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Funny How Everyone You Know Became a Snow Expert Last Week, Huh?
New York Magazine: Something funny happens in the days leading up to a big snowstorm: A lot of people who know next to nothing about snowstorms suddenly start acting like they know a lot about snowstorms. There are a lot of people spreading questionable information, in other words, and if it seems like those who are loudest about their perceived weather expertise are the ones who least know what they’re talking about, well, that’s not very surprising to psychologists who study self-perceived knowledge. “[T]his is a great example of overclaiming,” University of Chicago psychologist Nicholas Epley told Science of Us in an email.
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Why you eat so much
The Washington Post: Almost 20 years ago, psychology professor and biologist Paul Rozin tested a theory about food. Many people believed their bodies were good at telling them when to start and stop eating, but he wasn't so sure. "A lot of things that control what and how much people eat have nothing to do with the state of nutrition," Rozin told The New York Times in 1998. ... "I don't think people are totally unaware of these sorts of things, but I'm not convinced they realize how much they influence the amount they eat," said Traci Mann, who teaches psychology at the University of Minnesota and has been studying eating habits, self-control and dieting for more than 20 years.
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Scientists just gave workers a free pass to watch stupid cat videos at work
Business Insider: Researchers are increasingly discovering that our mental resources are limited — the more energy and attention you devote to one task, the less you have for the next one. So if you're finding yourself unable to focus on your work, there's a good chance you need to recharge your mental batteries. One way to do that? Watch a funny video. Read the whole story: Business Insider
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Psychological Science Gets Behind the Wheel at NHTSA
Last week psychological scientists from around the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss innovative behavioral research that will be used to save thousands of lives. Over 200 million Americans drive a car on any given day, and each year around 30,000 Americans lose their lives in car crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is one of the government agencies tasked with finding ways to keep drivers safe. The newest head of NHTSA, Administrator Mark Rosekind, is an accomplished psychological scientist recognized for his innovative research on human fatigue and performance.
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Wearing a Helmet Tied to Riskier Decision Making
Individuals wearing a bicycle helmet as part of an experiment reported greater sensation seeking and engaged in more risk taking than those wearing a baseball cap, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The results suggest that wearing a helmet may have complex and even unintended consequences on the wearer's judgment and decision making. For the study, psychological scientists Tim Gamble and Ian Walker of the University of Bath in the UK used a computer-based simulation to measure sensation-seeking behavior and analyze risk taking in adults ranging in age from 17 to 56 years old.
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NITOP 2017
NITOP 2017 39th ANNUAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON THE TEACHING OF PSYCHOLOGY January 3–6, 2017 TradeWinds Island Grand Resort, St. Pete Beach, Florida Co-sponsored by: The Association for Psychological Science The University of South Florida Department of Psychology Registration is limited to 400 participants; registration by November 15, 2016 is highly recommended. The early conference registration fee is only $10 more than the early registration fee for the January 2016 NITOP for registrations received through November 15, 2016 (regular participant, $555) and after November 15, 2016, the regular participant registration fee will be $605.
