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Breaking rules makes you seem powerful

A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that people who break social rules are perceived as having more power and being more in control. The researchers suggest that this is because breaking rules makes others think you're powerful, rather than corrupting behavior itself.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateMay 19, 2011

People know when first impressions are accurate

Researchers found that people do reasonably well at judging their own first impressions, with accuracy tied to moderate levels of confidence. The study suggests that most people are like most people, and that recognizing this similarity leads to more accurate perceptions.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateApr 14, 2011

Men more likely to stick with girlfriends who sleep with other women than other men

A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin found that men are more than twice as likely to continue dating a girlfriend who has cheated on them with another woman. In contrast, women show the opposite pattern and are more likely to stay in relationships following a man's infidelity. The researchers suggest that this disparit...

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalPersonality and Individual Differences·DateJan 27, 2011

Feeling chills in response to music

A study found that people open to new experiences, particularly those high in openness, tend to feel chills while listening to music. They are also more likely to play musical instruments and rate music as important in their lives.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateDec 7, 2010

Partners who had powerful faces in college lead profitable law firms

A study found that law firms led by managing partners with powerful faces in college are more profitable. The researchers judged photos of 73 managing partners for dominance, maturity, attractiveness, likeability, and trustworthiness, and found that facial power was a strong predictor of law firm profitability.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateOct 21, 2010

Inflicting greater harm judged to be less harmful

Researchers validate sentiment that a single death is more tragic than a million, as people form vivid mental representations of individual victims. The scope-severity paradox exists in judgments of harm, leading to harsher punishments for crimes with identifiable victims.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateSep 9, 2010

Trusting people make better lie detectors

Researchers discovered that trusting people are more accurate at detecting lies and make better hiring decisions. They were also less likely to be deceived themselves. High trust individuals formed a more accurate impression of interviewees and chose honest candidates over dishonest ones.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateAug 12, 2010

Women do make men throw caution to the wind, research confirms

A study in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that young men took greater physical risks and had higher testosterone levels when attempting tricks in front of an attractive female. This suggests that the presence of a beautiful woman can lead to increased risk-taking behavior and elevated testosterone levels in men.

SourceSAGE·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateMar 18, 2010

U of T creates fake proof personality test

Psychologists at U of T create a bias-resistant personality inventory that predicts real-world performance even when respondents are trying to fake their answers. The study shows that traditional personality questionnaires fail to predict outcomes when respondents have strong incentive to distort the results.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalJournal of Research in Personality·DateOct 7, 2008

Odd behavior and creativity may go hand-in-hand

A new study published in Schizophrenia Research found that individuals with schizotypal personalities are more creative than normal or fully schizophrenic people. They also use the right side of their brains more heavily to access creativity. This is supported by research showing a disproportionate number of schizotypes and schizophren...

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalSchizophrenia Research·DateSep 6, 2005