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Melissa Dahl

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  1. Quiz: Are You Cursed With an Annoyingly High Level of Self-Control?Being good at keeping yourself in line can backfire at work, new research is showing. 
  2. go team
    Why Teamwork Is Great for Internal MotivationResearch shows this works if you simply feel as if you are part of a team, even if you are in fact working on your own.
  3. strange cases
    A Curious Disorder Convinced This Guy His Cat Was a SpyHe believed his cat had been replaced with an impostor cat. 
  4. relationships
    Watch: The Reason the Happiest Couples You Know Are Probably Fooling ThemselvesBut in a good way.
  5. workplace psychology
    Women Get Less Credit When Working in Teams with MenHow neat.
  6. The Most Highly Confident Young Men Have the Least Success in Online DatingAccording to OKCupid data, anyway. 
  7. Just How Much Power Does the Mind Have to Heal the Body?A new book explores scientists’ attempts to harness the placebo effect.
  8. pets
    Please Pay No Mind to This Anti-Cat PropagandaThe claim: Dogs love their humans more.
  9. awkward
    Poor, Awkward Jeb Bush Is Giving People Secondhand Embarrassment“Please clap.” 
  10. workplace psychology
    Take a Big Risk by Keeping Your Day JobLessons from the creator of Spanx and other surprisingly risk-averse entrepreneurs.
  11. creativity
    How Easily Distracted Are You?Plus, some good news for those with distractible minds.
  12. genetics
    A British Scientist Just Got Approval to Begin Gene-Editing EmbryosThe experiments are aimed at advancing infertility treatments.
  13. schizophrenia
    Scientists Made a Huge Genetic Discovery About Schizophrenia This WeekPinpointing the trigger of the mental disorder may lead the way to better treatments.
  14. science of us animations
    Watch: Why Feeling Ambivalent About Your Co-workers Is a Good ThingThe science of love-hate relationships.
  15. prison break
    It’s Not Easy to Predict Which Inmates Will EscapeA look at the research after a recent escape in California involving  scheme using the ol’ bedsheets-as-rope trick. 
  16. The Weird Psychology of Returning Stuff to the StoreThe longer a store allows you to return something after purchasing, the less likely you are to ever actually return it.
  17. snow psychology
    Everyone You Know Became a Snow Expert Last WeekAnd the ones who claim to know the most are probably the least likely to know what they’re talking about.
  18. pop quiz
    Do You Know More About Science Than Most Americans?Test your general science knowledge with this quiz, and compare your scores to others in the U.S. and across the globe.
  19. sleep
    Oh God, There Is Such a Thing As Fatal InsomniaIt’s very, very rare. But still.
  20. the brain
    A Neuroscientist Explains the Phrase ‘I Just Snapped’Insights from a new book about the brain’s “rage circuit.” 
  21. hallucinations
    David Bowie Is Apparently a Frequent Guest Star in People’s HallucinationsAccording to the medical literature. 
  22. studies
    Exploring the Christians-Hate-Science StereotypeThe power of stereotype threat.
  23. science of us animations
    Watch This Video to Learn How Taking Breaks Helps You Get More DoneAnd why taking a nap is the busy person’s secret productivity weapon.
  24. education
    On Praising Kids for EffortWe don’t understand the growth mind-set very well … yet. 
  25. adventures in classic psychology
    A Classic Psychology Study on Why Winning the Lottery Won’t Make You HappierInsights on the “hedonic treadmill” from 1978.
  26. You Don’t Need to Make Time for MindfulnessYou’re probably already “doing” mindfulness, so relax. 
  27. strange cases
    The Pastor Whose ‘Excessive Piety’ Was Caused by His Atrophying BrainAn unusual case of pathological religiosity.
  28. parents
    Yeah, Parents, You Really Need to Awkwardly Talk to Your Kids About SexSays a pediatrician in a very convincing YouTube video.
  29. resolutions
    This ‘Design Thinking’ Thing Seems Worth Copying From Business SchoolsThe key question: “What would it do for me if I solved this problem?”
  30. distractions
    Why Everyone But You Is Always Walking While TextingIt’s called the self-enhancement bias. 
  31. weighty matters
    4 Issues Scientists Have With The Biggest LoserThe show’s 17th season premieres tonight. 
  32. productivity
    Do the Worst Thing on Your To-Do List FirstSometimes it’s the only way to get it done. 
  33. creativity
    3 Insights From a New Book About CreativityThey mostly boil down to this: It’s about the process, not the results.  
  34. life goals
    Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions to Yourself, PleasePeople who talk a lot about their goals are often less likely to actually achieve them. 
  35. workplace psychology
    People Unconsciously Value Natural Talent Over Hard WorkEven though most say they place more worth on motivation and persistence. 
  36. Everlane’s Pay-What-You-Want Promotion Baffled Me Into Buying NothingPeople feel bad paying less than what they feel the item is “worth,” but at the same time they feel conflicted about choosing to pay more than they have to. 
  37. Black Boys Are Perceived As Older and Less Innocent Than Their White PeersA striking study provides context for the consistent comments about Tamir Rice seeming older than the 12-year-old child he was. 
  38. the holidays
    Don’t Underestimate the Pleasures of Buying StuffExperiences make you happy, sure. But so do things! 
  39. workplace psychology
    You Can Spot a Terrible Boss in Your Interview for the JobSometimes first impressions reveal everything you needed to know. 
  40. adventures in classic psychology
    This Is Apparently the Best Way to Ask Someone for a Tiny FavorA classic study from the 1970s reveals a really easy trick to getting your way.
  41. the holidays
    Suicides Don’t Really Spike Around the HolidaysBut mood disorders and loneliness probably do, especially among the most vulnerable. 
  42. awww
    BB-8 Is Basically the Textbook Definition of CuteClassic Kindchenschema.
  43. the holidays
    People Don’t Really Love the Charity-Donation GiftIt’s a nice thought. 
  44. health
    The Fear of Terrorism Is Dangerous on a Biological LevelResearch reveals the physiological impact of “consistent exposure to terror threats.” 
  45. productivity
    A Google Exec on How to Organize Your WorkweekDon’t expect too much of your Friday self, for one.
  46. therapy
    Maybe Even Your Therapist Finds Your Problems BoringYou’re talking about your issues with your family; he’s wondering what he’ll have for dinner.
  47. The Sweet, But Sad, Origin Story Behind The BFG’s Nonsense WordsAccording to a neurologist who befriended the author late in his life. 
  48. thoughts and prayers
    Even Atheists Could Benefit From Praying Every Once in a While“There’s a special X-factor ingredient that makes ‘prayer’ different than meditation or other types of thought.”
  49. happiness
    Good News: Unhappiness Won’t Kill You After AllA big new study questions the link between happiness and longevity.
  50. worrying
    Watch This Video to Find Out How Anxiety Can Make You SmarterYou don’t need to worry about how much you worry. 
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