Psychology

The Fake News Source Is... You

A new study found that people given accurate statistics on a controversial issue misremembered those numbers to fit commonly held beliefs. That means the source of fake news is often not malevolent organizations manipulating social media, it is people conv ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 9 2019 - 6:30pm

Star Wars Will Win Even If Your Expectations Are Too High, Because Nostalgia Rules

New survey results in the Journal of Media Psychology find that how much you enjoy or hate the new "Star Wars" movie will depend a lot on your expectations. Nothing shocking in that, but there is a twist. And the twist is not that the new movie w ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Dec 26 2019 - 5:01pm

Maharishi Paper Claims Meditation Will Reduce Chronic Heart Failure, Co-Author Is Editor In Chief Of The Journal

If you are an African-American hypertensive at high risk of developing associated cardiovascular disease, a new paper from Maharishi Institute- where yogic flying instructors get trained to levitate(1)- says Transcendental Meditation will prevent abnormal ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Dec 30 2019 - 7:00am

'Gift Of Life' Appeals: Why Do They Work For Blood Drives But Not Organ Donations?

Every time a disaster occurs, people show their philanthropic side, but the same framing that works for blood drives, such as 'gift of life' appeals, is far less effective when it comes to organ donation. Though much is known about why people don ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 10 2020 - 4:03pm

Spurious Thinking: Why You're More Susceptible To Misinformation Than You Think

Online misinformation works, or so it would seem. One of the more interesting statistics from the 2019 UK general election was that 88% of advertisements posted on social media by the Conservative Party pushed figures that had already been deemed misleadi ...

Article - The Conversation - Jan 11 2020 - 6:30am

Nearly 12% Of Surveyed Soldiers Sent To Afghanistan Had Suicidal Thoughts

Surveys sought to find out how common suicidal ideation and mental health disorders were during combat deployment and to examine the associated risk factors. Some of the greatest risks were being white, having past non-combat trauma, and past major depress ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 29 2020 - 11:00am

Men Who Drive An Audi Were Going To Be Victimized By Social Psychologists Eventually

If you have never heard of the Journal of International Psychology, you are not alone. ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Feb 4 2020 - 11:59am

You Can Make People Feel Less Politically Polarized By Letting Them Explain Why They Are Not Polarized

An experiment before the 2016 Trump-Clinton debate in metropolitan New York City showed that it was possible to have people be less polarized.  They showed questionnaire responses where respondents were actually more moderate than their real responses, an ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 5 2020 - 5:05pm

Why Social Media Is A Gold Mine For Food Fads

Do you listen to experts when it comes to food? If so, you are in the rarity. Most mimic what their friends do, according to recent survey results. Study participants ate an extra fifth of a portion of fruit and vegetables for every portion they thought th ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 7 2020 - 8:00am

Valentine's Day: How To Deal With Love, Romance And Rejection

Take care lovers, wherever you are, as Valentine’s Day is soon upon us. Whether you’re in a relationship or want to be in a relationship, research over a number of years shows that February 14 can be a day of broken hearts and broken wallets. A study by U ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 13 2020 - 3:12pm