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A psychologist explains the limits of human compassion
Vox: There are now 65.3 million people displaced from their homes worldwide, the United Nations reports. It’s an all-time high: likely the largest population of refugees and asylum seekers in human history. Think about that number: 65.3 million. Can you even imagine it? Like, really imagine it. When we see one life, we can imagine their hopes and pain. But 65 million? You can’t. That’s just an abstraction. There’s a hard limit to human compassion, and it’s one of the most powerful psychological forces shaping human events. I often report on political psychology.
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New Research From Clinical Psychological Science
A sample of research exploring automatic causal reasoning in diagnostic decision making, the role of kinship in complicated grief, links between gray matter volume and psychopathology, and emotional memory and trauma in refugees.
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The Costs of Workplace Rudeness
The Wall Street Journal: When we’re pressed at work, it’s tempting to let manners slip. Whether it’s ignoring a colleague’s email request, snapping at someone in a meeting or interrupting a conversation to respond to a text message, modern workplace rudeness is varied and rampant. Because rudeness—offensive words or deeds that go against social norms—can be more subtle and benign than harassment or bullying, targets may assume that it’s just a routine, if unpleasant, part of the workday. But a growing body of research suggests that rudeness can harm an employee’s well-being and job performance.
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Need A Happiness Boost? Spend Your Money To Buy Time, Not More Stuff
NPR: Money can't buy happiness, right? Well, some researchers beg to differ. They say it depends on how you spend it. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencessuggests that when people spend money on time-saving services such as a house cleaner, lawn care or grocery delivery, it can make them feel a little happier. By comparison, money spent on material purchases — aka things — does not boost positive emotions the way we might expect. ...
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Playing make-believe can deprive kids of important developmental experiences
Dallas News: Pretend play is a charming activity. Children pretend that their living room is a restaurant where they prepare and serve food, or they imagine the tree outside is a castle. American parents serve this activity by purchasing toys to support it ($20 billion worth last year), and most think pretending is very important to children's development. But the evidence on the latter point is actually quite weak. Pretend play is a wonderful display of the human imagination and our ability to make and use symbols, but its developmental benefit to children is a cultural assumption. ... When I got back to the States, my student Jess Taggart and my lab manager M.J.
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Romantic Matches Are Hard to Predict Before People Meet
Researchers could predict speed daters’ desire and desirability, but not which two people would ‘click.’
