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Our Genes Want Us to Be Altruists
“Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it. Let’s…” Be altruists? While it may not be what Cole Porter had in mind, animals from bees to rats to chimpanzees
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How Communities Shape Our Morals
Scientific American Mind: In last month’s column I recounted how my replication of Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments revealed that although most people can be inveigled to obey authorities if they are asked to hurt others
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Getting Into a Benefactor’s Head
The New York Times: Jen Shang understands the power of prayer — to open wallets. Ms. Shang, who bills herself as the only philanthropic psychologist in the world, recently advised a religious organization to tinker
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To Regift or Not to Regift, That Is the Question
The Huffington Post: I admit it: I’m a chronic regifter. There are few things in life that give me more pleasure than finding a new home for an item that’s just taking up space in
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The Ins and Outs of In-Groups and Out-Groups
We humans organize ourselves in myriad kinds of social groups, from scout troops and sports teams to networks of friends, colleagues, or classmates. But how do these social groups work? How do we decide whom
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Social Rejection Could Affect Body’s Immune System, Study Suggests
The Huffington Post: We all know that rejection seriously hurts — and now a new study shows how it could actually be bad for our health. Scientists from the University of British Columbia, Brandeis University