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The Virtues of Daydreaming
The New Yorker: Humans are a daydreaming species. According to a recent study led by the Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Matthew A. Killingsworth, people let their minds wander forty-seven per cent of the time they are awake. (The scientists demonstrated this by developing an iPhone app that contacted twenty-two hundred and fifty volunteers at random intervals during the day.) In fact, the only activity during which we report that our minds are not constantly wandering is “love making.” We’re able to focus for that. At first glance, such data seems like a confirmation of our inherent laziness.
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Psychologists: Awesomeness Is Good For You
Business Insider: A seriously cool study is coming out later this year in Psychological Science on the benefits of awe. Awe, which describes a "feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder" and comes from the old Norse word for "terror," seems like a strange subject for research, but its benefits are clear. Lead author Melanie Rudd of Stanford University concluded that awe expands people's perception of time, enhances well-being and causes people to behave more altruistically and less materialistically. Read the whole story: Business Insider
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Tagträumen macht kreativ
ORF Austria: Wenn das Gehirn auf "Tagtraum-Modus" schaltet, arbeiten die Neuronen auf Hochtouren. Der Zustand fördert Studien zufolge die Kreativität. Die Inspiration entsteht allerdings nicht beim Faulenzen, sondern bei geistig wenig fordernden Tätigkeiten. "1905 eine Explosion von Genie.
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24th Convention’s Exhibit Hall Brought ‘Diverse Perspectives’
There was much to do and see this year in the Exhibit Hall at the 24th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science in Chicago. Attendees could check out the newest books for their classrooms and personal libraries, test drive the latest technology for their labs, learn about new movements and initiatives in psychology, and, of course, pick up some free promotional items! The exhibit hall was buzzing with life, as publishers from the general to the specialized presented their latest and best-selling titles in psychological science and related disciplines.
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Why great ideas come when you aren’t trying
Nature: History is rich with 'eureka' moments: scientists from Archimedes to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein are said to have had flashes of inspiration while thinking about other things. But the mechanisms behind this psychological phenomenon have remained unclear. A study now suggests that simply taking a break does not bring on inspiration — rather, creativity is fostered by tasks that allow the mind to wander. The discovery was made by a team led by Benjamin Baird and Jonathan Schooler, psychologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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The Power of Suggestion: What We Expect Influences Our Behavior, for Better or Worse
A lucky rabbit foot. A glass of wine. A pill. What do these things all have in common? Their effects – whether we do well on a test, whether we mingle at the cocktail party, whether we feel better – all depend on the power of suggestion. In a new article, psychological scientists Maryanne Garry and Robert Michael of Victoria University of Wellington, along with Irving Kirsch of Harvard Medical School and Plymouth University, delve into the phenomenon of suggestion, exploring the intriguing relationship between suggestion, cognition, and behavior. The article is published in the June issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
