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Seeing an American flag can shift voters towards Republicanism
Discover Magazine: As a visitor to the USA, one sometimes gets the feeling that it’s hard to move or look around without seeing a flag. They are seemingly everywhere, an omnipresent reminder of national identity. But the star-spangled banner is more than a symbol; it can also influence minds in unexpected ways. Travis Carter from the University of Chicago has found that when people think about voting decisions, the mere sight of the American flag can subtly shift their political views… towards Republicanism. It’s an effect that holds in both Democrats and Republicans, it affects actual votes, and it lasts for at least 8 months.
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Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia Go To College
Fast Company: As governments and universities around the world take a more active interest in Wikipedia's accuracy and reach, Wales talks about his site's new status. "I'm not sure if we are becoming a default 'official' source of information" he tells us, "but we are certainly the first port of call for hundreds of millions of people already." Wikipedia has evolved from the hobby of amateur enthusiasts to a fully financed priority of academics and government agencies looking to improve what is quickly becoming the world’s first source of information. Just last month, the United States National Archives announced a "Wikipedian In Residence," a full-time liaison to the Wikipedia community.
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Anti-racism campaigns increase bias: Message of tolerance proves more effective
Montreal Gazette: Touting the benefits of tolerance, as opposed to trying to shame people for their prejudices, can be more effective in reducing racism, suggests a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto. Aggressive anti-racism campaigns might actually increase bias toward other groups, while messages emphasizing the personal stake one has in a more open-minded society can be most effective, says the paper, which will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science. In one experiment, non-black subjects were divided into three groups. Two of the groups read brochures designed to prevent prejudice.
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Thirst for career happiness is bumming us out
MSNBC: Finding career happiness seems to be what everyone wants these days. The shelves in bookstores are lined with books on how to find career happiness, and an endless stream of life coaches are trying to help workers attain it. Twitter is rife with advice and corny quotes about finding job joy. But is happiness a wise career goal? There is growing evidence that our thirst to find happiness, especially during tough economic times, is actually bumming us out.
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Want to make friends? Imitate them . . . just don’t talk finances
What is a little money between friends? According to new research, at the very least, it's not going to stimulate bonding. Researchers have longknown mimicry strengthens social bonding between strangers. By subtly imitating a person's posture or gestures, you can create goodwill. But a new study looking at the psychological effects of money on our behaviour suggests this does not apply when money is involved. The Montreal Gazette: Mimic someone and he'll feel a warm glow; but mimic someone while he's being reminded of money and he'll feel threatened.
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Harry Potter And The Well Of Medical Research
Los Angeles Times: Who knew the world of Harry Potter was such a rich source of material for medical researchers? For more than a decade, the phenomenally popular series has provided grist for studies on topics ranging from genetics to social cognition to autism. PubMed, an online database of medical studies, lists 30 studies that invoke the young wizard — "Harry Potter and the Recessive Allele," "Harry Potter and the Structural Biologist's (Key)stone," even "Harry Potter Casts a Spell on Accident-Prone Children." That last study found that children's emergency department visits decreased significantly when new Harry Potter books went on sale.
