How stress influences our morality
How stress influences our morality
All of us are stressed every now and then. There are phenomena we usually associate with stress, like health risks and feelings like fear, panic, or insecurity. But stress might also have effects we normally don’t think of; recent studies suggest it can dramatically influence our decision-making in a number of—perhaps unexpected—ways. This becomes particularly relevant in the moral context: people who are put under stress behave more compassionately in some situations, yet the opposite can be...
/ moreWhen science selects for fraud
keywords:
methodology / culture / situationism / evolution / social evolution / fraud / personality
When science selects for fraud
Are fraud and other questionable practices in science caused by a few bad apples, or a culture that rewards based on results, not rigor? In this post, I will argue that our scientific environment is selecting for the wrong kind of scientist. / more
The influential child: It is not all up to the parents
The influential child: It is not all up to the parents
A classic answer to the "what stirred development to the wrong track" question, is parenting; Why am I so anxious? My parents did not love me enough. Why am I violent? My parents were not strict enough. Why am I an overachiever? My parents put a lot of emphasis on grades. Why am I insecure? My parents did not give me enough compliments. Citing parenting style as the all-inclusive cause for how children turn out is a popular stance, even... / more
The influential child: It is not all up to the parents
keywords:
gene-environment correlation / evocative gene-environment correlations / parenting / child influences.
The influential child: It is not all up to the parents
A classic answer to the "what stirred development to the wrong track" question, is parenting; Why am I so anxious? My parents did not love me enough. Why am I violent? My parents were not strict enough. Why am I an overachiever? My parents put a lot of emphasis on grades. Why am I insecure? My parents did not give me enough compliments. Citing parenting style as the all-inclusive cause for how children turn out is a popular stance, even... / more
The reason that you need to feel good about yourself in order to be happy might not be what you think it is
keywords:
culture / relational mobility / happiness / self-esteem
The reason that you need to feel good about yourself in order to be happy might not be what you think it is
Do you feel the need to feel good about yourself in order to be happy? Research suggests that if you have a lot of opportunities to make new friends, it is more likely that you will answer this question with a ‘yes’ than when you have more of a set group of people you spend time with. In this blog, I will describe the recent research on the influence of relational mobility and how it relates to the way in which we develop our self-esteem and happiness. / more
Patriot Acts: Why the USA’s recent decrease in national glorification might be a good sign
keywords:
patriotism / nationalism / politics / national identity / glorification
Patriot Acts: Why the USA’s recent decrease in national glorification might be a good sign
In this blog post, I share a recent report which says that Americans are less fervent about their country now than they’ve been in the recent past. However, I also review some political psychology research on different styles of patriotism which suggests that this particular type of decrease might actually be a good thing for Americans. / more
When having meaning in life helps – and why
keywords:
hunter-gatherers / meaning / happiness / uncertainty
When having meaning in life helps – and why
This blog examines the search for meaning in life and gives an explanation for why people seek meaning. Briefly, modern life (relative to our hunter-gatherer past) places people in an uncertain position, and meaning in life can give us a sense that difficulties in life will pay-off. / more
Look at me! (Or don’t): Of society and showing off on Facebook
keywords:
self-promotion / Facebook / social networking sites / culture / relational mobility
Look at me! (Or don’t): Of society and showing off on Facebook
Shameless self-promotion on Facebook. Love it or hate it, there’s always someone doing it. And many of us are guilty of it. But why do we do it? Comparing Facebook users in the US and Japan, I suggest it’s the power of the social context that may determine who struts their stuff, and why. / more
Can you replicate that?
keywords:
replication / solid science / methods
Can you replicate that?
The two previous “Solid Science” posts for this blog have covered important changes taking place in experimental psychology. If you have not read them, I recommend you do. In this post I report on another, larger change occurring in the field: the replication movement. / more
Blame. What is it good for?
keywords:
morality / blame / motivation / warrant / conflict
Blame. What is it good for?
Is blame for retribution and revenge? Or is blame for managing others’ behavior? I argue that while the former answer is dominant in social psychology, it predicts a dysfunctional system of blame that explains only a small portion of why people blame. Instead, I suggest that blame is better understood as a tool for changing the way people behave. / more