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The Pandemic Did Not Affect Mental Health the Way You Think
You’ve probably heard that the coronavirus pandemic triggered a worldwide mental-health crisis. This narrative took hold almost as quickly as the virus itself. In the spring of 2020, article after article—even an op-ed by one of us—warned of a looming psychological epidemic. As clinical scientists and research psychologists have pointed out, the coronavirus pandemic has created many conditions that might lead to psychological distress: sudden, widespread disruptions to people’s livelihoods and social connections; millions bereaved; and the most vulnerable subjected to long-lasting hardship. A global collapse in well-being has seemed inevitable.
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‘Lucky’ Golf Items Might Actually Work, According to Study
The U.S. Open is back at Torrey Pines this week, for the first time since the most memorable moment of my life as a golf fan: Tiger Woods, sporting a broken leg and a one-shot deficit, draining a slippery 12ft birdie putt to send the contest into a playoff. If he missed, the tournament would be over, with Rocco Mediate crowned your 2008 U.S. Open champion. But this is Tiger Woods we’re talking about. I still can’t believe this putt actually went in. Putts like this don’t go in for any one reason. It’s a combination of technical brilliance, mental acuity, overall skill, God-given talent, and a little bit of luck.
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Faulty Memories of Our Past Whereabouts: The Fallacy of an Airtight Alibi
New research published in Psychological Science reveals that our recollections of our past whereabouts are often imperfect.
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New Content from Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science
A sample of articles on comparing standard articles with registered reports, the use of different nonparametric tests, making hypothesis tests machine-readable, mediator variables, interactions, perceptions of replicability, posting preprints, and reproducibility practices.
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New Research in Psychological Science
A sample of research on hallucinatory experiences, personality and memory in older adults, belief updates across the political spectrum, culture and gender inequality and well-being, pain and pleasure, neural responses to partner’s evaluations, bedtime music, and interventions to improve their choices about sharing fake news.
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To Spark Curiosity, Don’t Tell Preschoolers Too Much Or Too Little
Preschool children are sensitive to the gap between how much they know and how much there is to learn, the finding indicates. Researchers say this “optimal” amount of existing knowledge creates the perfect mix of uncertainty and curiosity in children and motivates them to learn more. “There is an infinite amount of information in the real world,” says lead author Jenny Wang, an assistant professor of cognitive psychology at Rutgers University. “Yet despite having to learn so much in such a short amount of time, young children seem to learn happily and effectively.
