Humans produce about 50 distinct types of smiles but there’s one distinction that really matters: between real and fake.
If we can tell the people who are showing what they’re feeling from the people who are faking it, then we’ve got a really good indicator of who to trust and work with.
Decision-makers move away from the default after a delay.
On May 6th 2010 British voters go to the polls to choose a new government. Pundits predict the closest result in years with every chance of a ‘hung Parliament’, where none of the major parties hold enough seats in Parliament to wield absolute power.
Continue reading “Does Delaying Decisions Lead to Better Outcomes?”
One of the most successful cars in the US is the hybrid electric Toyota Prius. On the surface there isn’t much going for it: it has a sluggish engine, small trunk, cloth seats and it’s certainly no looker.
One of the most successful cars in the US is the hybrid electric Toyota Prius. On the surface there isn’t much going for it: it has a sluggish engine, small trunk, cloth seats and it’s certainly no looker.
Oh, and it costs thousands of dollars more than a similar car from another manufacturer, such as the Honda Civic.
New experiment finds 50% more lies on email than pen and paper.
It’s hard to look someone straight in the eye and tell them a blatant lie. Those who can are marked out for more nefarious occupations. Like politics.
Continue reading “Email: Why People Feel Lying is Justified”
In 44% of married couples, at least one partner is secretly checking up on the other’s online activities.
Flirting. Sharing relationship secrets with members of the opposite sex online. Pornography.
What do married couples consider unacceptable uses of the internet? Do they check up on each other? If so, how?
Continue reading “Online Snooping: Is Your Partner Secretly Watching You?”
New study shows that self-control can be automatically, unconsciously bolstered by abstract thinking.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could just spontaneously and automatically exercise self-control, without all that painful back-and-forth battle with ourselves?
Continue reading “How to Increase Your Self-Control Without Really Trying”
Psychological research on cognitive fluency shows why easy to understand = more profitable, more pleasurable, more intelligent and safer.
Which of these would you say sounds like the more dangerous food additive: Hnegripitrom or Magnalroxate?
Continue reading “8 Studies Demonstrating the Power of Simplicity”
PsyBlog is now on Facebook, you might like to add yourself as a fan.
If you’re so inclined, you might like to add yourself as a fan. You might also feel a sudden burst of generosity towards me and spread the word about PsyBlog to your friends on Facebook.
A wealth of psychological insights from ten more key social psychology studies.
Over the last 7 months I’ve been exploring 10 more of my favourite social psychology studies, each with an insightful story to tell about how our minds work. This follows on from an article I wrote two years ago (10 brilliant social psychology studies).
Key insights from each study are below but click through to get the full story of each experiment.
Image credit:Â Ayres no graces
The stories we weave about our mental processes are logically appealing but fatally flawed more often than we’d like to think.
We all have intuitive theories about how our own and other people’s minds work. Unfortunately psychological research demonstrates that these theories are often wrong. The gulf between how we think our minds work and how they actually work is sometimes so huge it’s laughable.
Continue reading “Our Minds Are Black Boxes – Even to Ourselves”
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