Tag: psychology

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Creeped Out By Clowns? Here’s The Science That Explains Why

A grade school custodian in New Hampshire has been showing up to the late shift in a creepy clown costume. So, first of all, why, and also, what is it about clowns that many people find so creepy?

Claire Weekes Came Up With Six Words To Help With Anxiety

Today in 1903, the birthday of Dr. Claire Weekes, who helped the world understand that sometimes the way to stop a spell of anxiety in its tracks… is, in a way, to stop trying to stop it. 

Dad Jokes Are Good For Kids, And Here’s The Science That Says So

Dad jokes may not be good jokes, but they may be good for us: a study from The British Psychological Society shows how telling a very simple, groan-inducing joke is a pretty complex process.

For Self-Help Robots, Looks Matter

The University of Cambridge did a study about robotic wellbeing coaches. And it turns out that if we want robots to help us help ourselves… they need to be cute. 

Science Once Figured Out How To Give Rats Gambling Problems – And How To Take Them Away

Today in 2016, researchers released a study that showed how to influence rats to make risky bets in a “rat casino.”

Piano Chords May Help Stop Chronic Nightmares

There's a new technique that could help people trying to fend off chronic nightmares - and it involves playing "neutral" piano chords at just the right times.

Clever Hans, The Horse That “Solved” Math Problems

Back about 120 or so years ago, in Berlin, Germany, you might have encountered a strange sight: a man named Wilhelm Von Osten asking math questions of a horse named Clever Hans. Was the horse actually solving the problems, or was something else at work? 

Being Nice Really Can Make The World Around You Nicer, Science Has Shown It

A University of Oregon study on what's called the “perceiver-elicited similarity effect" finds that when you’re nice, that can lead to more niceness around you!

People Will Buy “Ugly” Veggies – If Grocers Call Them Ugly

Plus: if you're weary of remote meetings, a new web tool called Zoom Escaper may help you get a break.

What Do Video Game Playing Monkeys Have To Do With The Sunk Cost Fallacy?

The sunk-cost fallacy - when we keep at something even when it’s really not worth it anymore, just because we’ve already put so much time or effort in - is a part of human nature. But new research shows it's also a part of the nature of - this is the best part - video game playing monkeys.

For A Person Who’s Hiding Something, Time Slows Down

A new study from researchers at Aoyama Gakuin University and Osaka University finds that something interesting happens when we’re trying not to reveal something: our perception of time slows down.

Taking This Pain Reliever Might Make You More Willing To Take Risks

A study out of Ohio State University found that people who take acetaminophen, one of the most common over-the-counter painkillers, are apparently more willing to take risks.