Heaps of research suggest that social relationships make people happier—but which relationships, specifically? A guilt-ridden afternoon with a mother-in-law might not have the same effect as drinks with a best friend. A “fair-weather friend” stands by your side only during good times. Recently a group of researchers set out to determine whose More
Making excuses for a minor workplace transgression – like arriving late to a meeting – may go over better with colleagues than simply apologizing, a study suggests. More
Facial expression can convey a staggering amount of information—not just what kind of mood a person is in or real-time emotional reactions, but also more complex concepts like dominance and subservience. But a new study out in the journal Psychological Science shows that there’s a way to communicate dominance that More
We draw social inferences from not only facial features but from the position of the head itself, research shows. More
Think of the last conversation you had with someone you didn’t know. Did certain moments feel awkward? Did you find the other person interesting? Did the other person find you interesting? Were you glad you had the conversation? Research from a group of social psychologists would suggest the answer to More
Almost everyone gossips. And a new study finds that people spend about 52 minutes per day, on average, talking to someone about someone else who is not present. But here’s the surprise: Despite the assumption that most gossip is trash talk, the study finds that the vast majority of gossip More
