More Evidence That Trained Musicians Are Superior Thinkers
New research suggests that practicing Bach and Beethoven can build up the brain.
Psychology
Has the Trump Administration Changed the Way My Brain Works?
If I spend enough of my lived experience fighting my way out of lies, I might find myself too exhausted to receive the truth when I'm done.
Using Fahrenheit Can Obscure the True Severity of Climate Change
New research finds that our response to a projected temperature rise differs depending on the scale we use.
Celebrity Endorsements Help Doubters Accept the Truth of Evolution
People who don't believe scientists will listen to George Clooney.
Fundamentalists Are More Likely to Fall for Fake News
So are dogmatic and delusion-prone people, according to new research.
Fear of Disloyalty Drives Anti-Immigrant Bias
New research finds that majority-group members are wary of newcomers who hold dual identities.
Intolerant Cultures Thrive Closer to the Equator
New research finds that ethnocentrism and political oppression are more prevalent in the southern part of the Northern Hemisphere, and vice-versa.
Thrill-Seeking Is an Overlooked Catalyst for Political Violence
New research pinpoints how the desire for excitement inspires support for violent extremism.
Peer Pressure Can Make Americans Eat Less Meat
Harnessing the brain's desire to conform to societal norms could be key to cutting meat consumption, researchers say.
A Psychological Explanation for the Dysfunctional Trump White House
Kissing up to the boss takes a toll on employees' self-control.
There's a Name for That: The Imp of the Perverse
Experiencing unpleasant intrusive thoughts is a common, and unthreatening, phenomenon, but how we deal with it can be dangerous.
Rethinking Our Approach to Mental Trauma
A conversation with psychologist Ken Falke, who uses the concept of post-traumatic growth—which emphasizes that there can be positive consequences to trauma and suffering—to help combat veteran suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Breaking Down Virtual-Reality Walls May Boost Creativity
Chinese researchers demonstrate how high-tech tools can be used to harness the power of metaphor.
Authoritarianism: The Terrifying Trait That Trump Triggers
Latent authoritarianism is surprisingly common—and a threat to liberal democracy. Psychologist Karen Stenner explains how it is triggered.
What's the Best Way to Inspire Positive Environmental Behavior?
While imagery of natural objects is often used to inspire climate action, appeals to ego and altruism prove more effective for some.
How the Intolerable Becomes Acceptable
New evidence of our strong psychological need to rationalize the status quo.
Your College Major Predicts Midlife Health
Business and biology majors tend to be in strong physical shape a quarter-century after graduation. Psychology majors, not so much.
Could Getting Better Sleep Help Prevent PTSD?
New research suggests that people who have fragmented rapid eye movement sleep are more susceptible to mental trauma.
The Psychological Impact of Piracy
A recent study shows that seafarers taken prisoner by pirates have disproportionately high rates of post-traumatic stress.
Alone Time Linked to Creativity
Unless it's motivated by fear, social withdrawal can be a positive thing.
How Fear of a Physical Threat Can Foster Social Conservatism
New research confirms right-wing resistance to change is based largely in fear.
The Touch of Madness
Culture profoundly shapes our ideas about mental illness, which is something psychologist Nev Jones knows all too well.
The Paradox of Purpose and Its Relationship to Extremism
What happens when achieving your purpose comes at the expense of someone else?
How to Thwart Right-Wing Terrorism
Three distinct psychological predispositions combine to produce terrorists. And one appears to be on the rise among the extreme right.