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Dosage Dilemma: Unpacking Meditation App Science
Podcast: In this episode, host Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum teams up with Simon Goldberg from the University of Wisconsin to explore a critical question: “How does the “dosage” of meditation app use impact mental health outcomes?
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Understanding the Mechanisms Behind Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
A new paper in Clinical Psychological Science highlights virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) as an effective option and explores how it may work.
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Just Deal With It In the Morning. Your Mental Health Will Be Better Then, Study Suggests
Your parents may be right: Get some sleep and you’ll feel better in the morning, according to new research. ... And mental health and well-being may need to be looked at separately, said Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center and professor emerita of media psychology at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. “Mental health and well-being are two overlapping but distinct constructs. Mental health is a crucial part of well-being, but well-being is more than just mental health,” she said.
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Bonobos Can Tell When a Human Doesn’t Know Something
A few captive bonobos recently faced a seemingly simple task: locate a tasty snack hidden under one of three cups. Because bonobos are brainiacs, pinpointing the cup with the treat should have been no sweat. ... According to Michael Tomasello, a comparative psychologist at Duke University, who was not involved in the new study, chimpanzees are also able to discern ignorance and modify their communication as a result. A 2012 paper found that wild chimpanzees produced vocalizations to warn group mates who appeared to be unaware of a nearby snake. Similar capabilities have even been observed in human infants.
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Can Hopeful Skepticism Replace Harmful Cynicism?
No one wants to be a sucker. But do most of us go too far in our efforts to avoid naivety? In other words, are we all a little overly cynical? My guest today is Jamil Zaki, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. He’s also the author of a new book called Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. He’s here today to tell us what the research says about cynicism—and how we can harness the power of hope to live better, happier lives.
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So You Reached Your Goal. Now What?
... Goal setting is part of how we demarcate time, said Dr. Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “How to Change.” ... It’s normal to feel a bit lost after reaching a goal, especially one you’ve been working toward for a long time, said Dr. Emily Balcetis, an associate professor of psychology at New York University. ... It’s also important to ask yourself what drove you to set a particular goal, said Dr. Elliot Berkman, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. If your ambitions are rooted in your values, there’s a greater chance you’ll stay motivated, he added.
