-
What Makes You Happy? It May Depend on Your Age
LiveScience: People's happiness levels change with age, an idea reflected in personal experiences and public opinion polls, but a new study shows that much of that change may boil down to how people define happiness itself. Whereas happiness in younger people is often related to excitement, for older people, contentment was associated with a happy existence, the researchers found. The study indicates there are at least two different kinds of happiness, "one associated with peacefulness and one associated with being excited," study researcher Cassie Mogilner, a professor of marketing at Wharton, told LiveScience. Read more: LiveScience
-
Oxytocin: Not Such a Cuddly Hormone After All
You Beauty: Feeling all warm and fuzzy? Chalk it up to oxytocin, the touchy-feely hormone that enables mothers to bond with their babies (thus the nickname the “cuddle chemical”). Oxytocin fluctuates throughout our lives—during and after childbirth, as well as when you’re sexually aroused or reach the big O. But this feel-good chemical may have a surprising dark side, according to research published in the August issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. Rather than oxytocin making them feel like they were in the “trust tree” singing “Kumbaya,” study subjects given the chemical before playing a game of chance exhibited more gloating and envy of their opponents.
-
Study Sheds Light on Auditory Role in Dyslexia
The New York Times: Many people consider dyslexia simply a reading problem in which children mix up letters and misconstrue written words. But increasingly scientists have come to believe that the reading difficulties of dyslexia are part of a larger puzzle: a problem with how the brain processes speech and puts together words from smaller units of sound. Now, a study published last week in the journal Science suggests that how dyslexics hear language may be more important than previously realized. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that people with dyslexia have more trouble recognizing voices than those without dyslexia.
-
Judgment, Justice and Evil in Norway
Brown University psychological scientist Fiery Cushman is a pioneer in the study of moral psychology—how humans think and feel and form judgments about issues of right and wrong, including justice and punishment. In the wake of Norway’s tragedy last month, I asked Cushman to reflect not only on Anders Brievik’s actions but also on society’s reaction—in particular Norwegian society’s reaction--to such murderous acts. Here are the open-ended questions that I asked Cushman: What does your work on morality, justice and punishment have to say about the recent massacre in Norway? How can Norwegian society mete out justice that will be morally satisfying to citizens there?
-
Are Pet Owners Healthier and Happier? Maybe Not…
The general claim that living with a pet makes for a happier, healthier or longer life has weak scientific backing, a psychological researcher reports.
-
Recognizing voices harder for people with dyslexia
USA Today: Pick up the phone and hear, "Hey, what's up?" Chances are, those few words are enough to recognize who's speaking — perhaps unless you have dyslexia. In a surprise discovery, researchers found adults with that reading disorder also have a hard time recognizing voices. The work isn't just a curiosity. It fits with research to uncover the building blocks of literacy and how they can go wrong. The eventual goal: To spot at-risk youngsters even before they open "Go, Dog, Go!" in kindergarten — instead of diagnosing dyslexia in a struggling second-grader. Read more: USA Today
