EPA/Justin Lane
Testosterone fuels risk-taking behaviour – new research shows this leads to bigger wins for men but also much bigger losses.
League of Legends screenshot.
They may offer a cloak of anonymity, but you can peep behind the veil and learn a little about who’s at the controls.
We view future crimes as more deserving of punishment than past ones.
Tracy Collins/wikimedia
If you want to get away with doing something bad, don’t tell anyone until after you’ve done it.
Rush hour Hong Kong MTR.
Claustrophobia is a fear of being trapped, but is it irrational?
Phishing for your password.
Shutterstock
Crooks exploit natural human tendencies to con you out of your money.
In the authors’ study, 35 percent of respondents said they’ve binge-watched TV.
'Binge' via www.shutterstock.com
TV networks and streaming services are encouraging viewers to binge-watch their favorite shows. But findings from a recent study point to a potential public health concern.
What motivates us to help others?
EPA
Can a study into the neural basis of altruism help us be better people?
Opposing a candidate is more confidence-building, and action-driving, than supporting one.
Elvert Barnes/Flickr
Opposition inspires more confidence in one’s position than support and also helps to turn judgments into actions. This helps explain why attack ads are a crucial tool in politicians’ arsenals.
Can’t…get…away.
'Phone' via www.shutterstock.com
Engineered to exploit human compulsions, the Internet competes for our attention, while teaching us to need it.
Just heard the news? Relax, it doesn’t mean you fancy your mum.
Monkey Business Images
Science explains why people pick partners who look like their parents – without involving Freud.
Standing up for what’s right can come with a cost to the individual – but also a benefit.
Michael Fleshman
It helps society function when people punish selfish acts, even at a personal cost. A new theory suggests third-party punishment also confers some benefits on the punisher.
Luke MacGregor/Reuters
Two academics try a question from the exam – and don’t do very well.
Animal abuse can betray a very dangerous mind.
Shutterstock
Dozens of cats have been killed in south London. It has some worried that there might be worse to come.
Rumors abounded in the days after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Nick Lehr/The Conversation
How do rational people get sucked into believing conspiracies? According to research, we’re more susceptible than you’d think.
Learned helplessness has entered our vernacular and swallowed up socially accurate explanations for violence.
igor.stevanovic/Shutterstock
The story of how psychology framed women for their own assaults began, as so many of psychology’s stories do, with some trapped animals.
If you’re prone to snack when stressed, a pile of dirty dishes might put you over the edge.
'Dirty Dishes' via www.shutterstock.com
A new study highlights how the condition of your kitchen may affect unhealthy snacking.
A man you can trust?
Ysbrand Cosijn
Perhaps surprisingly, men spend more money after being romantically rejected while women do the opposite.
EQRoy / shutterstock
Humans are programmed to chose colourful, symmetrical food. But ugly alternatives are cheap and cut waste.
Remove your rose-colored glasses and take a cold, hard look at your potential Valentine.
Brittanie Loren Pendleton
Is your relationship thriving or merely surviving? Scientists who study these matters of the heart have some insights into figuring out whether you’re with your best possible partner.
With moralistic gods watching, it’s easier to be fair and cooperative.
Olivier
For human groups to grow from small, intimate communities to the huge interconnected societies we know now, people needed to be willing to cooperate with strangers. Religion might have played a big role.