Current reporting, research and professional developments across Social Psychology, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and…
Think your political opponents won’t listen? They may be more open-minded than expected. There is a growing problem with political polarization. People on the left and the right sides of the political spectrum disagree…
You can learn how to avoid being fooled by persuasive but misleading arguments. People sometimes win debates using reasoning “cheat codes”—arguments that sound convincing but don’t actually support the conclusion. Many…
A brief conversation with a cashier, neighbour, fellow commuter, or another stranger often feels too insignificant to matter, yet psychology suggests these everyday interactions contribute more to ...
For your intellectual travels this summer, we’ve curated a baker’s dozen of behavioral science books newly published this year. Explore the mysteries of life and consciousness, glimpse the power of constraints and the…
Sequencing departures like a moving puzzle, scrambling when a jet takes off without clearance, and catching what radar misses with a glance out the window with Michael Rejent, an air traffic controller. What does "tally…
Hugging a mother through an anxiety attack, bidding for the best routes, and absorbing strangers' confessions at 35,000 feet with Linda Beall, a flight attendant. What does it mean when the cabin bells ring three or four…
Leaving a party, family gathering, or long meeting and immediately wanting silence is often mistaken for a dislike of people, but daily-life research suggests a different explanation. A longitudinal ...
Asexual people benefit less from romantic relationships compared to heterosexual and other sexual minorities. Romantic relationships are often seen as one of the main ways people find happiness, connection, and…
We taught people how to soften the blow of social rejection, but could they do it under pressure? Unless you’re a bully, you probably dread it when you must socially reject someone. Sometimes, social rejection is…
Conferences are highly important events for anyone in academia. They are an opportunity to update your research knowledge, meet people who work in your same field, share your research findings with both the lay public…
Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and…
How do people want to be happy? Pop songs can tell us! Yahoo! (This is your celebration) Celebrate good times, come on (Let's celebrate) (Kool and the Gang, 1981)) Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games We got…
How happy you are in your relationship may shape how you see your partner’s attachment orientation. How accurately do people see their romantic partners? And when a relationship is going well, do people start to see…
Opinion hopping — the subtle habit of caving to social pressure instead of staying with what you actually think — slowly erodes self-respect from the inside out.
Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went…
For Sonja, researching happiness means being asked over and over again, “What is the secret to happiness?” Sonja has always dreaded that question. It’s ridiculous, it’s reductive, and it’s restrictive. But mostly she has…
Shooting cat-three landings in the fog, using the “voice of God” on unruly passengers, and declaring Mayday after an engine fire with Paul Drusch, a commercial airline pilot. Why does the pilot’s paycheck start with the…
Untangling who gets to speak for a dying patient, weighing a treatment's benefits against its burdens, and searching for clarity in the grayest corners of healthcare with Esther Berkowitz, a clinical ethicist. What is…
We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. It could be a friend who recently went through a breakup, or an older person trying to load groceries into their car. We tell ourselves…
When something feels natural and unfolds with ease, people often experience it as authentic. Think about the last time you felt completely like yourself. Maybe it was singing along at a concert, losing yourself in a…
Over the past few years, the social psychologist Ron Friedman has been studying what makes teams successful—really successful ...
Each summer, we read a novel and explore its themes through conversations with leading thinkers at the intersection of science and culture. This summer, we’ll read Flights by Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, the recipient…
The game was over. Babe, who had made one of his famous drives that day, was tired and wanted to go home. “Not tonight, Babe,” I said. “Tonight you go to college with me. You're going to take scientific tests which will…
Grinding through 16-hour shifts, standing behind inmates (never in front), and trying to stay human in an inhuman environment with Bill Farrell, a correctional officer in Massachusetts. What happens when an officer gets…
Many people avoid learning a new language because they remember stressful grammar lessons or fear making mistakes. But language experts say communication, culture, and connection matter far more than perfection. Modern…
Are you familiar with Bibb Latané’s theory of social impact, first introduced in 1981? Probably not. Although behavioral ...
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A new study suggests AI chatbots may do more than spread misinformation — they can actively strengthen a user’s false beliefs. Because conversational AI often validates and builds on what users say, it can make distorted…
A new twin study suggests your genes may play a bigger role in your future success than your upbringing. Researchers found that IQ, which is largely genetically influenced, strongly predicts education, career, and…
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