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Empathy Doesn’t Extend Across the Political Aisle
When we try to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we usually go all the way, assuming that they feel the same way we do. But a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that we have limits: we don’t extend this projection to people who have different political views, even under extreme circumstances. The researchers chose to examine political differences because of the big divide perceived between people on opposing sides, as shown by earlier research.
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No Bad Luck This Friday Unless You Think it Will Happen
Have you watched the movie Friday the 13th? Scary, isn’t it? Well, perhaps not quite as scary as the infamous Rebecca Black song, “Friday” - but close enough. If you are one of those who carries around a rabbit's foot and strokes it all day long for good luck or makes a wish after blowing away a fallen eyelash – then you are probably in the midst of bolting your doors, turning on all the lights and hiding under the comforting warmth of your comforter. Tomorrow just so happens to be Friday the 13th and if you have friggatriskaidekaphobia – it’s simply not a day to be trifled with. Frigga what you say? And yes, attempting to say it can just as well be as terrifying as its definition.
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Today Show Discusses Autism
Today Show: A new government report is highlighting a shocking surge in the number of childhood autism cases in the United States. According to the CDC, 1 in 88 children are now coping with autism and related disorders. Watch here: Today Show More on Geraldine Dawson, Chief Science Officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks and APS Fellow here
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Canadian group studies impact of social networks on mental health
Montreal Gazette: A couple of months ago, Marisa Murray stepped out to grab a bite to eat with a friend. The restaurant they chose was busy, and the table they sat at was shoehorned between two large families. They didn't mind, but as Murray settled in, she found herself paying more attention to the people at the tables beside her than the person at her own. What caught the clinical psychology student's eye was that the families were socializing, but not with each other: Everyone, from the children to the grandparents, was nose deep in an electronic device. "It was so strange. There was no conversation. Within the family, everyone had a cellphone.
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Cultural Ties
When a child learns to tie her shoes —perhaps using the “bunny ears” method or the “squirrel and the tree” — her parents probably don’t think of the lesson as a moment of cultural reinforcement. But in the midst of a debate over culture and cognition, a group of five psychological scientists at Northwestern University’s MOSAIC lab noticed their shoe-tying methods were as diverse as the countries they represented. The lesson: Culture permeates nearly everything we do, even mundane routines that we think are neutral. For more on culture and science, read the April 2012 Presidential Column Everything is Cultural by APS President Douglas L. Medin.
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The Best Nanny Money Can Buy
The New York Times: It took Zenaide Muneton 20 seconds to convince me that she was the perfect nanny. Short and dark-haired, she has a goofy, beaming smile and knows how to make everything fun for a little kid. Time to brush your teeth? She shakes her hands and does a pantomimed teeth-brushing dance. Bath time? She pumps her arms up and down in a going-to-the-tub march. After I told her I’d love to hire her, she smiled and thanked me. Then we both laughed, because there is no way I could possibly afford her. As one of New York City’s elite nannies, Muneton commanded around $180,000 a year — plus a Christmas bonus and a $3,000-a-month apartment on Central Park West. I should be her nanny.
