Psychology
Positive Parenting Gets “Under the Skin”
December 27, 2017
Adolescence is when values and relationships are formed and things happen that leave their sticky fingerprints on the life that follows. Even, it seems, in the everyday functioning of brain systems. New research published in Developmental Science shows that when teenagers have a positive relationship with their parents, then as adults their brains and bodies respond to stress in a way that helps them better engage with the world. However, the study suggests this benefit may be denied to those...
December 27, 2017
Adolescence is when values and relationships are formed and things happen that leave their sticky fingerprints on the life that follows. Even, it seems, in the everyday functioning of brain systems. New research published in Developmental Science shows that when teenagers have a positive relationship with their parents, then as adults their brains and bodies respond to stress in a way that helps them better engage with the world. However, the study suggests this benefit may be denied to those...
The Brain Benefits of Deep Sleep — and How to Get More of it
December 25, 2017
There's nothing quite like a good night's sleep. What if technology could help us get more out of it? Dan Gartenberg is working on tech that stimulates deep sleep, the most regenerative stage which (among other wonderful things) might help us consolidate our memories and form our personalities. Find out more about how playing sounds that mirror brain waves during this stage might lead to deeper sleep -- and its potential benefits on our health, memory and ability to learn.
December 25, 2017
There's nothing quite like a good night's sleep. What if technology could help us get more out of it? Dan Gartenberg is working on tech that stimulates deep sleep, the most regenerative stage which (among other wonderful things) might help us consolidate our memories and form our personalities. Find out more about how playing sounds that mirror brain waves during this stage might lead to deeper sleep -- and its potential benefits on our health, memory and ability to learn.
The Weird Reason Sleep Is So Good For Memory
December 25, 2017
How sleep helps us adapt our memories for future experiences. Sleep helps to strengthen both old and new versions of an experience, new research shows. Instead of overwriting old versions of a memory, the brain stores another copy of the same experience. Sleep keeps both old and new memories alive, which gives memory more flexibility. Dr Scott Cairney, who led the research said: “Previous studies have shown sleep’s importance for memory. Our research takes this a step further...
December 25, 2017
How sleep helps us adapt our memories for future experiences. Sleep helps to strengthen both old and new versions of an experience, new research shows. Instead of overwriting old versions of a memory, the brain stores another copy of the same experience. Sleep keeps both old and new memories alive, which gives memory more flexibility. Dr Scott Cairney, who led the research said: “Previous studies have shown sleep’s importance for memory. Our research takes this a step further...
Why Do We Crave? The Science Behind Food Cravings
December 24, 2017
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a craving is a “very strong desire for something.” You could crave a donut, a glass of wine, or a cigarette. Even sex. All of us have felt like slaves to our food cravings at some point — it’s just a matter of how long until we give in. The million-dollar question: How do food cravings work? Our evolutionary history provides some clues. “Our brains evolved to respond to food whenever the opportunity was available, especially if the food was palatable...
December 24, 2017
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a craving is a “very strong desire for something.” You could crave a donut, a glass of wine, or a cigarette. Even sex. All of us have felt like slaves to our food cravings at some point — it’s just a matter of how long until we give in. The million-dollar question: How do food cravings work? Our evolutionary history provides some clues. “Our brains evolved to respond to food whenever the opportunity was available, especially if the food was palatable...
Expressing Gratitude in Negotiations May Not Be A Good Idea
December 15, 2017
Previous research has revealed that expressing gratitude motivates prosocial behavior in cooperative relationships. However, expressing gratitude in competitive interactions may operate differently. Across five studies, we demonstrate that individuals interacting with grateful counterparts become more likely to engage in selfish behavior during competitive interactions. In Studies 1a and 1b, participants who interacted with counterparts expressing gratitude were more likely to make aggressive offers...
December 15, 2017
Previous research has revealed that expressing gratitude motivates prosocial behavior in cooperative relationships. However, expressing gratitude in competitive interactions may operate differently. Across five studies, we demonstrate that individuals interacting with grateful counterparts become more likely to engage in selfish behavior during competitive interactions. In Studies 1a and 1b, participants who interacted with counterparts expressing gratitude were more likely to make aggressive offers...
Anger Has Its Benefits
December 14, 2017
From this, the researchers concluded that “‘People intuitively chose to become angry… They believed they would become more effective competitors.’” (Id.): They were right. Anger is what psychologists call an ‘approach’ emotion—it makes us move toward or attack something. It can help us tackle problems, such as when we get mad about something political and rally to a cause. And getting made before a negotiation, competition or sporting event can fire us up. That’s why coaches trash...
December 14, 2017
From this, the researchers concluded that “‘People intuitively chose to become angry… They believed they would become more effective competitors.’” (Id.): They were right. Anger is what psychologists call an ‘approach’ emotion—it makes us move toward or attack something. It can help us tackle problems, such as when we get mad about something political and rally to a cause. And getting made before a negotiation, competition or sporting event can fire us up. That’s why coaches trash...
Stressed Out, Anxious or Sad? Try Meditating
December 11, 2017
Meditation can make you more compassionate and ease depression. Psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of ‘Emotional Intelligence,’ on the benefits of focusing the mind Should you meditate? Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman—well-known for his 1995 book “Emotional Intelligence”—spent almost two years combing through more than 6,000 academic studies on meditation with a team of researchers to sort through the hype and discover the real benefits. He wrote about his findings...
December 11, 2017
Meditation can make you more compassionate and ease depression. Psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of ‘Emotional Intelligence,’ on the benefits of focusing the mind Should you meditate? Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman—well-known for his 1995 book “Emotional Intelligence”—spent almost two years combing through more than 6,000 academic studies on meditation with a team of researchers to sort through the hype and discover the real benefits. He wrote about his findings...
How A Tired Mind Limits the Body
December 8, 2017
But even here the body/mind distinction proves illusory. Consider a new paper by Daniel Longman, Jay Stock and Jonathan Wells. Their subjects were sixty-two male rowers from the University of Cambridge. They were all in excellent shape. On their first visit to the lab, the men rowed as intensely as possible for three minutes as the scientists tracked their total power output. On their second visit, the men were given an arduous mental task. Seventy-five words were briefly flashed on a screen; their...
December 8, 2017
But even here the body/mind distinction proves illusory. Consider a new paper by Daniel Longman, Jay Stock and Jonathan Wells. Their subjects were sixty-two male rowers from the University of Cambridge. They were all in excellent shape. On their first visit to the lab, the men rowed as intensely as possible for three minutes as the scientists tracked their total power output. On their second visit, the men were given an arduous mental task. Seventy-five words were briefly flashed on a screen; their...
How to Control Your Emotions During a Difficult Conversation
December 7, 2017
It’s hard not to get worked up emotionally when you’re in a tense conversation. After all, a disagreement can feel like a threat. You’re afraid you’re going to have to give up something — your point of view, the way you’re used to doing something, the notion that you’re right, or maybe even power – and your body therefore ramps up for a fight by triggering the sympathetic nervous system. This is a natural response, but the problem is that our bodies and minds aren’t particularly...
December 7, 2017
It’s hard not to get worked up emotionally when you’re in a tense conversation. After all, a disagreement can feel like a threat. You’re afraid you’re going to have to give up something — your point of view, the way you’re used to doing something, the notion that you’re right, or maybe even power – and your body therefore ramps up for a fight by triggering the sympathetic nervous system. This is a natural response, but the problem is that our bodies and minds aren’t particularly...
Listening Leads to Empathy
December 1, 2017
Have you ever sat back with your eyes closed and listened to music or someone speaking? Why did you do it? Probably, to appreciate more fully and deeply what you were hearing. By shutting down one of our senses, we allow ourselves to hone in more deeply to the music or conversation. Well, you are not crazy for doing this. A recent study, posted on LiveScience.com (posted on October 10, 2017 entitled Listen, Don’t Look: Why Your Ears Can Tell More Than Your Eyes by Samantha Mattewson) reveals...
December 1, 2017
Have you ever sat back with your eyes closed and listened to music or someone speaking? Why did you do it? Probably, to appreciate more fully and deeply what you were hearing. By shutting down one of our senses, we allow ourselves to hone in more deeply to the music or conversation. Well, you are not crazy for doing this. A recent study, posted on LiveScience.com (posted on October 10, 2017 entitled Listen, Don’t Look: Why Your Ears Can Tell More Than Your Eyes by Samantha Mattewson) reveals...
