Cognitive neuroscientists use brain imaging and behavioral economic games to investigate people’s sense of fairness. They find it’s common to take care of yourself before looking out for others.
Consider some science-backed ways to keep the home fires burning in 2023.
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Unfairness alone is upsetting enough to drive people to punish lucky recipients of unfair outcomes.
They’re not just honest or ignorant mistakes, and they can poison an otherwise pleasant interaction.
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White people are often defensive when they’re called out for these subtle snubs and insults. But researchers have found that microaggressions correlate with racial bias.
Certain characteristics mean moral rebels are willing to not go with the flow.
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Psychologists have identified the characteristics of ‘moral rebels’ who make the tough choice to stand up for their principles in the face of negative consequences.
Most people felt they were doing OK – with lots of TV and news updates.
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Online pornography is one business that’s booming during the coronavirus pandemic. A psychology researcher explains its pull and whether there are likely to be longer-term effects of this surge in use.
Take a note from older couples who know how to do it right.
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Cooped up with a partner and nowhere to go to break it up? Coronavirus social distancing… or another day in retirement? Research on older couples holds tips for everyone else on how to deal.
Have some healthy skepticism when you encounter images online.
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Images without context or presented with text that misrepresents what they show can be a powerful tool of misinformation, especially since photos make statements seem more believable.
There’s a little work involved in happily ever after.
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After the intensity of early courtship, even a healthy, happy relationship can feel lackluster. Psychology researchers have ideas for what can help you perk up your relationship rather than give up.
Two people, one profile pic.
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Social psychologists investigated why Facebook users post profile pics of themselves with a romantic partner and how those online displays are interpreted by others.
Imitation is the sincerest form of being human?
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A quirk of psychology that affects the way people learn from others may have helped unlock the complicated technologies and rituals that human culture hinges on.
Kids have no problem remembering who plays fair.
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Do children understand the lesson that if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours? Developmental psychologists suggest they’re more likely to punish bad behavior than they are to reward good deeds.
Michelle Obama charted her own course, prioritizing what she values.
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A psychologist unexpectedly realized that Obama’s memoir ‘Becoming’ mirrors the life stages she’s identified in a group of women she’s been tracking since 1970.
Real love has more nuance than a candy heart’s message.
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Even when everything’s going great in your relationship, you likely harbor some ambivalence toward your partner deep down. Psychology research suggests it’s not just OK, but normal.
Your cold, hard list is no match for hot emotions.
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Karen Wu, California State University, Los Angeles
A cold, logical list of attributes sought in a partner is cast aside by the hot emotions that come up in real life. A psychology researcher explains how this ‘hot-cold empathy gap’ works in dating.
Psychology research suggests a new tool for your ‘disagreement toolbox.’
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Research suggests people intuitively draw a distinction between what is known and what is believed. Recognizing the difference can help in ideological disagreements.
Inflammatory words can prime a mind.
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A new theory of language suggests that people understand words by unconsciously simulating what they describe. Repeated exposure – and the simulation that comes with it – makes it easier to act.
You’re probably wrong about how long it would take you to know they’re ‘the one.’
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New research confirms that people tend to rush to judgment, in spite of believing their own decisions and those of others are carefully based on lots of evidence and data. And that can be good or bad.
Volunteering at a food bank is one way people feel rewarded by giving.
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How does being thankful about things in your own life relate to any selfless concern you may have about the well-being of others? A neuroscientist explores the gratitude/altruism connection.