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Why You Should Freak Out More, Not Less, Over Your Profile Photos
New York Magazine: We've all spent too much time obsessing over our profile pictures on Facebook, dating websites, and everywhere else. It would be nice to think we're being neurotic, that it doesn't actually matter whether you use that photo where you look coy-happy or the one where you're a bit more mischievous-happy. But a new study in Psychological Science suggests otherwise: Even subtle differences between photos of the same person can greatly alter others' first impressions of them. Look at the images above.
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George Washington Trumps Pinocchio When It Comes to Promoting Honesty in Kids
Pacific Standard: Once upon a time, a group of researchers began to wonder whether telling children traditional stories meant to instill a sense of honesty actually worked. So they took three classic tales, shared them with three- to seven-year-olds, and waited for the results. To their surprise, they found only one story—the one about young George Washington chopping down the cherry tree—was effective in getting fibbing kids to fess up. While hearing that tale produced only a modest improvement in honesty, the other two stories had no impact whatsoever. Read the whole story: Pacific Standard
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Blame Your Brain: The Fault Lies Somewhere Within
NPR: Science doesn't just further technology and help us predict and control our environment. It also changes the way we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world. This understanding can inspire awe and a sense of grandeur. But it can also be unsettling, especially when it calls into question our basic assumptions about the kinds of creatures we are and the universe we inhabit. Current developments in neuroscience seem to be triggering precisely this jumble of reactions: wonder alongside disquiet, hope alongside alarm. Read the whole story: NPR
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Job Insecurity: It’s Not Just the Economy, Stupid
The economic instability that has swept the globe over the last six years has largely snuffed people’s confidence in their job security. And that wariness does nothing to improve organizations’ financial success. A 2008 study showed that job insecurity erodes commitment and performance, not to mention health. The pessimism in the workforce could therefore create a vicious cycle of lackluster economic growth; as workers worry about getting pink slips, their productivity declines and profits drop. And as profits drop, workers fret even more about their jobs.
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Social Networks May Guide Parents to Particular Autism Interventions
A study at Michigan State University shows that parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to access evidence-based interventions if they have large social networks.
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Thanks to Casey Kasem (and psychology), Here’s Why People Love Radio Countdowns
The Washington Post: From “Total Request Live” to a radio station with the “Top 9 at 9″ on any given night, it’s been proven time and again: People love a good pop culture countdown. On paper it seems incredibly simple — and yet it took until Casey Kasem pioneered the concept in 1970 to take off. News of Kasem’s death on Sunday prompted an outpouring of remembrances from fans, many of whom reminisced about listening to “American Top 40.” The Post’s Marc Fisher wrote about how Kasem brought a splintered music culture together every week with his mainstream list of popular songs. The idea gained steam, and ever since countdowns have been a mainstay of pop culture.
