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Cognitive
Carroll & Vines on Apologies
September 19, 2017
Robyn Carroll and Prue E. Vines (University of Western Australia and University of New South Wales (UNSW)) have posted Special Issue on Apologies: Introduction (Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2017) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: What is the place of apology in law? What is the meaning of apology in a complex landscape of meanings based on a socio-legal appreciation of legal concepts? This special issue explores the place of apology in the legal system within three broad inter-related...
September 19, 2017
Robyn Carroll and Prue E. Vines (University of Western Australia and University of New South Wales (UNSW)) have posted Special Issue on Apologies: Introduction (Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2017) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: What is the place of apology in law? What is the meaning of apology in a complex landscape of meanings based on a socio-legal appreciation of legal concepts? This special issue explores the place of apology in the legal system within three broad inter-related...
How short-term increases in testosterone change men’s thinking style
September 15, 2017
The hot-headed “macho man”, who acts first and thinks later, has long been popular in movies. Now there’s psychological evidence to support it. A new study in the Psychological Science finds that a short-term rise in testosterone – as might occur when in the presence of an attractive potential mate, or during competition – shifts the way men think, encouraging them to rely on quick, intuitive, and generally less accurate, judgements, rather than engaging in careful, more deliberate...
September 15, 2017
The hot-headed “macho man”, who acts first and thinks later, has long been popular in movies. Now there’s psychological evidence to support it. A new study in the Psychological Science finds that a short-term rise in testosterone – as might occur when in the presence of an attractive potential mate, or during competition – shifts the way men think, encouraging them to rely on quick, intuitive, and generally less accurate, judgements, rather than engaging in careful, more deliberate...
Empathy Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing
September 13, 2017
Empathy is critical to being a good negotiator. You must address the other person’s needs and wants in order to reach an agreement. Being emotionally cut off from others is not a recipe for negotiation success. On the other hand being too tuned in to others’ emotions can weigh you down and overwhelm you. An article in Lifehacker has some suggestions on how to keep a balance. Author Melanie Pinola suggests using two tools to protect ourselves: clear boundaries and a shift in perspective...
September 13, 2017
Empathy is critical to being a good negotiator. You must address the other person’s needs and wants in order to reach an agreement. Being emotionally cut off from others is not a recipe for negotiation success. On the other hand being too tuned in to others’ emotions can weigh you down and overwhelm you. An article in Lifehacker has some suggestions on how to keep a balance. Author Melanie Pinola suggests using two tools to protect ourselves: clear boundaries and a shift in perspective...
Learning More About Yourself Could Help You Better Understand Others
September 10, 2017
As social creatures, accurately recognising and understanding the mental states of others (their intentions, knowledge, beliefs, etc.) is crucial to our social bonds and interactions. In fact, in today’s multi-cultural world and strongly divided political climate, this skill – known as Theory of Mind – is perhaps more important than ever. A recent study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancementproposes that an effective way to develop our Theory of Mind lies in learning to better...
September 10, 2017
As social creatures, accurately recognising and understanding the mental states of others (their intentions, knowledge, beliefs, etc.) is crucial to our social bonds and interactions. In fact, in today’s multi-cultural world and strongly divided political climate, this skill – known as Theory of Mind – is perhaps more important than ever. A recent study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancementproposes that an effective way to develop our Theory of Mind lies in learning to better...
Better Educated Parents Have Children Who Are More Relaxed, Outgoing and Explorative
September 2, 2017
The evidence showed that child personality was associated with parents’ levels of education. More educated parents were more likely to have offspring who scored higher in trait Openness to Experience across almost every survey, and in the bulk of the samples more education was also associated with higher Extraversion and lower Neuroticism. A way to integrate and make sense of these three associations is that children of the more highly educated are more relaxed, outgoing and explorative; they are oriented...
September 2, 2017
The evidence showed that child personality was associated with parents’ levels of education. More educated parents were more likely to have offspring who scored higher in trait Openness to Experience across almost every survey, and in the bulk of the samples more education was also associated with higher Extraversion and lower Neuroticism. A way to integrate and make sense of these three associations is that children of the more highly educated are more relaxed, outgoing and explorative; they are oriented...
Of Perception, Impasse and A**holic Behaviours – Creating Movement in Our Minds
August 18, 2017
The study of bias tells us that we tend to be quick to label others. Therefore, the people who are creating impasse are often seen as “difficult”, “unreasonable, “stubborn” or even an “a**hole”. And this is not just a common response but an understandable one. After all, we are never the unreasonable one, it’s always the other person who is the idiot that refuses to be reasonable. It should not be surprising that the same thoughts are running through the other person’s mind about...
August 18, 2017
The study of bias tells us that we tend to be quick to label others. Therefore, the people who are creating impasse are often seen as “difficult”, “unreasonable, “stubborn” or even an “a**hole”. And this is not just a common response but an understandable one. After all, we are never the unreasonable one, it’s always the other person who is the idiot that refuses to be reasonable. It should not be surprising that the same thoughts are running through the other person’s mind about...
When and Why Defaults Influence Decisions: A Meta-Analysis of Default Effects
August 14, 2017
When people make decisions with an implicitly or explicitly pre-selected option — a “default” — they are more likely...
August 14, 2017
When people make decisions with an implicitly or explicitly pre-selected option — a “default” — they are more likely...
If Only…?
August 11, 2017
But, most of us (including me) do not realize that we are participating in an “undoing” mind game. I realized it only...
August 11, 2017
But, most of us (including me) do not realize that we are participating in an “undoing” mind game. I realized it only...
Want to Persuade Someone?
August 10, 2017
Use the other person’s name because it makes them feel that you are sincere and paying attention. Let the other person make the decision. The author recounts buying her first car, including an expensive extended warranty. After hearing its features and a sales pitch, the dealer’s employee said the decision was up to her, and if she wanted it, the employee would do the paperwork. Bonander stated she felt empowered and liberated because (she thought) she was exercising her freedom without...
August 10, 2017
Use the other person’s name because it makes them feel that you are sincere and paying attention. Let the other person make the decision. The author recounts buying her first car, including an expensive extended warranty. After hearing its features and a sales pitch, the dealer’s employee said the decision was up to her, and if she wanted it, the employee would do the paperwork. Bonander stated she felt empowered and liberated because (she thought) she was exercising her freedom without...
Bobadilla-Suarez, Sunstein, & Sharo on the Intrinsic Value of Choice
August 7, 2017
Sebastian Bobadilla-Suarez, Cass R. Sunstein, & Tali Sharot have posted The intrinsic value of choice: The propensity to under-delegate in the face of potential gains and losses (Journal of Risk and Uncertainty) on the Springer website. Here is the abstract: Human beings are often faced with a pervasive problem: whether to make their own decision or to delegate the decision task to someone else. Here, we test whether people are inclined to forgo monetary rewards in order to retain agency...
August 7, 2017
Sebastian Bobadilla-Suarez, Cass R. Sunstein, & Tali Sharot have posted The intrinsic value of choice: The propensity to under-delegate in the face of potential gains and losses (Journal of Risk and Uncertainty) on the Springer website. Here is the abstract: Human beings are often faced with a pervasive problem: whether to make their own decision or to delegate the decision task to someone else. Here, we test whether people are inclined to forgo monetary rewards in order to retain agency...
