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Learning Soft Skills In Childhood Can Prevent Harder Problems Later
NPR: Academic learning is usually in the spotlight at school, but teaching elementary-age students "soft" skills like self-control and social skills might help in keeping at-risk kids out of criminal trouble in the future, a study finds. Duke University researchers looked at a program called Fast Track, which was started in the early 1990s for children who were identified by their teachers and parents to be at high risk for developing aggressive behavioral problems. The students were randomized into two groups; half took part in the intervention, which included a teacher-led curriculum, parent training groups, academic tutoring and lessons in self-control and social skills.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Opportunity Cost Neglect Attenuates the Effect of Choices on Preferences Adam Eric Greenberg and Stephen A. Spiller When someone makes a decision, the cost of not choosing the second-best alternative is called the opportunity cost. In some cases, such as in "whether-or-not" decisions (e.g., to go to a movie or not), opportunity costs may not be apparent, whereas in others, such as "which-one" decisions (e.g., whether to go to a movie or go to a play), they are made explicit.
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Power and Punishment: The Rules of Leadership Are Not Universal
When employees are late for work, breaking safety procedures, or ignoring deadlines, it’s part of the boss’s job to dole out the appropriate punishment. Nobody wants to be disciplined at work, but punishment for breaking rules ensures that the workplace is kept safe and productive. In fact, the US Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission states that an employer must make “a diligent effort to discourage, by discipline if necessary, violations of safety rules by employees.” But when and why managers dole discipline to employees may depend on where they are in the world.
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The Neuroscience Of Musical Perception, Bass Guitars And Drake
NPR: In June of 2001 musician Peter Gabriel flew to Atlanta to make music with two apes. The jam went surprisingly well. At each session Gabriel, a known dabbler in experimental music and a founding member of the band Genesis, would riff with a small group of musicians. The bonobos — one named Panbanisha, the other Kanzi — were trained to play in response on keyboards and showed a surprising, if rudimentary, awareness of melody and rhythm. ... A self-described "hardcore nativist," Poeppel says that much of musical ability and appreciation probably comes genetically hard-wired, but, as his study also showed, the number of years of musical training someone has correlates with entrainment.
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365 days: Nature’s 10
Nature: When Brian Nosek was a graduate student in experimental psychology, he started working on the implicit-association test, which reveals people’s unconscious prejudices with the push of a button. Tap right every time a male name appears on a screen, for example, and left for a female name. That’s easy — but add some stereotypically male or female roles into the mix and things get interesting. Even the most liberal minds will sometimes stall when asked to press the same button for the word ‘executive’ and for the name ‘Susan’. The tests are challenging, informative and kind of fun. So in 1998 Nosek convinced his mentors, who had developed the test, to put it online.
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How to Be a Better Runner
Scientific American: I ran a marathon, once upon a time. (If you could call what I did “running.” It took me nearly five hours—you do the math.) Still, I did it: laced up my New Balances, pounded the pavement through five months of training, and then went ahead and finished the whole 26.2. Some folks, including my podiatrist (bunions), didn't think I could do it. But as sports psychologists I talked to told me, physical feats are often more about mind than matter. Just in time for those New Year's resolutions, here are five evidence-based tips for upping your running game—or any physical activity you choose. #1 Set a super clear goal.
