Psychology
Subliminal Cues, Precisely Timed, Might Help People Forget Bad Experiences
Suppressing memories using an “amnesic shadow” could someday lead to a gentler therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder
Psychology99 articles archived since 1845
Psychology
People Shopping for ‘Meaning’ Buy Cheaper Goods
People who prioritize “meaning” when they shop may unwittingly convince themselves to buy cheaper goods, services and experiences
Psychology
Moral Injury Is an Invisible Epidemic That Affects Millions
A specific kind of trauma results when a person’s core principles are violated during wartime or a pandemic
Psychology
At a Haunted House, Friends Heighten the Terror
Social scientists, using haunted houses to understand our experiences of fear, have learned that friends make things very scary
Psychology
Why Do People Love Gross and Scary Things?
Going out of your way to get grossed out might seem to contradict human nature. But it serves a strong evolutionary purpose
Psychology
How to Stop Unwanted Thoughts
Suppressing the flow of unwanted thoughts is possible and can help people cope with difficult memories
Psychology
Uncertainty Can Speed Up Climate Action, New Book Explains
New books reviewed on the power of doubt, 1970s science-fiction icons, consciousness, interstellar travel, and more
Psychology
How People Rate Pizza, Jobs and Relationships Is Surprisingly Predictive of Their Behavior
Researchers are perplexed as to why inner feelings about life and love predict our actions better than the best social science
Psychology
How Much People Write Can Reveal Racial Biases
Society’s stereotypes can slip into communication in subtle ways
Psychology
How Gaslighting Manipulates Reality
Gaslighting isn’t just between people in a relationship—it involves social power, too
Sociology
What’s the Science of Public Grief?
Most of the people mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II were not close to her—research can shed light on the nature of their grief
Psychology
Why Kids Are Afraid to Ask for Help
Children as young as seven years old may hesitate to ask questions in school because they worry classmates will think they are “stupid”
Psychology
It’s Time To Rethink the Origins of Pain
Chronic pain is biochemical, but it’s also psychological, and treatment needs to address how we think and feel about it
Psychology
Changing Perceptions about Harm Can Temper Moral Outrage
If you can find ways to make an activity appear safer, you can also make it more morally acceptable to some people
Psychology
In Schools, Honest Talk about Racism Can Reduce Discrimination
New laws make it harder for teachers to discuss racism and inequality, but psychological evidence shows these conversations dispel causes of bias and distress
Psychology
Why Thinking Hard Wears You Out
Concentrating for long periods builds up chemicals that disrupt brain functioning.
Psychology
When Students Acquire Spatial Skills, Their Verbal Abilities Get a Boost
Learning to visualize objects might improve thinking in words, a finding that could enhance teaching methods
Psychology
Why COVID Makes So Many of Us Feel Guilty
Making decisions based on complex information is frustrating and stressful, but a change in mindset can help
Psychology
What Keeps a Crowd from Becoming a Mob?
Amid COVID, studies in Denmark suggest that crowds do not always engage in bad behavior—and that mass-gatherings sometimes offer meaningful connection
Psychology
How Parents’ Trauma Leaves Biological Traces in Children
Adverse experiences can change future generations through epigenetic pathways
