If you’re drawn to a high-profile line of work generally associated with the other gender, rest easy. Newly published research finds people will respect your choice and accept you in that role. That is, so long as you don't make a mistake. That’s the cautionary conclusion of a team of scholars led by Victoria Brescoll of the Yale School of Management. Writing in the journal Psychological Science, they report that while gender stereotyping may be less overt than in previous generations, those who buck the accepted norms are given only a limited opportunity to succeed. “A ... Read More
Self-Doubt May Help Improve Performance
September 29, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Does a high level of self-confidence lead to better performances, on the stage or the athletic field? Plenty of research says yes. But another group of studies questions that conventional wisdom, suggesting a dollop of doubt is precisely what many people need in order to do their best work. So is that tingle of anxiety you feel as you anticipate the curtain rising or the starter’s pistol going off helpful or harmful? Newly published research suggests that, at least under certain conditions, those butterflies in the stomach can be your friends. Writing in the journal Psychology of Sport ... Read More
Four out of Five Experts Agree — With Me!
September 24, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
A clear consensus of opinion emerges within the scientific community on an important issue, such as climate change. But the public, and its elected leaders, remains unconvinced and unreceptive to well-founded warnings. With this phenomenon growing frustratingly familiar, researchers can be forgiven if they begin to feel like Rodney Dangerfields in lab coats. From their perspective, they don’t get no respect. Newly published research suggests that’s not entirely true: Americans do believe and trust researchers. But we focus our attention on those experts whose ideas conform ... Read More
That Was No Accident. My Martini Told Me So.
September 14, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
So you’re sitting at a bar, and some guy shoves your arm as he walks past, causing you to spill your cocktail. You can respond in one of two ways: Shrug it off and order another, or get angry, exchange heated words and risk escalating a minor incident into a violent confrontation. The key factor in making that choice is how you view the incident: Was it an unfortunate accident or a deliberate provocation? It turns out your answer to that question depends largely on whether you’re on your first drink, or your fourth. That’s the conclusion of a French study just published in the ... Read More
Anti-Gay Attitudes Undeterred by Golden Rule
September 13, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
It seems, on the face of it, a clever retort to conservative Christians who express prejudicial attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Respond by quoting the words of Jesus Christ — specifically, his admonition, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” There’s just one problem: According to a new study, such reminders of the golden rule are utterly ineffective at changing minds or hearts. And if you emphasize the universality of this message of tolerance by quoting the leader of a different religion, anti-gay attitudes actually harden. That’s the conclusion ... Read More
Jewish Americans Win Alms Race
September 9, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Giving money to the poor is a doctrine of pretty much every religion, but a new study suggests some faiths are better than others at inspiring their followers to actually open their wallets. Specifically, Jewish families in the U.S. are more likely than their Christian counterparts to contribute to charities focusing on providing basic necessities. That’s the conclusion of a study by economist Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm, just published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. After controlling for various factors that influence giving, such as income, education and family size, he ... Read More
Young Artists, Scientists Think Logically, Creatively
September 8, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Do scientists and artists think differently? Fifty years ago, novelist/physicist C.P. Snow famously fretted that the two disciplines were drifting apart, and subsequent research suggested he was onto something. Science students tended to excel at logical, analytical thinking, while budding artists scored highest in tests measuring imagination and creativity. But a newly published study of seniors at one British university reports that distinction has virtually vanished over the past five decades. Writing in the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity, Peter K. Williamson of the University of ... Read More
If Only Yosemite Were a Video Game
September 5, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Edward Abbey, celebrated hardcore environmentalist and author, prophesied in the 1960s that population growth, the rise of motorized tourism (creating the reluctance of people to escape the comforts of their automobiles) and the ensuing roads and hotels would overrun the American wilderness. It turns out he was both wrong and right. U.S. national parks are threatened — but by a lack of attendance, not a surplus. This apparent disinterest in outdoor activities has occurred in tandem with greater interest in electronic entertainment. Has Mario trumped Thoreau? And what does that mean ... Read More
Volunteer Work Prolongs Lives of Frail Elderly
August 30, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
If you’re getting up in years, and the basic activities of daily living have become something of a struggle, doing volunteer work is probably the last thing on your mind. But new research suggests there’s an excellent reason to make the effort. You may actually live longer. That’s the conclusion of a study just published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, which examined death rates of a representative sample of American seniors. It found difficulties with basic daily activities, including those caused by decreased mobility or upper-arm strength, “are associated with an ... Read More
