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Take the mind-bending tests that reveal how our brain ‘invents’ part of our peripheral vision
New Zealand Herald: The world around you might not be exactly as it seems. In a new study, researchers have found that some of what we see in the periphery - the areas just outside our eye's direct focus - could be a visual illusion. A series of 'uniformity illusions' reveals this phenomenon at work, as our brain 'fills in' part of the scene to make up for our less accurate peripheral vision. According to the study, published in the journal Psychological Science, peripheral vision captures far less detail than what's seen in the centre of the visual field. But, in our day-to-day lives, we often don't notice a difference.
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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH THAT HELPS EXPLAIN THE ELECTION
The New Yorker: At the end of most years, I’m typically asked to write about the best psychology papers of the past twelve months. This year, though, is not your typical year. And so, instead of the usual “best of,” I’ve decided to create a list of classic psychology papers and findings that can explain not just the rise of Donald Trump in the U.S. but also the rising polarization and extremism that seem to have permeated the world. To do this, I solicited the opinion of many leading psychologists, asking them to nominate a paper or two, with a brief explanation for their choice.
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How Social Isolation Is Killing Us
The New York Times: My patient and I both knew he was dying. Not the long kind of dying that stretches on for months or years. He would die today. Maybe tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, the next day. Was there someone I should call? Someone he wanted to see? Not a one, he told me. No immediate family. No close friends. He had a niece down South, maybe, but they hadn’t spoken in years. For me, the sadness of his death was surpassed only by the sadness of his solitude. I wondered whether his isolation was a driving force of his premature death, not just an unhappy circumstance. Read the whole story: The New York Times
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The Surprising (Easy!) Thing That Can Boost Your Kid’s Creativity
Parents: My daughter is big on talking with her hands. I've always found her grand sweeping gestures to be kind of humorous—every story she tells winds up looking like a wacky game of charades. But then along comes new research in Psychological Science that reveals encouraging those crazy hand motions can actually make kids more creative. Read the whole story: Parents
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You’re an Adult. Your Brain, Not So Much.
The New York Times: Leah H. Somerville, a Harvard neuroscientist, sometimes finds herself in front of an audience of judges. They come to hear her speak about how the brain develops. It’s a subject on which many legal questions depend. How old does someone have to be to be sentenced to death? When should someone get to vote? Can an 18-year-old give informed consent? Scientists like Dr. Somerville have learned a great deal in recent years. But the complex picture that’s emerging lacks the bright lines that policy makers would like. “Oftentimes, the very first question I get at the end of a presentation is, ‘O.K., that’s all very nice, but when is the brain finished?
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The Psychology Behind Bad Gift-Giving: Where Buyers Go Wrong
NBC: As though holiday shopping weren't nerve-racking enough, there's yet another factor to stress out about: the prospect of buying a bad gift. Despite our best intentions, we often end up purchasing gifts that aren't what recipients want or need. Hey, we've all been on the other side of the equation, haven't we? Just think about the butter warmer and beer hat hiding in your closet. Well, it's time for us consumers to take charge and buy our loved ones thing that truly serves them! Read the whole story: NBC
