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Playing for All Kinds of Possibilities
The New York Times: When it comes to play, humans don’t play around. And in doing so, they develop some of humanity’s most consequential faculties. They learn the art, pleasure and power of hypothesis — of imagining new possibilities. And serious students of play believe that this helps make the species great. The idea that play contributes to human success goes back at least a century. But in the last 25 years or so, researchers like Elizabeth S. Spelke, Brian Sutton-Smith, Jaak Panksepp and Alison Gopnik have developed this notion more richly and tied it more closely to both neuroscience and human evolution.
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Hackman to Be Honored at APS Annual Convention
A symposium on organizational teams will pay tribute to J. Richard Hackman, a leading social and organizational psychologist who passed away on January 8, 2013. Hackman will also be honored posthumously with the APS James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award for lifetime achievement in applied psychological research and for the impact his research has had on society at large. Hackman was an expert in teams whose work improved the safety and quality of work in domains as diverse as intelligence, aviation, sports, and art. He conducted research that zeroed in on the conditions and leadership styles that allow teams to thrive. Suzanne T. Bell will chair the special symposium, “A Tribrute to Richard J.
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The best lie detectors in the workplace
The Washington Post: Do you have an employee who doesn’t follow through on her promises? What about a coworker who exaggerates his accomplishments or tinkers with the numbers? Chances are these folks duped someone during the hiring process into overestimating their potential. In organizations, nowhere is judging character more important than in evaluating talent. When screening prospective executives and employees, company leaders constantly make predictions about whether these candidates will act in good faith and measure up to the requirements of their roles, or if they have oversold their talents and will have a negative impact on colleagues and the bottom line.
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You can catch depression – study
The New Zealand Herald: Depression and the emotions associated with it can be contagious, according to a new study. Researchers have found that the gloomy mindset of students vulnerable to depression can be catching, making their friends more likely to suffer the condition six months later. The research follows studies showing that people who respond negatively to stressful life events - interpreting them as the result of factors they can't change and as a reflection of their own shortcomings - are more vulnerable to depression. This "cognitive vulnerability" is such a strong risk factor for depression that it can be used to predict who is likely to experience depression in the future.
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Meet the Legends
Get your piece of history. These champions of psychological science are signing their books at the APS Annual Convention this May. Michael S. Gazzaniga Gazzaniga will sign copies of Who's in Charge? and other books immediately following his Keynote Address on Thursday, May 23. (Listen to his interview on The Diane Rehm Show) Scott Lilienfeld Lilienfeld will sign copies of 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology and Brainwashed immediately following his APS Award Address on Friday, May 24. Roy Baumeister Baumeister will sign copies of Willpower and other books immediately following his APS Award Address on Friday, May 24.
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Metaphors for Musical Pitch Vary, but the Basic Principles Are the Same
Most Americans think of musical pitches as being “high” or “low.” But this height metaphor isn’t universal -- some cultures use “thin” and “thick” or “light” and “heavy” to describe musical pitches. New research published in Psychological Science suggests that the metaphors we use aren’t just linguistic flourishes -- visual cues have different effects on our perception of musical pitch depending on the metaphors we use.
