-
Is “Baby Brain” a Myth?
Scientific American: As many as four out of every five pregnant women say that they suffer from “pregnancy brain”—deficits in memory and cognitive ability that arise during pregnancy, making women more forgetful and slow-witted. Yet studies on the phenomenon have generally not supported these claims: although some have found evidence of problems on certain types of tasks, others, including a recent paper published by researchers in Utah, have found no signs of cognitive problems at all. ...
-
People Love Your Sarcasm, Really
The Wall Street Journal: When Richard Laermer walked into an eyeglass store in Paris, he was surprised to find fewer than 10 frames for sale, each displayed on top of its own large pedestal. He looked for another room or some sign of a second floor. But that was it. A clerk stopped dusting. “Hmmm?” he asked. Mr. Laermer says he couldn’t resist his reply: “Don’t mind me,” he told the clerk. “I’m sure I’ll find something in the 30 seconds it will take to look over your inventory.” Mr. Laermer was shown the door. Does sarcasm have a place in polite conversation? ... Sarcasm has many uses, depending on the degree of sharpness.
-
Preterm Birth Linked With Lower Math Abilities and Less Wealth
People who are born premature tend to accumulate less wealth as adults, and a new study suggests that this may be due to lower mathematics abilities. The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, show that preterm birth is associated with lower academic abilities in childhood, and lower educational attainment and less wealth in adulthood. "Our findings suggest that the economic costs of preterm birth are not limited to healthcare and educational support in childhood, but extend well into adulthood,” says psychological scientist Dieter Wolke of the University of Warwick in the UK.
-
The secret of extreme heroes: They don’t overthink
The Washington Post: We grow up being taught to look before we leap and think before we act, especially in dangerous situations. In its booklet on dealing with “active shooters,” the Department of Homeland Security lists confrontation as the “last resort,” after, among other things, taking note of the nearest exits and locking yourself in an office. Police tell us not to confront someone “armed and dangerous.” And our spouses and other loved ones tell us, “don’t be a hero.” ... If you stop to contemplate whether to act when the danger actually confronts you, you probably won’t, the study suggests.
-
Square Root of Kids’ Math Anxiety: Their Parents’ Help
The New York Times: A common impairment with lifelong consequences turns out to be highly contagious between parent and child, a new study shows. The impairment? Math anxiety. Means of transmission? Homework help. Children of highly math-anxious parents learned less math and were more likely to develop math anxiety themselves, but only when their parents provided frequent help on math homework, according to a study of first- and second-graders, published in Psychological Science. Read the whole story: The New York Times
-
Identity Is Lost Without A Moral Compass
Pacific Standard: What defines a person? Is it their memories? Their hobbies? Look deeper, argue a pair of researchers—into the soul, so to speak. According to a new study, kindness, loyalty, and other traits of morality are what really constitute someone's being.
