A woman who bristles when a male friend or colleague uses sexist language has to make a quick decision: Call him on it, or not? Although she might be personally offended, she may be reluctant to speak up, anticipating his response will be dismissive or defensive. Research just published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests such fears may be overblown. It describes a carefully structured study in which college-age males are confronted over the use of sexist language — and respond with heightened sensitivity regarding gender issues. “Confrontation reduces the ... Read More
Chicago Kids Take on Bunker Mentality, No ‘Friends’
October 10, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
In violent neighborhoods of Chicago, children on the brink of adolescence are so fearful of their safety that they don't form stable friendships at school. Many don't even use the word "friend." They say they have "associates." At age 13 or 14, they define a best friend as someone who "always has my back" and "sticks up for me a lot" and will not run away if the "raper-man" comes. They watch their fellow classmates for a long time, even staging loyalty tests before deciding whether to get closer. These youngsters do not talk in terms of, " 'You like computer games, I like computer ... Read More
‘Carlos’ Brilliant Look at Real Terrorist
October 8, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
If further proof were needed that revolutionary terrorists are basically narcissists, it can be found in Carlos, a monumental, and absolutely mesmerizing, film about Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, the notorious Venezuelan bomber and radical known as Carlos the Jackal. Director Olivier Assayas' five-and-a-half-hour epic, which will be shown in three parts on the Sundance Channel beginning Oct. 11, followed by a simultaneous theatrical and video-on-demand release starting Oct. 15, is a powerful and complex look into the mind of a terrorist and the entities — governmental and non — that supported ... Read More
For Elderly, Conservative Beliefs Buffer Self-Esteem
October 7, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Do people tend to grow more conservative as they grow older? That bit of folk wisdom is debated among academics — some studies say yes, others no. Political analysts consider it a given, with most suggesting a large turnout of older voters will give Republican candidates a significant advantage in the upcoming mid-term election. Newly published research suggests senior citizens have a strong unconscious incentive to embrace culturally conservative values: Turning to the right apparently bolsters their self-esteem. Writing in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, ... Read More
Menstruation and the Mall
October 5, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Ladies: Do you sometimes engage in compulsive shopping? Do you find yourself purchasing items on impulse or wildly exceeding your budget? Newly published research suggests this troubling tendency can be curtailed, simply by changing the time you visit the mall. Not the time of day. The time of the month. Writing in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, British psychologists Karen Pine and Ben Fletcher report the shopping behavior of women is influenced by where they are in their menstrual cycle. According to their first-of-its-kind study, a pre-menopausal woman is more ... Read More