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How to Get the Wealthy to Donate
The New York Times: Wealthy people are selfish jerks. So are their children. That is the implication, at least, of a batch of recent psychological studies. In a 2015 study, for example, preschoolers were told that they had earned enough tokens for “a really great prize.” They could keep the tokens for themselves or share the tokens with children at a local hospital who were too sick to come to the lab. Children from wealthier families kept more tokens for themselves. Likewise, in 2010, researchers found that college students’ willingness to give to charity was tied to their wealth: Students from well-off families thought people should donate a smaller percentage of their annual income.
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MEAN DRUNK? ALCOHOL PERSONALITY STUDY SAYS MAYBE NOT
Newsweek: You may think you’re a mean drunk. Or a funny drunk. Or even a mellow drunk. But do other people see you that way? A new study by psychologists at the University of Missouri found that many of the mood changes we experience as a result of alcohol are not always so apparent to others—despite what we may think. Rachel Winograd, clinical psychologist at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, and colleagues wanted to understand the discrepancy between how we see ourselves and how others see us as the mood-altering effects of alcohol set in. So they conducted a study to see just how obvious alcohol-induced personality changes were to outside observers. ...
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How parents can help introverts thrive (without trying to turn them into extroverts)
The Washington Post: In sixth grade, Marsha Pinto’s teacher wanted her to talk more loudly and more often, repeatedly telling Pinto that she would never succeed if she didn’t participate in class discussions and group work. The teacher may have had good intentions, but she called on Pinto daily, and when Pinto was bullied, the teacher suggested it was because she didn’t stand up for herself. “She even said if I didn’t participate, I would fail,” says Pinto, a recent college graduate who now lives in New York City. Pinto was quiet, often slumped in her seat and kept her head down. She easily got lost in books and tended to spend recess alone, generally by choice.
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6 ways to survive bullying and feel good about yourself
Mashable: People once routinely brushed off bullying as a normal part of childhood that built character. Now we know with certainty that it actually tears people down in devastating ways. The longterm risks of bullying, however, don't have to shape the rest of your life. While the research on protecting yourself from those effects is still limited, there are some important steps you can take to boost your resiliency and improve your coping skills. Studies have shown a connection between being bullied and doing worse in school, abusing alcohol, and experiencing mental health problems.
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Yawning May Promote Social Bonding Even Between Dogs And Humans
NPR: Bears do it; bats do it. So do guinea pigs, dogs and humans. They all yawn. It's a common animal behavior, but one that is something of a mystery. There's still no consensus on the purpose of a yawn, says Robert Provine, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Provine has studied what he calls "yawn science" since the early 1980s, and he's published dozens of research articles on it. He says the simple yawn is not so simple. "Yawning may have the dubious distinction of being the least understood common human behavior," Provine says. Read the whole story: NPR
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No Such Thing as a Math Person
The New York Times: When I wrote about fending off math anxiety last month I learned both from the experts I interviewed and from people to whom I happened to mention the topic that math anxiety is found across all lines of gender, ethnicity and educational background. There are plenty of men and women out there, including the highly educated and the professionally aggressive (professors and corporate lawyers, say), who proudly — or shamefacedly — wave the math anxiety flag. Oh yes, that’s me, I don’t have a math brain — though the whole idea of a math brain is frowned on by those who study this topic.
