Articles tagged with Experimental Psychology
A team of researchers at HSE University found that working memory stores objects and their features independently, making it easier to remember single-object information. This hierarchical structure suggests that working memory can store multiple types of information simultaneously.
A recent Arizona State University study suggests that scientific engagement can promote belief in a more abstract view of God. Researchers found that experiencing awe from science leads people to believe in an abstract God described as mystical or limitless.
Researchers have shown that people's general inability to ignore reward cues is not just a lack of control, but rather a limitation of their executive control processes. In an experiment, participants struggled to resist fast food and alcohol cues when under cognitive pressure or high memory load. The findings suggest strengthening exe...
A study by Indiana University psychologists found that people's stated preferences for dogs don't always align with their chosen breed. The researchers surveyed 1,229 visitors to an animal shelter and discovered that only a few traits, such as age and playfulness, consistently influenced dog selection.
Researchers found that people with avoidant attachment styles are less likely to use the word 'we' when talking about their relationships. The study, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, suggests that pronoun use can be an indirect indicator of attachment style.
A recent study by University of Kent researchers found that women are consistently ranked lower than men when considering leadership roles. The study suggests that women must demonstrate high performance to be considered for senior positions, while men are given preference due to their perceived potential.
Research by Jena University's sport psychology team reveals that loud grunting noises in tennis can lead to a biased perception of the ball's trajectory, causing players to overestimate its distance. Despite this, the sound of grunting does not hinder opponents' ability to predict the ball's flight.
A recent UCLA study found that artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning computer networks, have severe limitations in distinguishing objects. The researchers demonstrated that these machines can be easily fooled, and their method of identifying objects using computer vision differs substantially from human vision.
A study by Society for Consumer Psychology found that hiding information about consumption choices increases sense of connection. Researchers conducted experiments where participants were asked to keep their brand choices secret, revealing that secrecy intensified self-brand connections and increased loyalty.
A study from the University of Tampere found that direct eye contact with someone can reduce subsequent lying. In an interactive experiment, participants played a lying game on a computer against another person, with the opponent's gaze being either direct or downward towards their screen.
Researchers at Yale University found that majority-group members hold negative views of minority-group individuals with dual identities due to perceived disloyalty. However, this bias can be mitigated when minority-group members demonstrate loyalty to the majority group.
Researchers found that playing Tetris can induce a state of 'flow', reducing worry and negative emotion in individuals waiting for uncertain news. The game's adaptive difficulty level played a key role in achieving this state, which provides a convincing link between flow and improved well-being during anxious periods.
A study by University of California, Berkeley found that wider CEO-to-worker pay gaps lead to negative perceptions among employees and consumers. The study suggests a visceral disapproval of businesses whose profits fail to trickle down the corporate ladder.
A study found that people's likelihood of expressing gratitude is driven by predictions of recipient reactions, highlighting the importance of overcoming fear to write sincere thank-you notes. The research suggests that writing gratitude letters can improve well-being for both writers and recipients at little cost.
A study by Anna-Lisa Vollmer and colleagues found that children give into social pressure from humanoid robots, unlike adults. The research used a conformity experiment with Nao robots and investigated the impact on children's decision-making.
Researchers found that stimuli in the environment can influence what we think about and activate subconscious 'sets' that override conscious intentions. This challenge traditional views of a private conscious mind, suggesting it may be more permeable than thought.
Researchers found that using chopsticks while eating popcorn, finding novel ways to drink water, or watching a video with hand-goggles all intensified the experience and made it more enjoyable. These unconventional methods help focus on what's enjoyed about the product, making experiences feel brand new.
Neuroscientists discover that dislike and dehumanization are not the same thing, processed by different brain regions. Researchers used fMRI to observe participants' brain activity while rating feelings towards groups, finding that dislike and dehumanization were distinct but often overlap.
Researchers found that brains selectively treat gaining knowledge about favorable outcomes as a reward, but not unfavorable ones. People tend to spend money on advance knowledge of good events and avoid information about bad ones.
A research team led by Iowa State University's José Rosa found that setbacks can prompt people to reassess the cost-benefits of their health-related goals, potentially leading to quitting. The study's findings suggest that targeted interventions can help patients shift their mindset from renegotiation back to implementation.
A new study by University of Utah professor Jacqueline M. Chen found that observers categorize black-white multiracial individuals as non-white, influenced by a powerful minority bias. This phenomenon has significant implications for multiracial individuals' social experiences and race relations in the US.
A new study from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business found that how inequity is presented can influence individuals' willingness to rectify it. Participants were more likely to give up part of a bonus when told a specific black colleague was unfairly disadvantaged, rather than being told they had an unfair advantage.
A recent study found that individuals with a positive outlook and less education are more susceptible to marketing scams promising large rewards. The presence of an activation fee can help deter potential victims by reducing the perceived risk.
A new study tests the safety and effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suggesting it may enhance benefits of psychotherapy. However, further research is needed to confirm its efficacy and long-term effects.
A new study found that individuals who think further into the future tend to avoid risks, but this is not related to investment behavior. Instead, those with longer future-sightedness are more likely to choose waiting for future rewards.
A Baylor University study found that writing down to-do lists at bedtime can aid in falling asleep. The research, which used overnight polysomnography, compared the sleep patterns of participants who wrote about future tasks versus completed activities.
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that linking success in certain fields to intellectual talent undermines women's interest in them. Women showed less interest in career areas linked to 'brilliance' relative to other traits, such as dedication.
A new study led by Colorado State University researcher Jessica Witt investigates the impact of actions on vision. The findings suggest that vision is influenced by actions, but this effect may not be entirely dependent on the participant's level of understanding the experiment's purpose.
Cognitive psychologists found that people can accurately estimate both mean size and number of objects in separate tasks, suggesting two independent processes. This discovery can inform new approaches to statistical data visualization and education.
Researchers used Facebook ads targeted at users' personality traits, showing up to 1.4 times more clicks and 1.5 times more product purchases than non-targeted ads. The study suggests that psychological targeting is an effective approach to digital mass persuasion.
A new study by Rice University researchers reveals a strong negative correlation between the brain's flexibility and modularity, with highly modular brains showing low flexibility. The study presents a theoretical framework to explain this relationship, suggesting that flexibility and modularity tap into different cognitive processes.
A study published by the American Psychological Association found that listening without visual cues improves emotion recognition. Researchers conducted five experiments with over 1,800 participants and discovered that voice-only communication yields more accurate results than combined visual and auditory cues.
A new Yale-led study reveals that people with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses exhibit altered brain activity when induced to hallucinate. The study suggests that the ability to learn these hallucinations are not real may help identify those in need of psychiatric treatment.
Researchers found that third-person self-talk can lead people to think about themselves more similarly to how they think about others, gaining psychological distance from their experiences. This can be useful for regulating emotions, with the brain activity showing decreased emotional reactivity when using the third person.
A new study published in i-Perception reveals that facial expressions can cause problems in telling unfamiliar faces apart. Researchers found that expressive training responses were slower and more erroneous than neutral training responses.
A series of experiments found that people trust others who did not engage in the same ritual less than those who did. The study's lead author explains that even minimal rituals can lead to bias against people from other groups.
Researchers found that wanting self-control limits exertion of self-control in demanding settings, regardless of actual level of self-control. This phenomenon occurs due to low self-efficacy and disengagement from tasks.
A recent study by Michelle Nario-Redmond reveals that disability simulations often result in feelings of fear, apprehension, and pity towards individuals with disabilities. The study found that short-term experiences can lead to misinformed perceptions about the capabilities of people with disabilities.
Researchers found that people who are aware of a product's price tend to evaluate the experience more critically, resulting in decreased satisfaction. For consumers, avoiding price focus can prolong enjoyment, while for marketers, separating price from experience may prevent consumer burnout and increase purchasing loyalty.
A new study by Michigan State University researchers found that highly trained workers in certain occupations are more likely to make errors when interrupted due to faster task completion. Experienced workers' ability to recall procedural steps is impaired by the proximity of actions in time, leading to increased mistakes.
A modern version of the Milgram experiment was conducted in Poland, replicating similar results to earlier studies. Researchers found that 90% of participants were willing to deliver an electric shock, regardless of gender.
Patients with depression are more successful than healthy individuals in abandoning unattainable goals. By giving up on unrealistic objectives, depression can actually facilitate personal development. Researchers found that individuals with depression spent less time on unsolvable anagrams, indicating a greater ability to disengage.
Researchers found that feelings of jealousy increase the desire for products that will attract someone's attention. Participants who were experiencing jealousy opted to buy eye-catching products even in public, indicating a strong motivation to regain their partner's focus.
Research at University College London reveals that small lies desensitize our brains to associated negative emotions and may encourage us to tell larger lies. The study found that the brain's response to lying declines with each lie, predicting bigger lies in the future.
Experiments show that people's sense of understanding is increased when told others around them comprehend it. The study found that assurance of others' knowledge creates a community of knowledge, where people feel more confident in their own understanding, regardless of actual expertise.
Experimental psychologists at Oxford University found that 32% of people were convinced they saw an object disappear, even though none was shown. The study suggests people confuse expectations with sensory experiences, leading to misperception.
A new research replication project involving 24 labs and over 2100 participants failed to reproduce findings suggesting self-control is a depletable resource. The study, published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, used computerized tasks to test the ego depletion effect, but found no significant difference between conditions.
A study led by Saarland University psychologists found that delivering bad news, such as layoffs, is not just about the message but also the manner in which it's conveyed. Employees are more likely to accept the decision if the manager has received training on fairness and process transparency.
A recent study by Dr. Shana Cole, Dr. Yaacov Trope, and Dr. Emily Balcetis found that people in relationships perceive tempting individuals as less attractive, helping them resist temptation and stay committed to their partners.
Researchers discovered that people are more likely to act on and resist changing their moral opinions compared to non-moral ones. The 'moral' label instantly makes an opinion stronger and more resistant to counterarguments.
A New York University analysis found that contextual factors significantly impact replicating psychological studies. Studies with high contextual sensitivity ratings were less likely to be reproduced by the Reproducibility Project researchers.
A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that Italians are more likely to 'fudge' slightly, whereas Swedes are more willing to pay taxes if they believe they get more value for their money. Despite national stereotypes, the results suggest that both countries contribute equally to the public good.
A UC Davis study found that group symbols like logos and flags create the impression of a unified, effective, and cohesive group, even among diverse members. However, this can come at the cost of appearing less inclusive and warm. The research suggests using symbols strategically to achieve desired impressions.
Researchers at KU Leuven found that the human brain completes missing parts of objects using visual cues, leading to the 'shrunken finger illusion'. This counterintuitive phenomenon suggests our brains rely on visual system, not imagination, to fill in gaps. The study's findings provide new insights into perception and cognition.
Research reveals anticipated rejection due to weight stigma negatively impacts heavier women's emotional well-being. Participants who expected rejection experienced lower self-esteem, increased feelings of shame and embarrassment, and greater stress.
New evidence suggests that people feel less responsible for their actions when coerced into doing something. The study found that coercion leads to a small but significant increase in the perceived time interval between action and outcome.
A new study published by the American Psychological Association found that learning about the personal and intellectual struggles of famous scientists can improve high school students' science grades. Students who read about the scientists' failures had significantly improved their grades, with low-achievers benefiting the most.
A new study by Prof. Spike W. S. Lee and colleagues reveals that moral purity is both universal and culturally variable. In a face culture like East Asia, facial purification has a powerful moral effect, freeing individuals from guilt-driven prosocial behavior.
Researchers at the University of Bristol examined 40 peer-reviewed articles on the 'hiatus' in global warming and found inconsistent definitions and no consistent pattern. The study concluded that using terms like 'pause' or 'hiatus' creates hazards for the public and scientific community, as they imply global warming has stopped.
Research reveals that infants can make transitive inferences about social dominance by 10-13 months of age, demonstrating an ability to reason logically. The study's findings suggest that this skill is evolutionarily important and may be shared with other animals.