Description: Maybe you are not interested in having another look at the question of why it might be that some people are more receptive to the conspiracy theories proffered by the QAnon bunch but, despite their seeming aversion to it, science can help us understand them a bit better. So, take a moment and consider… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Social Psychology
Holiday Loneliness
Description: Of course the holiday period in late December is supposed to be a time away from work and engaged in other activities such as spending time with loved ones, friends and family. This does NOT mean that it is a time to be away from Psychology (in fact maybe just the opposite)! It can,… Read more »
Introverts and the Holiday Season: Who Has Work to Do?
Description: Of course the holiday period in late December is supposed to be a time away from work and engaged in other activities such as spending time with loved ones, friends and family. This does NOT mean that it is a time to be away from Psychology (in fact maybe just the opposite)! It can,… Read more »
Psychology of Gift-Giving: Do Better With Science!
Description: Think for a moment about what a Psychology of gift-giving might involve and include. No, there is no Psychology of Gift-Giving research journal but there has been a fair bit of relevant thought and research directed towards gift-giving. What might it involve? Perhaps questions like, what makes for a good (appreciated) gift? or what… Read more »
Personality Genetics
Description: How much of your personality is genetically determined? Does that sound like a reasonable question? Some version of that question is a part of how most people and most introductory psychology students think about things like personality (and maybe things like intelligence) when they encounter them in their first-year classes. Given this, would it… Read more »
More Corner Cutting: Cheating These Days
Description: Did you hear about the two men who were caught trying to cheat t win a fishing tournament by stuffing their catch with lead weights? How many other examples of people cheating at sports, at chess, financially, have you run across recently? Is there more of it going on these days or are we… Read more »
The Science of Bullshitting: Machiavellianism
Description: I am sure that you have at least heard the name Machiavelli (Niccolò Machiavelli 1469 – 1527) and I suspect you have some thoughts about what it means when someone is referred to as Machiavellian. Machiavelli’s book, The Prince, is typically seen as text or guide to navigating the treachery, deception and crime associated… Read more »
Is Parenting Universal?
Description: Imagine (if it is not the case for you already) that you are about to become a parent for the first time and you are trying to figure out how you are going to approach the challenges and, hopefully, joys, of being a parent. Boil it down to one or two questions by starting… Read more »
What is Digital Self-Harm?
Description: Have you heard discussion of rising concerns over the rates of self-harm among early teens? Some teens who feel trapped in life situations that cause them significant stress and anxiety may engage in self-harm behaviors such as cutting as a means of managing their troubling emotions. There is some additional questions regarding how recent… Read more »
Remote Work and Mental Health
Description: Sometimes you may run across references to large scale studies that take broad, general looks at parts or sectors of the population and sometimes those large survey studies take a look at aspects of mental health. Before taking the results of such studies at face value it is well worth taking a moment or… Read more »