a classic psychological model of human visual attention, has died.
-
Experimenters’ Expectations May Shape Priming Results
How do your expectations about an interaction affect the outcome? In any social situation, the beliefs you’ve developed over time can influence the way you behave towards and react to a conversation partner. Although you
-
New Research From Clinical Psychological Science
A sample of articles exploring neuropsychological assessment, gender differences in stress reactivity and its relationship with depression, and social-support figures and fear extinction.
