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You may think the world is falling apart. Steven Pinker is here to tell you it isn’t.
Vox: If there’s anyone who can put this moment into context, it’s the Harvard psychology professor and polymath Steven Pinker. A cognitive scientist and linguist, Pinker focused his study of human nature on our propensity for violence — and conversely, cooperation — in his 2011 book, The Better Angels of Our Nature. In the book, Pinker meticulously documented a steady decline in violence over the last several centuries, which he writes, "may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species." Read the whole story: Vox
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New Application Deadline Set for Participating in Replication Project
APS recently issued a call for contributors for the latest Registered Replication Report (RRR), which is focused on Dijksterhuis & van Knippenberg’s 1998 “Professor Priming” study on the effect of priming on intelligence, and the response has been overwhelming. The RRR editors have already received nearly 30 applications to contribute; consequently, they have decided to move up the deadline to apply to participate. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM EDT on Sunday, August 28th to be considered for this project.
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The Most Effective Way to Get Revenge on a Terrible Boss
New York Magazine: An employee, sick of her new boss’s verbally abusive behavior, hatches a plan to exact her revenge: She lies in wait until the next time said boss goes on one of his screaming tears, then calls a friend outside the office; that friend, in turn, calls the abusive boss’s boss, posing as building security, and says there’s an emergency that requires immediate attention. Lo and behold, the higher-ups rush on to the scene, catch the screamer mid-rant, and fire him on the spot. Read the whole story: New York Magazine
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Conquering the Freshman Fear of Failure
The New York Times: Although it’s been a long time, I vividly recall my reaction when I learned that I had been admitted to Amherst College: The admissions office must have made a terrible mistake. I had graduated from a Long Island high school where most students didn’t go to college, so I was convinced that at Amherst I would be overmatched by my better-educated, more sophisticated classmates and sliced to ribbons by my brilliant professors. To my surprise, I fared well academically, but I never entirely got over the feeling of being an impostor. Only decades later, at a class reunion, did I discover that many of my peers had felt exactly the same way.
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The Charisma Effect
The Atlantic: In tough times, people want more in a leader than intelligence, integrity, or the ability to build really tall walls. They want someone who can make a compelling pitch and inspire a sense of urgency—someone with charisma. For decades, scholars have struggled to define this X factor, but they are developing a better idea of how it works. Read the whole story: The Atlantic
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Dressing for Success: From Lucky Socks to the Red Sneaker Effect
Making a fashion statement at the office – a tie with an unusual pattern or some snazzy red sneakers paired with a suit – may actually provide a bit of a career boost. Under most circumstances, not conforming to etiquette rules tends to garner social disapproval; showing up to a business lunch in your gym clothes, for example, is not likely to impress your clients. However, Harvard psychological scientists Silvia Bellezza, Francesca Gino, and Anat Keinan hypothesized that intentionally standing out from the crowd could also send a positive message conveying status, confidence, and power.
