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Alcohol Is a Social Lubricant, Study Confirms
Health Magazine You’ve seen those commercials with fun-loving people sharing a laugh over a cold brew. Now, a new study lends scientific support to the notion of alcohol as a social icebreaker. Researchers found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol in a group setting boosts people’s emotions and enhances social bonding. The study also found that moderate consumption of alcohol can minimize negative emotions — or at least reduce displays such as being silent in a group or making faces with wrinkled noses or pursed lips.
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Where are the conservative social psychologists?
Scientific meetings are not usually confrontational events, so it was notable when University of Virginia psychological scientist Jonathan Haidt roiled his colleagues at the 2011 gathering of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Addressing an audience of more than a thousand, the best-selling author of The Righteous Mind asked all of those who considered themselves politically conservative to raise their hands. Three hands went up. He then described two other attempts he had recently made to locate conservative social psychologists.
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The Lipstick Effect: In Recessions, Women Still Buy Beauty Products
The Wall Street Journal: Tough times demand sensuous lips? It’s long been conventional wisdom among retailers that one thing women don’t cut back on, in an economic downturn, is beauty products — indeed, they may increase such spending. A new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology claims to be the first to demonstrate the existence of the so-called lipstick effect: Using both historical spending data and rigorous experiments, we examine how and why economic recessions influence women’s consumer behavior. Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal
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7 Quick Ways to Relieve Stress
Washingtonian: There’s some truth to this common phrase. People who smile while performing a stressful task are more likely to have lower heart rates afterward, according to a recent study published in Psychological Science. That goes for fake smiles, too; those who were forced to smile (using chopsticks, of all things) also reported a positive effect afterward. Read the whole story: Washingtonian
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IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE
Express UK: Thinking of being generous encourages people to be more helpful – while contemplating gifts received makes us feel more dependent and enslaved. Dr Adam Grant, of Pennsylvania University, and Jane Dutton, of Michigan university, studied two groups of fundraisers. Those who wrote about giving for just two or three days increased their hourly phone calls by more than 29 per cent in the following two weeks. Those who wrote about receiving had no change in calls.
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Revealing the Psychology of Playing Card Magic
Scientific American: Think of a playing card. Got one in mind? Although it may have felt like a free choice, think again: Most people choose one of only four cards, out of a deck of 52. For now, remember your card — we’ll return to it later. For thousands of years, magicians have amazed audiences by developing and applying intuitions about the mind. Skilled magicians can manipulate memories, control attention, and influence choices. But magicians rarely know why these principles work. Studying magic could reveal the mechanisms of the mind that enable these principles, to uncover the why rather than just the how. Read the whole story: Scientific American
