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Why are people still racist? What science says about America’s race problem.
The Washington Post: Torch-bearing white supremacists shouting racist and anti-Semitic slogans. Protesters and counter protesters colliding with violence and chaos. A car driven by a known Nazi sympathizer mowing down a crowd of activists. Many Americans responded to this weekend's violence in Charlottesville with disbelieving horror. How could this happen in America, in 2017? “This is not who we are,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D). And yet, this is who we are. Amid our modern clashes, researchers in psychology, sociology and neurology have been studying the roots of racism. We draw on that research and asked two scientists to explain why people feel and act this way toward each other.
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Psychological Scientists Discuss Language Learning
APS convened a group of psychological scientists, linguists, and others in May in Boston, MA to discuss an American Academy of Arts & Sciences report on language learning.
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Cognitive Abilities Seem to Reinforce Each Other in Adolescence
Scientists from Cambridge, London, and Berlin directly compared different proposed explanations for the phenomenon of ‘general intelligence’ and how it develops over time.
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Governments are trying to nudge us into better behavior. Is it working?
The Washington Post: All over the world, public and private organizations are showing keen interest in “nudges” — interventions and policies that rely on behavioral science to steer people in a particular direction but preserve their freedom of choice. A warning is a nudge; so is a reminder (for example, that a bill is coming due). Automatic enrollment in retirement plans, or in green energy, also count as nudges, so long as people are allowed opt out.
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One of the most popular job interview questions is biased and unfair, says Adam Grant
Quartz: You’re 10 minutes into a job interview. You’ve had a bit of small talk and run over the basics of your resume. Then the interviewer leans back and asks a question that begins the dreaded phrase: “Tell me about a time when…” Who knows what will follow? “When you overcame a professional challenge.” “When you managed workplace conflict.” “When you slew a wild unicorn.” Behavioral questions like these are among hiring managers’ favorite interview tactics. They’re meant to offer unique insight into a potential employee’s personality and how a person might fit into company culture.
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THE SUBTLE BIAS THAT UNDERLIES OUR IDEOLOGICAL LEANINGS
Pacific Standard: There are many theories as to why someone grows up to be a liberal or a conservative. These range from psychological (liberals tend to be more open to ambiguity) to developmental (authoritarian parents tend to have conservative children) to physical (taller people tend to lean right). New research points to something even more basic—a way of making sense of the world that underpins one's political orientation. It's best described as the answer to a question: When you are asked to judge a situation, do you instinctively reach for an inherent explanation, or an extrinsic one? Read the whole story: Pacific Standard
