For young people, text messaging is rapidly replacing talking on the phone. Parents could easily assume that typed text is the best way to stay in touch with their tech-savvy kids. But newly published research suggests that, in times of stress, there’s no substitute for the soothing sound of mom’s voice. That’s the conclusion of a research team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison cultural anthropologist Leslie Seltzer. In a study released last year, Seltzer and her colleagues found comforting words from mom decreased levels of cortisol (a biomarker of stress) and increased ... Read More
Long-Term Love Not Just a Fairy Tale
August 8, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
And they lived happily ever after. That fairy-tale inspired narrative of wedded bliss appears to hold true for a surprisingly large number of Americans, according to a newly published study. In a random survey, 47.8 percent of married Americans (49 percent of men and 46.3 percent of women) reported being “very intensely in love” with their spouse, according to a research team led by Stony Brook University psychologist K. Daniel O’Leary. Another 13.4 percent said they were “intensely in love,” while 26.2 percent chose the term “very in love.” Not surprisingly, those ... Read More
Portraits Can Get Your Pulse Pounding
July 26, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Art exhibits are not generally thought of as opportunities to get our pulses racing and skin tingling. But newly published research suggests aesthetic appreciation is, in fact, a full-body experience. Three hundred and seventy-three visitors to a Swiss museum agreed to wear special gloves measuring four physiological responses as they strolled through an art exhibit. Researchers found an association between the gallery-goers’ reported responses to the artworks and three of the four measurements of bodily stimulation. “Our findings suggest that an idiosyncratically human property — ... Read More
Female Pop Stars: Prepare to Disrobe
July 19, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
There is no shortage of voices decrying the sexualization of mass culture. Just last month, actor and director David Schwimmer complained to a London newspaper: “We have this real emphasis on how important it is to look young and sexual, so that’s the message we’re sending our girls. Look at the biggest pop stars around at the moment: Everything they do is about sex.” Newly published research finds the former Friends star has a point: Over the past four decades, images of female celebrities have become much more sexualized. Evidence of this trend, which troubles feminists and social ... Read More
Everyone’s a Critic: Babies Prefer Picasso
June 14, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Taste in art is, of course, highly subjective. Personality, education and the norms of one's culture all influence why one person craves Kandinsky while another has a crush on Kinkade. But what about babies, whose minds have yet to be shaped by any sort of cultural indoctrination? Newly published research finds they prefer the imagery of Pablo Picasso to the impressionism of Claude Monet. For babies, "a painted canvas is simply a visual pattern," writes a University of Zurich research team led by psychologist Trix Cacchione, "and some patterns appeal to them more than others." Their ... Read More
Accidental Deaths Linked to Macho Code of Honor
June 13, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Be a man! That pointed phrase, often offered as a rebuke, means pretty much the same thing the world over. Be strong. Don't back down. Show some courage. What does differ from one culture to another is how seriously such admonitions are taken. In more macho societies, challenges to one's manhood — such as being the recipient of ridicule for avoiding risky behavior — must not go unanswered. And the results can literally be deadly. For evidence of this, you don’t have to go to Mexico or Argentina. Mississippi or Alabama will do. In a newly published study, three University of ... Read More
Extraverts More Likely to Believe in Free Will
June 8, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Philosophers are trained to think things through logically and reach conclusions based solely on reason. But as science provides increasing evidence for the interconnectivity of mind, body and emotions, is that sort of intellectual objectivity truly possible? A newly published study suggests the answer is no — at least when it comes to addressing one fundamental issue. It finds deep thinkers with a specific type of personality — warm and extraverted — are more likely to believe that free will remains a viable concept, even in the light of research suggesting our behavior is largely ... Read More
On Immigration Polls, a Lot of People Lie
June 5, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
A Gallup survey taken last year found 45 percent believe immigration in the United States should be decreased, compared to 17 percent saying it should be increased and 34 percent saying it should be kept at present levels. But should such figures be taken at face value? University of California, Berkeley, sociologist Alexander Janus argues not. Using a polling technique designed to uncover hidden bias, he concluded about 61 percent of Americans support a cutoff of immigration. Janus, who published his findings in the journal Social Science Quarterly, argues that "social desirability pressures" ... Read More
Sarcasm Boosts Creativity? Yeah, Right.
June 1, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Although it’s frowned upon in business school, some managers think of anger as a motivational tool. Employees aware that an impatient customer is seething, or the boss is near the boiling point, work more quickly and efficiently, don’t they? Newly published research from Israel suggests this blow-your-stack strategy can produce the desired results — but only when workers are performing relatively simple tasks. If their job requires creative problem-solving, the catalyst you crave may be caustic contempt. “Sarcastic expressions of anger, in contrast to direct expressions, can have ... Read More
Sensory Deprivation Boosts Musicians’ Skill Level
May 16, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Everybody knows the standard answer. But newly published research suggests that, after you’ve labored all day in the practice room, you might want to spend an hour in a flotation tank. Oshin Vartanian of the University of Toronto and Peter Suedfeld of the University of British Columbia report floating in an Epsom salt solution one hour per week for four weeks boosted the technical ability of a group of college music students. This suggests such periods of minimal sensory stimulation can improve performers’ perceptual-motor coordination. Don’t ... Read More
