New research reveals kids consider multiple factors when deciding who to include in their groups, including social skills, group dynamics, bias, and inclusion/exclusion. Understanding these processes can help address exclusion and promote social justice.
Research suggests that scriptural violence sanctioned by God can increase aggression in believers. A study found that participants who read a parable with violent content were more aggressive, regardless of their religious affiliation. The results imply that exposure to violent scriptures may contribute to the origins of violent religi...
Research published in Psychological Science suggests psychologists are adopting improved statistical practices, using more graphs with error bars to report their research and estimating effect sizes. The shift signals a step forward in data interpretation, leading to better conclusions.
A new study suggests that human males have evolved mechanisms to outcompete rivals for fertilization, even after sex. This phenomenon, dubbed 'sperm competition,' can lead to increased sperm count and more aggressive sexual behavior in response to perceived infidelity.
Researchers found facial composite systems produce poor likenesses of the intended face, affecting accuracy in criminal identification. Whole-face methods show promise as a solution by utilizing holistic processing and multidimensional similarity, leading to improved results.
Researchers found that housekeepers' perceived levels of exercise positively impacted their health, with significant weight loss and improved blood pressure. The study suggests the placebo effect plays a role in exercise's benefits.
Previous studies suggested that protected values lead to quantity insensitivity, but new findings reveal a different story. Morally-motivated decision makers may actually be more sensitive to consequences when considering net benefits.
Research suggests that women's implicit stereotypes about math ability and their gender identity impact their performance in mathematical fields. Women who hold strong gender stereotypes perform worse than those without such biases.
A study of internationally adopted children sheds new light on infant language development, showing that older children follow the same stages as infants when learning a new language. This challenges traditional theories and suggests that these stages are side effects of the processes children use to learn words and grammar.
A study found that temporary inhibition of native language words helps learners focus on the new language. Fluently bilingual speakers were less prone to this effect, suggesting it's an adaptive strategy during initial second language learning stages.
A study found that possessing power impairs an individual's ability to adjust to another person's perspective and interpret emotions. Researchers discovered that individuals with high power levels are more likely to prioritize their own viewpoints, leading to decreased empathy.
A groundbreaking case study reveals that congenitally blind individuals can acquire visual function and skills even after extended periods of blindness during childhood. The findings challenge the widely-held 'critical period' theory, suggesting the brain's ability to relearn and adapt remains flexible throughout life.
A new report suggests that adolescents make decisions based on weighing risks and benefits, similar to economists' ideal, but also relying on intuitive reasoning. This challenges the common notion of adolescents being reckless and impulsive.
A study found that inducing fast thinking can lead to feelings of happiness, energy, creativity, power, and grandiosity. The speed of cognitive processing was as important as the content of thoughts in determining mood. Researchers suggest simple manipulations of thought speed could improve mood and self-esteem.
Researchers found that the cognitive ability gap between blacks and whites has decreased significantly since 1972, with blacks making notable gains in cognitive tests. The study's findings suggest a possible correlation between social equality progress and IQ gains, potentially indicating further improvements.
A new study found that frequent naps in infants improve their ability to learn abstract concepts and generalize knowledge to new phrases. The research, published in Psychological Science, suggests that sleep plays a crucial role in cognitive development.
A new study by Princeton University researchers shows that people respond to social out-groups with disgust, not fellow humanity. Brain imaging confirms this prejudice at an unconscious level, dehumanizing individuals from these groups.
The Association for Psychological Science has changed its name from American Psychological Society to better clarify its scientific mission. The new name emphasizes the organization's commitment to psychological science and human welfare, as well as its growing international presence.
A study by Association for Psychological Science found that pairs can coordinate through haptic interactions, leading to improved performance and development of cooperative strategies. The researchers speculate that this capacity is a fundamental human ability used in various daily activities.
A new study reveals that mental preparation involving inward focus of attention promotes insight even prior to the presentation of a problem. Brain activity patterns before problem solving, as measured by EEG and fMRI, differ between those who solve problems with insight and methodically.
A new study found that performing even simple tasks while driving slows down reaction times, demonstrating the psychological-refractory period effect in real-world conditions. The research involved a car simulator and showed participants brake more slowly when easy tasks were presented simultaneously or before brake lights.
Research found that students who scored in the top .01 percentile of their age group on the SAT before age 13 were more likely to achieve a MD degree, earn over $100k annually, or secure a tenure-track position at a top-50 institution. Both groups reported high life satisfaction despite income and tenure differences.
A study by John Chambers found that individuals view their opponents' arguments as attacks on their core values, leading to intense conflicts. Despite perceived disagreements, groups often agree on issues important to the other side.
A study by cognitive psychologists Helga Noice and Tony Noice found that actors acquire lines quickly by focusing on the character's intention, rather than just memorizing the words. This 'active experiencing' principle is effective not only for actors but also for improving memory and cognition in older adults.
Research by Iowa State University researchers found that rewarded violence in video games significantly increases aggressive thoughts and behavior, as well as feelings of hostility. In contrast, punishment did not affect aggressive behavior but had a lesser impact on hostile feelings and aggressive thoughts.
A recent study found that people generally overestimate their abilities and health risks, leading to poor decision-making in areas such as health management, education, and the workplace. This can have serious consequences, including underestimating susceptibility to health risks and overconfidence in professional competence.
A study found that grammatical thought processes significantly affect ambiguous pronoun resolution, with the grammatical aspect being more important than order-of-mention. The results suggest our brains infer meaning from parts of speech and think in grammatical terms, supporting the importance of learning grammar rules.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that speakers use disambiguating words to avoid confusion for listeners. Acting as a listener with ambiguous instructions makes participants more aware of speaking ambiguously, prompting them to adjust their language.
A global study found that children of diverse cultures pass a false-belief task between ages 3 and 5, indicating a universal milestone in child development. This discovery challenges the idea that Western concepts influence early mental-state reasoning.
A recent study found that motion significantly enhances people's ability to recognize subtle facial expressions, particularly when displayed dynamically rather than statically. The research suggests that motion reveals the temporal characteristics of emotions and improves sensitivity to communication of emotion.
A study of twins and their partners/friends reveals a strong genetic component to our tendency to seek out people like ourselves. The researchers found that 34% of preference for similar mates was due to shared genes, with the greatest self-similarity seen in more heritable items.
Researchers found that recognizing familiar objects is easier when they appear at the same angle, as this allows for temporary adjustments to the coordinate system. This can lead to improved recognition of misoriented objects, such as a dog shown in the same orientation as another object.
Research found that children can recognize and discount self-interested statements by age 7, yet struggle to grasp unintentional biases. By age 11, they better understand situational bias as a possible explanation for what people say.
Researchers found that individuals with lower inhibitory ability were more prone to socially inappropriate behavior, even in low-pressure situations. The study suggests that our ability to suppress true feelings is disrupted under demanding conditions, affecting social etiquette and potentially career advancement.
Researchers found that preschool children's reaction to unwanted gifts predicts their ability to control reactive behavior and develop socially appropriate expressive behavior. This skill is crucial for future social success.
Research suggests people with poor inhibitory ability are more likely to behave inappropriately, even when trying to follow social norms. Inhibitory ability is disrupted under demanding conditions, affecting individuals' ability to suppress true feelings.
A recent study published in Psychological Science reveals that consonants play a crucial role in distinguishing between words, while vowels carry grammatical information. The researchers found that listeners are sensitive to this difference and can compute statistical relations among vowel sounds but not consonant sounds.
Researchers found that adding noise to weak vibrations increased the ability of participants to detect the frequency of the original signal. This effect could be useful in designing prosthetics for the elderly to prevent painful falls and improve balance control.
A study found that repeated exposure to misinformation can create false memories, while skepticism plays a crucial role in discounting incorrect information. Researchers investigated the effects of retractions and disconfirmations on people's memory of war-related events.
A computer simulation study found that police officers can eliminate racial bias when trained using the program. After extensive exposure, officers became more accurate in their decisions to fire at suspects of either race due to improved weapon detection. The findings have implications for eliminating racial biases and training police...
Researchers found that blind participants were more accurate than sighted individuals in estimating the size of familiar objects. This is because blind individuals rely on manual representations, while sighted individuals may use inaccurate visual-memory representations.
A study by Arthur B. Markman and C. Miguel Brendl found that people's representations of self are distinct from their body representations, suggesting a temporary localization of the self in virtual environments like video games. This external representation affects how players perceive and act, potentially leading to a merge of both b...
Research reveals that humans have a limited capacity for processing multiple variables simultaneously, with performance decreasing significantly as problem complexity rises. The study found that academics struggled to accurately solve problems involving four or more variables, often reporting feelings of information loss and confusion.
Researchers found that people rapidly categorize objects before they identify them, contradicting the long-held assumption that object recognition begins with categorization. This built-in process enables fast and efficient visual perception, facilitating survival and interaction with the environment.
Research reveals that North American adults have difficulty perceiving rhythmic patterns in non-Western music, while infants can adapt to various rhythms. The study found that exposure to a single type of rhythm during childhood affects this ability.
Researchers at Princeton University found that automatic vigilance happens mainly when people categorize others, but this reaction can be controlled. The study used fMRI to measure activity in the amygdala and showed that participants only exhibited activation when they categorized faces by age, not racial characteristics.
A new study found that faster reaction times were associated with longer life expectancy than higher IQ scores. The research built on earlier studies showing a link between lower IQs and early mortality. The study of middle-aged subjects suggested that processing information efficiency may be a key factor in predicting life span.
Researchers found that when both parents have negative beliefs about their child's alcohol use, the self-fulfilling prophecy effect is strongest. This pattern suggests that people process negative information differently than positive information, leading to a greater impact of collective false beliefs on behavior.
A study found that stereotype-vulnerable black participants predicted their abilities less accurately and experienced fluctuating self-efficacy, highlighting the fragility of academic perceptions. This uncertainty can lead to unrealistic optimism and decreased motivation in the face of prejudice.
A recent study by Zenzi Griffin found that people who make word substitution mistakes, such as calling a hammer an axe, look at the object just as long before speaking as they do when speaking correctly. The study suggests that speech errors are more indicative of planning issues than attention problems.