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“Out, Damned Spot!”: Obsessive-Like Behavior Linked to Specific Type of Guilt
If you’ve ever watched the T.V. show Monk, you know that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by a fixation on certain thoughts and a need to engage in repetitive behaviors, such as excessive hand washing or checking multiple times if a door is locked. Research has shown that guilt motivates checking behavior by saddling people with feelings of responsibility. For instance, someone who checks a locked door repeatedly fears being held responsible in the case of a break-in.
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Peer Pressure Might Have an Expiration Date
New York Magazine: Anyone who keeps an eye on psychological research will quickly internalize a key point: Group influence matters. In many cases, what our peers are doing and saying can actually override our own opinions and better judgement. A new study published in Psychological Science provides a pretty cool example, and suggests — at least within the specific confines of one lab experiment — that there's something like a peer-pressure expiration date. A trio of researchers from Chinese universities had subjects rate the attractiveness of 280 female faces.
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Per ottenere sollievo dallo stress decidiamo di “pre-crastinare” (To get relief from stress we decide to “pre-crastinate”)
La Stampa: Ogni nuovo compito o lavoro che ci viene affidato è causa di stress. Quasi tutti ne siamo soggetti, perché sentiamo crescere un’ansia dentro che ci vorrebbe far liberare di questo il prima possibile. E, difatti, in molti reagiscono in questo senso: secondo uno studio, quando viene loro affidato un nuovo compito, anziché procrastinare – ossia rimandare – scelgono di “pre-crastinare”, cioè iniziare il prima possibile e fare più cose insieme per liberarsene allo stesso modo il prima possibile. Questo, atteggiamento, secondo gli scienziati, è un modo per liberarsi o ottenere sollievo dallo stress – anche se richiede un maggiore sforzo. Read the whole story: La Stampa
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Anatomy Of A Dance Hit: Why We Love To Boogie With Pharrell
NPR: There's no doubt Pharrell's "Happy" is the biggest hit of the year so far. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the Billboard 100 and inspired hundreds of fan videos on YouTube. Just a few weeks ago, six Iranian teenagers got arrested for posting a video of themselves dancing to the catchy song. So what is it about "Happy" that triggers a nearly uncontrollable need to tap your foot, bob your head or move to the rhythm in some way? It may be more about what's missing from the song than what's there. Read the whole story: NPR
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Are Teachers Distracting Students with Bad Interior Design?
Fast Company: Few environments feature such a cacophony of decor as the elementary school classroom. Colorful bulletin boards, scientific posters, state maps, and student artwork tend to cover nearly every inch of wall space. Yet a new study on classroom design from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University suggests that all that educational flair may not be all that great for getting kids to learn. The study, carried out over two weeks, examined 24 kindergarten students who were taught six lessons on topics they had not yet learned in school.
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Little Boxes of Decision Avoidance
The New Yorker: Life would be easier if everything you needed were sent to you in a box. A few months ago, I subscribed to Quinciple, a service that sends me a box of groceries once a week, which I pick up at a store a few blocks from my apartment. It saves me a little time and maybe a little money—but, mostly, it spares me from the so-called paradox of choice, or the paralysis that comes with having too many options while shopping. I have wasted hours of my life reading the fine print on cereal boxes, lipstick boxes, and sneaker boxes. I am forever looking for a reason to choose one loaf of bread or one brand of shampoo over countless others.
