Schadenfreude seems to arise out of envy and a sense of justice. But some psychologists believe a darker impulse is at play.
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Articles on Social psychology
Displaying 1 - 20 of 52 articles
Social psychologists have been busy documenting the harmful effects that this brand of chivalry has on women. But are they missing something?
Researchers analyzed troves of messages sent between matches and found that the fibs people tell are usually rational ones that serve a purpose.
Politicians on the right surely wipe with their left hand; and vice versa?
It's a psychological quirk that when something becomes rarer, people may spot it in more places than ever. What is the 'concept creep' that lets context change how we categorize the world around us?
In the US, smiling is a reflexive gesture of goodwill, but Russians view it as a sign of stupidity. Social psychology research could help explain this cultural contrast.
Time often seems to fly by when you're a parent. A social psychologist explains why it actually – and fortunately – does not.
We can disagree with co-workers in meetings. We can argue about sports with friends. A new study explores why politics seems to be an entirely different beast.
It isn't cheating, per se. But if you're in a committed relationship and have multiple 'back burners' that you keep in touch with, is your relationship doomed?
Rather than simply trying to trick people, the masters of marketing know it's much easier to understand and work with innate human flaws.
Social media is making it easier than ever to measure your perceived popularity against your peers in ways that damage are well-being.
There are methods to avoid madness.
For the first time in years, Americans are acutely aware of the perils of extreme weather, but don't expect views on climate risks to shift overnight.
US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement might eventually be a good thing for the climate. Psychologists call this a 'paradoxical intervention'.
Cultural diversity is an inescapable fact of modern life. How we should think about it is less obvious. Should we celebrate the multicultural rainbow, merge its colours into one – like a colour wheel spinning…
Consider three propositions about how Australians see themselves. Young people today, with their preening selfies and their sense of entitlement, have a higher opinion of themselves than previous generations…
Adults are dumbfounded – and according to an expert on fads, that's probably the point.
There has been much talk recently about “Australian values”. The new citizenship test will require aspiring Australians to demonstrate they possess them, or can at least reproduce them under exam conditions…
Gossiping may well be toxic and harmful in certain situations but there are ways to engage in "good gossip" that can reap rewards in social groups.
The idea of gaydar, the ability to discern who's gay and who isn't, promotes stereotypes. And research purporting to prove its existence is flawed.
Top contributors
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Professor of Psychology, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, UNSW
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Melanie Green is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Professor of Communication, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
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Director, Centre for Employee and Consumer Wellbeing; Senior Lecturer, Deakin Business School, Deakin University
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Professor of Psychology, Monmouth University
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Researcher in Crowd Behaviour, University of Brighton
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PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne
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Joel Best is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
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Associate Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University
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Provost Professor of Psychology and Marketing and co-director of the Dornsife Mind & Society Center, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Research Fellow, Dornsife Mind & Society Center, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Principal Lecturer in Psychology, University of Brighton
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Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon
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Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology, Northwestern University
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Lecturer of Psychology, University of Washington
