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Sneaky Stars and Stripes
Believe it or not, basking in the glow of the grand old flag may shift our political beliefs. A study in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science found that exposure to the American flag led to a shift toward Republican beliefs, attitudes, and voting behavior, for both Republican and Democratic participants.
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No Such Thing as Clean Politics
Who knew we subconsciously relate cleanliness with conservatism? A study published in Psychological Science found that people who are reminded of physical purity report being more politically conservative and had harsher moral judgments regarding sexual behavior. In the first experiment, volunteers were asked to complete a questionnaire on their political attitudes. To do so, they had to either step over a hand-sanitizer or walk down an empty hallway. Results showed that people who were exposed to reminders of cleanliness reported a less liberal and more conservative political orientation than people in the control group.
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Can We Have too Many Choices?
Whether we’re deciding what to eat for lunch at the cafeteria, which store to go into at a shopping mall, or what Netflix movie to order, we are constantly surrounded by choices. That sounds like a great thing, but a study published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science found that thinking about choice has some negative effects. People show reduced support for the public good and are less sympathetic to others. One experiment found that volunteers who were primed to think about choice were less likely to support policies promoting greater equality and benefits for society than volunteers who did not think about choice.
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Foolish Familiarity
You’re running late to an important meeting; there’s a cab close by from a company you don’t know and a cab farther away from a company you know well, which one do you choose? The first cab is the smarter choice since you’re in a hurry, but research suggests most people would choose the one they’re familiar with. A study published in Psychological Science found that people prefer a familiar option over a non-familiar one, even when they know it’s the worst option. Volunteers played a game called Math Tower that was designed to be boring, unpleasant, and hard.
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Two Scientists Walk Into A Bar
Host of NPR’s Science Friday Ira Flatow says “Insert your joke here. Can jokes with a science twist be funny? And can they ever appeal to a mass audience?” Flatow invites guests to exchange jokes as they discuss the challenges of making science funny, and whether having a sense of humor can help scientists communicate their work to the public. Catch the show every Friday from 2-4 pm, Eastern time. Guests include Brian Malow (Science Comedian and freelance science video correspondent for Time), Tim Lee (Science Comedian), Norm Goldblatt (Physicist and Comedian), and Flora Lichtman (Multimedia Editor of NPR's Science Friday). Check out the radio program information here.
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Scales of Justice: Guilt and Pain
If guilt is tearing you up inside, try inflicting some pain on yourself. It sounds weird, but research suggests it’ll make you feel better. A study published in Psychological Science found that people’s feelings of guilt are reduced after they experience pain. Volunteers were either asked to write about a time they had ostracized someone, to prime their feelings of guilt, or a routine event in their lives. They were then asked to stick their hand in a bucket of water and to keep it there as long as they could; the bucket contained ice water for some and soothing warm water for others. Afterwards, all volunteers rated their experienced pain and feelings of guilt.
