Psychology
The "reasonable irrationality" principle
So, what decisions are considered sound? Foundational theories in neo-classic economics address this question by pointing to the concept of rationality. A rational person is aiming to maximize their preferences, to de facto pursue their self-interests. According to economists, a rational person uses abstract rules,... click to read more
When the girdle of social timing relaxes: Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on human sleep
Do you know these Monday mornings when the alarm clock shakes you out of sleep way too early, and you already yearn for the next weekend, when you can finally lie in again? Actually, this illustrates a common situation in modern societies, where internally or... click to read more
Are students learning as much as they think they are? The dangers of fluent lectures
Think back to a college or high school classroom in a STEM subject (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math). Your teacher probably talked most of the time, perhaps using the blackboard, a projector, or demonstrations to illustrate specific points. You mostly took notes and occasionally asked... click to read more
How scientists communicate
In this project, we found that authors of psychology journal articles tended to make broad generalizations when describing their research findings. Examples include: "Whites and Blacks disagree about how well Whites understand racial experiences," "Animal, but not human, faces engage the distributed face network in... click to read more
Infants expect leaders to right wrongs
Imagine you observe a conflict between two co-workers, fellow team players, or cousins. Would you be puzzled if their boss, coach, or grandparent (respectively), who witnessed this conflict, did nothing about it? Most of us would answer 'yes' because (1) we identify such figures with... click to read more
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