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The Unexpected Rewards of ‘Nearby Nature’
The Huffington Post: I live in one of the liveliest neighborhoods of a large city. I've lived in this city for almost all of my adult life, and I love all the urban sights and noises, right down to the sirens. But I also know the many patches of nature hidden away in my city. On those occasions when I need solitude and quiet and respite from the hectic metropolitan pace, I am minutes from streams and woodland. My rural friends don't think of these urban enclaves as real nature, but I disagree. I feel restored when I get out among the oaks, sassafras and yarrow, and when I hear the warblers singing. And new research backs me up on this.
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Brand-conscious consumers see brand failure as a threat to their self-image
The Economic Times: WASHINGTON: A new study by a University of Illinois marketing expert has indicated that consumers with close ties to a brand respond to negative information about the beloved brand as they do to personal failure - they experience it as a threat to their self-image. Tiffany Barnett White, a professor of business administration, said consumers with a high self-brand connection maintained favourable brand evaluations even when presented with negative brand information, suggesting that the reluctance of brand-conscious consumers to lower their opinion of a brand might be driven more by a motivation to protect the self.
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Lessons From Cloud Nine
The Wall Street Journal: In recent years, economists and psychologists have joined forces to unravel the secrets of human happiness. "The Happiness Equation" is one researcher's attempt to share his field's discoveries with a broad audience. Nick Powdthavee, an economist at the University of York, deftly explains the main determinants of happiness: the small effect of money, the great effect of marriage and friends, the massive effect of personality. Even extremely good news (such as winning the lottery) and extremely bad news (such as losing a spouse) rarely changes an individual's happiness for more than a couple of years. Mr.
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The Myth of Joyful Parenthood
Scientific American: Sure, the soccer uniforms, piano lessons and college tuition add up—but there is nothing like being a parent. Or so we tell ourselves, according to a study in the February issue of Psychological Science. When parents are faced with the financial costs of a child, they justify their investment by playing up parenthood’s emotional payoffs. Psychologists at the University of Waterloo in Ontario gave parents in the study a government report estimating that bringing up a child to age 18 costs more than $190,000. Then half the parents read an additional report about the financial help grown children pro-vide their parents.
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Psychologists Interrupt the Miserable Cycle of Social Insecurity
Tom likes Susan but he fears she does not like him. Expecting to be rejected, he’s cold toward Susan. And guess what? She snubs him back. His prophesy is self-fulfilled, his social insecurity reinforced. The miserable cycle continues. But what if Tom could be helped to set aside his fears and behave as warmly as he feels? Happily, he can, says University of Victoria psychologist Danu Anthony Stinson.
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Nice Guys Can Finish First
Men's Health: Psychologists have discovered that men tend to be more generous with their money when we’re in the presence of attractive women. But flaunting your wealth isn’t the only way to impress the girl of your dreams, or that cute hottie from Sales. Here are four other ways to get her attention and portray yourself as a genuinely considerate guy. First impressions are vital. A recent study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found altruistic traits can be perceived after as little as 20 seconds. But don’t open the conversation with a bullet-point list of your philanthropic history.
