In these days of extremisms on all sides, I’ve been thinking about the power of a committed few. In particular, what percentage of a population is required to change the perception of the majority? Alternatively, when does an idea shift from the minority to the majority? We tend to think of social progress and change…
Throughout the ages, dogs have been human’s closest companions. Research suggests one of the reasons might be that dogs understand human intention. Recent research tested whether dogs were able to distinguish intentional human actions from unintentional ones, even when the outcomes were the same. In the experiment, dogs were fed rewards (i.e. treats) through a…
We innately know how to hear but we need to learn to listen. While that might seem counter-intuitive, it’s like the difference between seeing words versus reading books. Overly simplified, to read (and understand) a book, we need to recognize letters, put them together into words, understand the connotation of sentences, and organize them into…
With the rise of the selfie culture, older adults often complain today’s youth are more narcissistic and self-obsessed than they were at that age. In fact, some have declared a narcissism epidemic. But are the young really more narcissistic? Recent research on a large sample of students in three U.S. universities suggests otherwise. The study…
We all like to think of ourselves as honest but, in fact, we all cheat a little bit. Especially when we think our peer group is cheating too. At least that’s the conclusion of Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. Dan researches the moral side of decision making and how…
According to the theory of risk compensation, people adjust their behavior in response to perceived levels of risk; they are careful when they sense heightened risk and less careful when they feel more protected. As a result, attempts to increase safety can have the opposite effect. For example, the much-cited paper “The Effects of Automobile…
Emerging research suggests the composition of your gut microbiome might be related to your personality. The gut microbiome is the community of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit the digestive tracts of the human body. There’s a growing body of research (here, here) which suggests the microbiome is related to both physical and mental…
We all know we yawn when we are sleepy or bored. But we also yawn because we’re stressed, not just when we are tired. Robert Provine, a neuroscientist and author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond, believes yawning is a displacement activity. Displacement activities are unexpected and often unintended behaviors which happen when…
Friendship might be the key to well-being. We all recognize having strong relationships is important for our well being. The world is filled with advice on how to improve your relationship with your family, your coworkers, and your romantic partner. But there’s precious little information on how to make and maintain friends. That’s too bad…
People often hold on to their beliefs, despite evidence to the contrary. Someone once even said to me ‘don’t confuse me with facts.’ Beliefs trump facts. The Javna Brothers’ Life Is A Joke book has an entertaining story which describes the phenomena. Here’s my summary of the full version: A man is convinced he’s dead….