Empathy and prejudice after attacks in Paris and Beirut
keywords:
terrorism / Construal Level Theory / terror management theory / fear / prejudice / over-generalization / categorization
Empathy and prejudice after attacks in Paris and Beirut
In this blog, I will try to explain why we showed more empathy for victims in Paris than in Beirut, and how feelings of fear after such a terrorist attack can lead to prejudice against out-groups, especially against Muslims. / more
Can you nonbelieve it: What happens when you do not believe in your memories?
keywords:
belief / recollection / non-believed memory / trauma / eyewitness
Can you nonbelieve it: What happens when you do not believe in your memories?
Human memory is susceptible to errors and distortions. This may sound cliché (Loftus, 2005), but the practical meaning of this is illustrated by, for example, the devastating effects of mistaken eyewitness identifications (Sagana, Sauerland, & Merckelbach, 2012), the far-reaching consequences of innocents who falsely confess to crimes they never committed (Kassin & Gudjonsson, 2004), and the tragedy of adults who erroneously come to believe that they recovered very early memories of abuse experiences (Loftus, 1993). As for these alleged ... / more
Seeing and Believing: Common Courtroom Myths in Eyewitness Memory
![US courtroom - Carol M. Highsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.in-mind.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/field/image/courtroom_united_states_courthouse_davenport_iowa.jpg?itok=WW7WpHSy "US courtroom - Carol M. Highsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons")
keywords:
eyewitness identification / memory / myths / common sense
Seeing and Believing: Common Courtroom Myths in Eyewitness Memory
When it comes to understanding eyewitness memory, people’s commonsense views are sometimes consistent with contemporary scientific knowledge – but sometimes they are dangerously adrift. This article aims to unravel some of the common myths that appear in the courts, in the news, and in the awareness of the public. On a mid-summer evening in 1982, in a small town in the southern U.S., 24-year-old Susan1 was walking home, when a man grabbed her, threatened her with a gun, forced her... / more
Finding Your Way With Your Baby: The Emotional Life of Parents and Babies
Finding Your Way With Your Baby: The Emotional Life of Parents and Babies
I recently visited my friends to see their newborn baby boy. When I arrived, the baby was just fed, clean and seemed happy. Nevertheless, after a while it started wiggling and finally crying, seemingly with no reason at all. My friend tried to comfort his son, but when all methods failed, he gave up and passed the little one to his wife, mumbling “Well, baby whisperer, maybe you know what it is that he wants.” As amusing as it was... / more
What does your selfie say about you?
keywords:
personality / selfie / zero-acquaintance judgment / social media
What does your selfie say about you?
Selfie is a new form of self-expression in this digital age. In this post, I will discuss our research on how selfies reveal the personality of their owners and how people judge others’ personality based on selfies. / more
Bicultural minds: How capable are you in responding culturally appropriate?
keywords:
culture / bicultural mind / cognitive flexibility / bicultural competence
Bicultural minds: How capable are you in responding culturally appropriate?
When individuals live actively with two cultures (in families, organizations or society at large) they, partly unconsciously, partly deliberately, may change towards acquiring a ‘bicultural mind’. I will discuss here, is whether these individuals are capable of spontaneously producing appropriate responses that fit the expectation patterns of either of their two cultures. / more
Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice.
Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice.
Being perceived as victim of an assault or as a drunk – does it matter to physicians when they treat you? Is it common to lie on purpose to a suspect and invent false evidence to get a confession? Can a suggestive interview create false memories in a witness without her noticing? Is a person more likely to get parole after the lunch break? “Well, maybe, but it should not!” - I believe you agree with me... / more
Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target
keywords:
gender / toys / development / cognitive skills
Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target
In this blog post I will discuss how Target’s recent decision to do away with gender specific toy aisles could actually help children develop new cognitive skills, and as well as increase their willingness to play with different types of toys. / more
Experience in Action Games and the Effects on Executive Control
keywords:
video games / action games / executive functions / task switching / dual tasks
Experience in Action Games and the Effects on Executive Control
Many people spend numerous hours a day playing video games. Furthermore, the video game industry is expanding as the number of its clients constantly increases. Surveys show that 58 % of Americans play video games and 25 million Germans play games several times a month. This frequent use of video games occurs independently of gender, education, and income (e.g., BIU, 2012). Many politicians and members of the public media express their concerns about this development and... / more
Why do we so often ignore the influence of situations on behavior?
keywords:
aging / autism / dispositions / fundamental attribution error / mentalizing / social cognition / theory of mind
Why do we so often ignore the influence of situations on behavior?
Situations matter; they have an effect on us all, great or small. We are told we should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, to “look at it from my point of view,” and would never dream of swearing in the principal’s office. So why are we so quick to judge others’ behavior as if the situations they find themselves in are irrelevant? Imagine you are walking... / more