-
Bothered by Negative, Unwanted Thoughts? Just Throw Them Away
If you want to get rid of unwanted, negative thoughts, try just ripping them up and tossing them in the trash. In a new study, researchers found that when people wrote down their thoughts on a piece of paper and then threw the paper away, they mentally discarded the thoughts as well. The results are published online in the journal Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. On the other hand, people were more likely to use their thoughts when making judgments if they first wrote them down on a piece of paper and tucked the paper in a pocket to protect it.
-
Trying for a More Upscale, Relaxed Black Friday
The Wall Street Journal: All it can take is a few TV images of Black Friday deal-chasing—the unruly crowds, packed parking lots and frigid midnight lines—to drive many shoppers straight to the Web for their holiday shopping. That is why this year, many malls around the country are promising Black Friday bargaineers a more white-glove experience. Shopping malls are testing new services and promotions such as reserved parking spots, free refreshments and stations that hold people's packages. "It's their way of telling shoppers, 'We feel your pain,' " says John D. Morris, a senior retail analyst with financial-services firm BMO Capital Markets. Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal
-
Mini marathons: Tireless toddlers cover more than two and a half miles a day (but that includes 102 falls)
Daily Mail: They may be called baby steps but don’t be fooled: the average toddler walks more than two and a half miles a day. The distance - which would put many adults to shame - is made of 14,208 steps. Perhaps less surprisingly, it also includes 102 falls. To come up with the figures, the New York University researchers videoed more than 130 infants aged between 12 and 19 months as they explored a specially-designed playroom. Another 15 were taped at home. Some were ‘expert crawlers’ who had yet to start to walk. Some had just taken their first steps and a few had been toddling around for months. Read the whole story: Daily Mail
-
Your Secret Weapon for More Self-Control
Men's Health: Struggling to stay on task at work? Gargle some Gatorade. Swishing a sugary beverage in your mouth can help boost your self-control, says a recent study published in the journal Psychological Science. Researchers asked 51 students to complete two self-control tasks. In each test, half of the students rinsed their mouths with lemonade and sugar, while the other half rinsed with lemonade and Splenda. The results: Those who rinsed their mouths with the sugar-infused lemonade responded to the tests faster and showed more self-control than those who rinsed with the artificial sweetener. Read the whole story: Men's Health
-
Social science takes spotlight bow in election
USA Today: Polls, and pollsters, took a star turn on this year's election night, calling the presidential election days ahead of the outcome. Pundits and politicos look a little less bright, on the other hand, after a presidential race that many of them saw as too close to call turned out to be effectively over before midnight on Tuesday. Everyone from conservative nabob George Will to liberal gadfly Dana Milbank criticized prominent poll aggregator Nate Silver of The New York Times, for example, in the run-up to the election. Silver proved more prescient than they predicted, however.
-
Proof math can be a real pain
Chicago Tribune: Sian Beilock is the author of "Choke: What the Secrets Of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To." She recently co-authored a report that suggests that when a person is anxious about math, his or her brain responds in the same way it would if the person was experiencing pain. eilock, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, helps people learn how not to choke in important, stressful situations, such as taking a math test.She has her own story of choking: Years ago she was playing in the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program, and a national coach was on the field, standing behind her.
