A recent study found that attending socioeconomically advantaged high schools tends to lead to higher educational attainment, income, and occupational prestige, while attending high-achievement schools can harm students' career prospects. Researchers hope to identify teacher-related factors that can buffer against these negative effects.
A study found that individuals from higher social classes experience more happiness from experiential purchases, while lower-class individuals derive more happiness from material goods. This is due to differences in resource availability and consumer motives.
Researchers found that even when participants couldn't identify a familiar voice, they still found it easier to understand than an unfamiliar voice. The study suggests that resonance is a critical acoustic feature for recognizing voices and improving understanding in noisy settings.
Researchers found that people generally rate themselves more positively than others, but struggle to accurately estimate how much others like them. This 'liking gap' can hinder the formation of new relationships and has significant implications for personal and professional lives.
Researchers found that averaging two independent participants' results significantly improved screening accuracy for detecting rare objects in real-world contexts. This method reduces the likelihood of harmless items being wrongly flagged as suspicious and can be applied to various tasks, such as airport security and radiology.
A replication effort of a 2008 study found no evidence that making a list of the Ten Commandments reduces cheating behavior. The original study suggested that people are less likely to cheat after thinking about moral reminders, but the new findings contradict this result. Despite using large sample sizes and following the same protoco...
Researchers found that gift givers tend to choose gifts based on anticipated emotional responses, rather than long-term satisfaction. In studies involving real and imaginary gift-giving decisions, participants preferred personalized gifts that would elicit stronger emotional reactions.
A meta-analysis of 42 studies found that an additional year of education correlates with an average increase of 3.394 IQ points, with effects lasting even into adulthood. The study's findings suggest that education has a long-lasting impact on intelligence, regardless of age.
Research reveals that people globally aspire for moderate levels of intelligence, health, and happiness, rather than maximum perfection. Participants from holistic cultures tend to rate lower ideal levels for individual traits compared to nonholistic cultures.
A new report synthesizes findings from over 300 research studies to emphasize the importance of teaching phonics in establishing fundamental reading skills in early childhood. The review provides concrete recommendations for drawing on this evidence base in the classroom to support more children becoming confident, skilled readers.
A study published in Psychological Science found that adolescents experience less distinct and more 'murky' negative emotions compared to children and adults. Researchers discovered a U-shaped pattern of emotion differentiation across different age groups, with the lowest clarity during adolescence.
Research on racism reveals subtle, structural forms persist in a diverse US, with studies showing prejudice can be reduced through positive interactions between majority and minority groups. The collection highlights the importance of addressing systemic inequalities to combat racism.
Research published in Psychological Science found that individuals who engaged in socially-focused strategies experienced increased life satisfaction, whereas those with nonsocial strategies showed no change. Time spent socializing with family, friends, and neighbors was particularly linked to improved well-being.
A recent study found that introducing an inferior option for hand sanitizing boosted workers' use of regular hand sanitizer and increased sanitary conditions. Employees used more sanitizer and had cleaner hands after being offered a less convenient option.
Researchers found that people focus more on outcome than absolute moral principles when faced with a real-life scenario, but not in hypothetical scenarios. This study suggests a disconnect between hypothetical moral judgment and real-life moral behavior.
A study of over 600 women found no association between hormone levels and facial attractiveness, challenging the hypothesis that women prefer more masculine mates when fertile. The findings also did not support the idea that hormonal contraceptives dampen preferences for masculine faces.
A study published in Psychological Science found that imagining a positive outcome for an upcoming event can color one's memory of the event, leading to a rosier reflection. Participants who imagined scenarios in a positive light also rated actual events more positively, suggesting that optimism can transfer to a more positive recall.
Research suggests that imagining an object can produce the ventriloquist illusion and its aftereffect, changing future perception of sound. The brain integrates information from multiple senses to produce a coherent experience of the world, making it difficult to distinguish between real and imagined stimuli.
Researchers found that participants saw a neutral face as smiling more when paired with an unseen positive image. The study suggests that our emotional experiences shape our perception of the world.
A recent study found that people who experience lingering negative emotions after daily stressors are more likely to report health problems and physical limitations later in life. The study, published in Psychological Science, suggests that minor, everyday stressors can have important implications for long-term physical health.
A comprehensive review of scientific findings on vaccination behavior reveals that shaping patients' and parents' behavior is more effective than trying to change their minds. The report highlights the importance of leveraging favorable intentions and correcting misinformation through clear and intuitive communication.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people tend to use more emotional language when trying to persuade an audience, even if it may not be effective. The researchers used a quantitative linguistic analysis tool to analyze reviews and found that participants used more emotional descriptors when trying to persuade readers.
A multi-decade study found that boys who spent more time with friends as children tended to have lower blood pressure and body mass index as men in their early 30s. The association held even after accounting for other potential influences, suggesting an early protective influence of childhood friendships on physical health.
Researchers found that participants reciprocated more with wealthy individuals, even when they displayed equal generosity. This led to a widening of the wealth gap as recipients favored the wealthy, resulting in increased social capital disparities.
Analyses of two longitudinal studies in the UK found a link between early childhood behavior, such as aggression and hyperactivity, and later economic and political attitudes. Childhood conduct problems were associated with higher levels of economic/political discontent in adulthood.
Researchers found that increased experience with ratings makes the process easier, resulting in upward trends and rating inflation. This effect emerges across different tasks, including grading, dancing, and evaluating photos or short stories.
Researchers found that watching others perform a skill increases perceived ability, even if actual performance doesn't improve. Overconfidence can be detrimental, especially when attempting skills without sufficient practice.
New research found that people rationalize policies and politicians as soon as they take effect, reporting more favorable opinions after the policy becomes a reality. This suggests that public opinion polls may overestimate opposition to new initiatives once they are implemented.
A study published in Psychological Science found that exposure to air pollution, whether physical or mental, is linked with transgressive behavior through increased levels of anxiety. Participants who imagined experiencing air pollution engaged in more unethical behavior than those who thought about clean environments.
A new study analyzing 160,000 ranked chess players found that women beating expectations when playing against men. The research suggests that stereotype threat has limited impact on women's performance, contradicting previous findings. Women outperformed their male opponents in matches across various rating differences.
Research shows that college branding can enhance the motivational significance of marketed beer brands, especially for students who strongly identify with their university. This effect could lead to increased underage drinking behavior.
Research suggests that anthropomorphic virtual assistants can elicit concern about seeking help, particularly among individuals who believe intelligence is a fixed trait. This can lead to lower performance and incorrect answers in online learning settings.
Research in Psychological Science finds that thinking about potential infection activates the behavioral immune system, leading individuals to focus on their own physical appearance. Germ-averse participants reported more insecurity and interest in appearance-related behaviors and products after reading scenarios about potential pathog...
A comprehensive new report examines three systems used to understand mental health disorders: ICD, DSM, and RDoC. The report finds that these systems have similarities and differences in how they classify and conceptualize mental disorder, highlighting the need for a nuanced approach that considers individual factors.
A new study suggests that augmented-reality technology can improve ocular balance in individuals with amblyopia, a condition where signals between the brain and one eye go awry. The technology, which delivers altered but complementary video to each eye in real time, forced participants to make use of both eyes cooperatively.
A recent study published in Psychological Science found that employees whose personality traits closely match their job requirements tend to earn more than those who don't. The researchers used response surface analysis to create a model that identified the relationship between personality traits, job demands, and income.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that spanking is associated with an increased risk of behavioral problems in children. Children who were spanked by their parents showed greater increases in behavior problems at ages 6 and 8 compared to those who were not spanked, according to the study.
A study found that people attribute more humanlike qualities to those expressing opinions they disagree with when spoken aloud versus written. The medium of communication affects evaluations of the communicator, making speakers seem more intellectual and emotionally warm than writers.
A new study published in Psychological Science finds that individuals motivated to develop the best in themselves and others tend to reason wisely about their own personal problems. The research highlights two key components of wise reasoning: considering other people's perspectives and intellectual humility.
Participants rated positive images as smoother and less choppy than neutral and negative images, even when fading at the same rate. The emotional content of the images affected how people experienced time, with higher approach motivation leading to smoother perceptions.
A new study reveals that internal physical states can serve as contexts that cue specific learned behaviors, such as seeking food. Researchers found that rats conditioned to associate fullness with receiving treats pressed the lever far more often when they were full than hungry, suggesting a relapse pattern.
A study found that individuals with ADHD showed different patterns of eye movements compared to neurotypical individuals, indicating difficulties with predicting and reacting to upcoming events. This suggests the use of eye movements as an objective measure of temporal expectation, potentially complementing existing diagnostic tools.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people are more likely to cooperate when others reciprocate, rather than conforming to group norms. The researchers conducted three online experiments and found that participants were more cooperative when they had a cooperative partner and an uncooperative group.
Research finds that positive emotions are associated with healthier blood lipid profiles in Western adults but not in Japanese participants. The study's findings highlight the importance of cultural context in understanding links between emotion and health.
A new study suggests that low-income individuals with high extraversion personality trait spend more on luxury items and experiences to compensate for their financial situation. The researchers found that this spending pattern held true even after accounting for other factors such as age and income level.
Research found that 5- and 6-year-olds attributed more mental states to characters of the same gender or geographic origin as them, highlighting early origins of social phenomena like dehumanization and bias between groups
Research suggests that people prioritize products with more reviews, regardless of their quality, due to a popularity bias. This can lead to poor purchasing decisions, as statistical models recommend choosing products with fewer reviews when ratings are low.
A new study found that cognitive abilities in adolescence are positively related, suggesting a 'mutualism' model where skills help each other develop. This research has implications for understanding developmental challenges and life outcomes, such as academic success and longevity.
Researchers found that people tend to believe others will come around to their point of view over time, leading to diminished likelihood of taking action. The study's findings shed light on causes and consequences of political polarization across cultures.
Research from Association for Psychological Science reveals that women living in gender-equal societies outperform men on cognitive tests later in life. The study also found that changes in gender-role attitudes within a country over time are associated with improvements in women's cognitive performance.