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Cognitive
The Scientific Link Between Popularity And Dishonesty
July 12, 2017
I meet many of these parents when they show up in the courtroom jury box, ready to perform their civic duty. “Do any of you consider...
July 12, 2017
I meet many of these parents when they show up in the courtroom jury box, ready to perform their civic duty. “Do any of you consider...
New Research Explains Why Overthinking Can Hinder Creativity
July 8, 2017
Researchers in the UK have discovered that using a targeted electric current to temporarily suppress a particular region of the frontal lobes called the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) helps to break the mental constraints linked to “rut-like thinking.” This process also increased creativity. The findings from researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Goldsmiths University of London were published June 7 online ahead of print in the journal Scientific Reports. The...
July 8, 2017
Researchers in the UK have discovered that using a targeted electric current to temporarily suppress a particular region of the frontal lobes called the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) helps to break the mental constraints linked to “rut-like thinking.” This process also increased creativity. The findings from researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Goldsmiths University of London were published June 7 online ahead of print in the journal Scientific Reports. The...
Why Should We Slow Down? The Lost Art of Patience
July 7, 2017
Finally, while we view the speed of obtaining and transmitting information or goods as a necessity, slowing this down can aid in comprehension and appreciation of the message. Today, there are parts of our life that emphasize the benefits of being slow, ranging from a “slow food movement” to “slow parenting” to “slow jogging” to the mindful slowing associated with a meditation. We also sometimes enjoy having to be patient, and delayed gratification, in which we need to wait in order to enjoy...
July 7, 2017
Finally, while we view the speed of obtaining and transmitting information or goods as a necessity, slowing this down can aid in comprehension and appreciation of the message. Today, there are parts of our life that emphasize the benefits of being slow, ranging from a “slow food movement” to “slow parenting” to “slow jogging” to the mindful slowing associated with a meditation. We also sometimes enjoy having to be patient, and delayed gratification, in which we need to wait in order to enjoy...
When Emotion Meets Thinking
July 6, 2017
The intriguing finding was that creativity did not depend only on emotion (happy or sad), or only on the thinking mode (big-picture or detailed) that participants were in. Creativity depended on the combination of participants' detail mindset and their mood. Participants who were first primed to be in a "big picture" frame of mind (looking for the bigger configuration in the letters) and were also encouraged to be in a positive mood (rather than a sad mood) were more creative in the uses of a brick...
July 6, 2017
The intriguing finding was that creativity did not depend only on emotion (happy or sad), or only on the thinking mode (big-picture or detailed) that participants were in. Creativity depended on the combination of participants' detail mindset and their mood. Participants who were first primed to be in a "big picture" frame of mind (looking for the bigger configuration in the letters) and were also encouraged to be in a positive mood (rather than a sad mood) were more creative in the uses of a brick...
How Accurate Are You at Judging Personality?
July 5, 2017
To become a good judge of personality, the König and colleagues' study suggests that you remove those biased blinders that make you “want” to like, or dislike, the person. Try to throw aside those potentially misleading external clues which have nothing to do with personality and instead drill down into qualities such as reliability, loyalty, and honesty. Think back on what the person’s actually done, and be as specific as possible. In seeking fulfilling relationships with others, we look...
July 5, 2017
To become a good judge of personality, the König and colleagues' study suggests that you remove those biased blinders that make you “want” to like, or dislike, the person. Try to throw aside those potentially misleading external clues which have nothing to do with personality and instead drill down into qualities such as reliability, loyalty, and honesty. Think back on what the person’s actually done, and be as specific as possible. In seeking fulfilling relationships with others, we look...
Empirical Study Shows Diagrams Made a Contract Easier to Use and Understand
June 28, 2017
Stefania Passera and her colleagues performed an experimental study to assess the value of diagrams in a complex business-to-business contract. They provided 122 subjects, experts on contracts drawn from an international pool with a wide variety of mother tongues, two versions of the same commercial contract in English. They were identical except that the version the “treatment” group used included diagrams, and the one the “control” group used was text only. Participants performed location...
June 28, 2017
Stefania Passera and her colleagues performed an experimental study to assess the value of diagrams in a complex business-to-business contract. They provided 122 subjects, experts on contracts drawn from an international pool with a wide variety of mother tongues, two versions of the same commercial contract in English. They were identical except that the version the “treatment” group used included diagrams, and the one the “control” group used was text only. Participants performed location...
Change Someone’s Mind by Showing the Big Picture
June 28, 2017
No one wants to admit they’re wrong. We cling to our beliefs and grasp onto them tighter the more someone tries to change our mind. As logical and sensible as an argument may be, there may be a far more effective way to get another person to see things differently. You may want to try to acknowledge their position and introduce them to all the relevant facts so the person may change their own mind, instead of you trying to do it for them, according to a recent Lifehack article. It’s...
June 28, 2017
No one wants to admit they’re wrong. We cling to our beliefs and grasp onto them tighter the more someone tries to change our mind. As logical and sensible as an argument may be, there may be a far more effective way to get another person to see things differently. You may want to try to acknowledge their position and introduce them to all the relevant facts so the person may change their own mind, instead of you trying to do it for them, according to a recent Lifehack article. It’s...
Overcoming Cognitive Biases
June 17, 2017
Brain biases clog up our thinking and allow us to be manipulated by others. The human thinking process is imperfect. The brain evolved. Parts of our brains today are remnants of the brains our early ancestors had, brains which had developed to survive under very different conditions from today. These remnants produce cognitive biases–ways of thinking that are different from reality. Individuals need to overcome their cognitive biases in order to think more clearly and avoid being manipulated by others. I...
June 17, 2017
Brain biases clog up our thinking and allow us to be manipulated by others. The human thinking process is imperfect. The brain evolved. Parts of our brains today are remnants of the brains our early ancestors had, brains which had developed to survive under very different conditions from today. These remnants produce cognitive biases–ways of thinking that are different from reality. Individuals need to overcome their cognitive biases in order to think more clearly and avoid being manipulated by others. I...
Implicit Bias in Judicial Decision Making How It Affects Judgment and What Judges Can Do About It
June 16, 2017
This Chapter reviews research indicating that judges, like most adults, rely too heavily on intuition while making important decisions. This tendency leaves them vulnerable to using overly simplistic cognitive strategies to decide cases, which creates predictable, systematic errors in judgment. It can also facilitate a reliance on implicit race and gender biases while deciding cases. Numerous strategies are available that would allow judges to stop and deliberate more carefully. This Chapter also...
June 16, 2017
This Chapter reviews research indicating that judges, like most adults, rely too heavily on intuition while making important decisions. This tendency leaves them vulnerable to using overly simplistic cognitive strategies to decide cases, which creates predictable, systematic errors in judgment. It can also facilitate a reliance on implicit race and gender biases while deciding cases. Numerous strategies are available that would allow judges to stop and deliberate more carefully. This Chapter also...
What Happens in Your Brain When You Pay Attention?
June 15, 2017
Attention isn't just about what we focus on — it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain...
June 15, 2017
Attention isn't just about what we focus on — it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain...
