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Rude Behavior Spreads Like a Disease
December 9, 2015
New research by Trevor Foulk, Andrew Woolum, and Amir Erez at the University of Florida takes that same first step in identifying a different kind of contagious menace: rudeness. In a series of studies, Foulk and colleagues demonstrate that being the target of rude behavior, or even simply witnessing rude behavior, induces rudeness. People exposed to rude behavior tend to have concepts associated with rudeness activated in their minds, and consequently may interpret ambiguous but benign behaviors...
December 9, 2015
New research by Trevor Foulk, Andrew Woolum, and Amir Erez at the University of Florida takes that same first step in identifying a different kind of contagious menace: rudeness. In a series of studies, Foulk and colleagues demonstrate that being the target of rude behavior, or even simply witnessing rude behavior, induces rudeness. People exposed to rude behavior tend to have concepts associated with rudeness activated in their minds, and consequently may interpret ambiguous but benign behaviors...
Mediators Find More Tools Through Neuroscience
December 8, 2015
Mediators and other practitioners of alternative dispute resolution are using information gleaned from the research of world-class neuroscientists to calm emotions and help mediations resolve more easily. With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging and the growing interest in brain mapping, neuroscientists and those trained by them are teaching thousands of mediators how to ease clients through a conflict-ridden process. While the layperson may believe we make decisions with our rational...
December 8, 2015
Mediators and other practitioners of alternative dispute resolution are using information gleaned from the research of world-class neuroscientists to calm emotions and help mediations resolve more easily. With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging and the growing interest in brain mapping, neuroscientists and those trained by them are teaching thousands of mediators how to ease clients through a conflict-ridden process. While the layperson may believe we make decisions with our rational...
Does the Thought of Money Make Us Dishonest?
December 7, 2015
When the bankers were put into a banking state of mind, they became significantly more likely to cheat in the coin flipping game. Their greed was more likely to overwhelm their moral sensibilities. This study adds to evidence that our moral backbones are often quite pliable, bending to the social norms of things like our workplace.
December 7, 2015
When the bankers were put into a banking state of mind, they became significantly more likely to cheat in the coin flipping game. Their greed was more likely to overwhelm their moral sensibilities. This study adds to evidence that our moral backbones are often quite pliable, bending to the social norms of things like our workplace.
Warning: You Are About to Be Nudged
December 4, 2015
Defaults have been shown in prior research to impact important decisions, including how people complete advance directives (which specify the medical treatments they want to receive if they become unable to communicate their wishes). However, defaults and other nudges are often criticized for violating individual autonomy because those affected are typically unaware that they are being influenced. We report results from a study in which people were informed that they were being defaulted, either...
December 4, 2015
Defaults have been shown in prior research to impact important decisions, including how people complete advance directives (which specify the medical treatments they want to receive if they become unable to communicate their wishes). However, defaults and other nudges are often criticized for violating individual autonomy because those affected are typically unaware that they are being influenced. We report results from a study in which people were informed that they were being defaulted, either...
Googling Leads to Overestimation of Our Own Knowledge
December 3, 2015
The internet has changed the way we do many things, from organising a get-together to looking up a recipe. Tasks that little...
December 3, 2015
The internet has changed the way we do many things, from organising a get-together to looking up a recipe. Tasks that little...
Does Your Approach Appeal to the Inner Reptile?
December 3, 2015
If your approach gets the attention and approval of the inner reptile you have a much better chance of guiding the other person to agreeing with you. The inner reptile, Is more concerned with avoiding pain in order to survive than with enjoying pleasure. Discuss the direct benefits of your approach and how the party will avoid or alleviate some kind of pain if he or she adopts it. Responds to emotions. What drives decision making is mostly subconscious. It doesn’t involve the cognitive parts...
December 3, 2015
If your approach gets the attention and approval of the inner reptile you have a much better chance of guiding the other person to agreeing with you. The inner reptile, Is more concerned with avoiding pain in order to survive than with enjoying pleasure. Discuss the direct benefits of your approach and how the party will avoid or alleviate some kind of pain if he or she adopts it. Responds to emotions. What drives decision making is mostly subconscious. It doesn’t involve the cognitive parts...
Taking a Pause Could Help Your Client’s Cause
December 2, 2015
When you’re involved in a negotiation, mediation or litigation if you’re trying to get another person to see things your way what matters is not only what you say but how you say it. A recent study from the University of Michigan looks at how effective speakers were at getting subjects to agree to take a survey. They found that the smoothest, fastest speakers were the least effective. Science Daily reports that the study looked at how speech characteristics impacted decisions to take a telephone...
December 2, 2015
When you’re involved in a negotiation, mediation or litigation if you’re trying to get another person to see things your way what matters is not only what you say but how you say it. A recent study from the University of Michigan looks at how effective speakers were at getting subjects to agree to take a survey. They found that the smoothest, fastest speakers were the least effective. Science Daily reports that the study looked at how speech characteristics impacted decisions to take a telephone...
Empowering People to Choose Wisely by Democratizing Mindfulness and Thinking Tools
December 2, 2015
Making choices (wisely) can be difficult; demand focused, cognitive attention; produce delayed, noisy feedback; require careful and clear thinking; and quite often trigger anxiety, stress, or strong, negative emotions. A large body of empirical, experimental, and field research finds that people often make choices resulting in outcomes that are suboptimal as judged by the very people making those choices. These studies have led to the popularity of the idea of nudging people to achieve better outcomes...
December 2, 2015
Making choices (wisely) can be difficult; demand focused, cognitive attention; produce delayed, noisy feedback; require careful and clear thinking; and quite often trigger anxiety, stress, or strong, negative emotions. A large body of empirical, experimental, and field research finds that people often make choices resulting in outcomes that are suboptimal as judged by the very people making those choices. These studies have led to the popularity of the idea of nudging people to achieve better outcomes...
Self-Doubting Therapist More Effective If Also Self-Compassionate
December 1, 2015
Given a choice, you might think it better to undertake psychotherapy with a confident therapist than a self-doubting one. After all, you want a firm hand to guide you through a storm. But in fact, there's evidence that therapy clients do better when their therapist has professional self-doubts. In a new paper published in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Helene Nissen-Lie and her colleagues tested their idea that therapist self-doubt might not always be helpful, and specifically that the ideal...
December 1, 2015
Given a choice, you might think it better to undertake psychotherapy with a confident therapist than a self-doubting one. After all, you want a firm hand to guide you through a storm. But in fact, there's evidence that therapy clients do better when their therapist has professional self-doubts. In a new paper published in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Helene Nissen-Lie and her colleagues tested their idea that therapist self-doubt might not always be helpful, and specifically that the ideal...
How To Survive (And Maybe Even Enjoy) Thanksgiving Dinner
November 26, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving from Hidden Brain! All of the research in this week's episode is geared toward helping you have a happier holiday, with tips to help you avoid three deadly Thanksgiving pitfalls: overeating, over-shopping, and fighting with your relatives. For appetizers, we'll start with two of Shankar's Morning Edition radio stories.
November 26, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving from Hidden Brain! All of the research in this week's episode is geared toward helping you have a happier holiday, with tips to help you avoid three deadly Thanksgiving pitfalls: overeating, over-shopping, and fighting with your relatives. For appetizers, we'll start with two of Shankar's Morning Edition radio stories.
