A "psychological vaccine": Why prebunking is the best way to fight misinformation

By exposing people to small doses of misinformation and encouraging them to develop resistance strategies, "prebunking" can fight fake news.

'Persuasion Fatigue' Is a Unique Form of Social Frustration

When people argue, a kind of frustration called persuasion fatigue can cloud their judgment and harm relationships

The stigma around secondhand gifting is fading away

With inflation top of mind for many, surveys show consumers are more eager to buy secondhand items as holiday gifts this year to save money. Are the drivers behind gifting resale items this holiday different from past years?

How we tune out distractions

MIT neuroscientists have identified a brain circuit that helps us to filter out unwanted background noise or other distracting sensory stimuli. When this circuit is engaged, the prefrontal cortex selectively suppresses sensory input as it flows into the thalamus, the site where…

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/psychologist-explains-why-people-confess-crimes-they-didn-t-commit

How to Be Resilient in the Face of Harsh Criticism

Most of us have been “feedsmacked” at some point in our life. In the midst of a meeting, an innocent walk down the hallway, or a performance review, someone delivers a verbal wallop that rocks us to our psychological footings. These situations are so tough to handle because we…

The Psychologist | BPS

The magazine of the British Psychological Society - in print and online.

A Complete Taxonomy of Internet Chum - The Awl

by John MahoneyThis is a bucket of chum. Chum is decomposing fish matter that elicits a purely neurological brain stem response in its target consumer: larger fish, like sharks. It signals that they should let go, deploy their nictitating ...

Brandolini’s Law: The Bullshit Asymmetry Principle

The four horsemen of fear

All fears can be divided into four broad categories which psychologists refer to as the four horsemen of fear: bodily, interpersonal, cognitive and behavioral fears. And each of the four horsemen of fear can be addressed by applying simple strategies.

Charlie Tyson: "Theater of Shame"

What does the state of online shaming reveal about our democracy?

How to have better arguments | Psyche Guides

Arguing well isn’t just about winning. A philosophical approach will help you and the other person get much more out of it

The strange psychology of Reddit's r/RoastMe

A dive into the weirdest place to be intentionally wrecked online

Escape the perfectionist trap with the Japanese philosophy of "wabi sabi"

Perfectionism is on the rise, and its consequences for mental health can be devastating. The Japanese philosophy of "wabi sabi" can help.

Do You Even Need a Hobby?

An essential reading list for breaking down the merits of introducing structured leisure into your life. Plus, how to find a pastime if you’re lacking inspiration.

The Real Magic of Rituals

We might call them superstitions or spells, but they genuinely drum anxiety away.

The utterly delightful site dedicated to classifying plastic bread tags

The Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group sounds super-official, but it's just one very obsessed guy.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Out of a Conversation

Because telling someone to shut the heck up isn’t ‘gentlemanly’ or ‘civilized’ or ‘appropriate for a 5-year-old’s birthday party, Brian, Jesus.

Four Ways to Cool Down Your Defensiveness

Our brains make us naturally defensive, but there are steps we can take to cultivate more humility.

Purring Is a Love Language No Human Can Speak

Some cats do it, but others can’t—and researchers still don’t fully understand why.

How to cope with shame | Psyche Guides

Do you feel perpetually bad, broken or unlovable? These tools will help you relate to yourself in a fairer, gentler way

The Midwit Trap

Why are we so dismissive of simple solutions?

How to Figure Out the Power Dynamics in a New Job

When you join a new organization, it’s important to understand who holds the power because they directly impact how work gets done, but it’s not always perfectly clear. In this piece, the author offers strategies to better identify where the true power exists. “At first glance…

A Game Designer’s Analysis Of QAnon

Playing with reality

How I Learned to Talk to Aggressive People | by Savannah Carreno | Aug, 202

As someone who researches American religion, I find myself in impassioned conversations quite often. Religion is a beautiful element that…

Down the Rabbit Hole: Why People Fall for Conspiracy Theories

And how to talk to those who have fallen for falsehoods.

The Trait That ‘Super Friends’ Have in Common

A secure attachment style can help people initiate and maintain friendships.

Five Lessons from History

The most important lessons from history are the takeaways that are so broad they can apply to other fields, other…

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The Church of Interruption | Sam Bleckley

A conversation with a Wizard

Kind gestures bring recipients more joy than we assume

Our underestimation of how people feel receiving a small act of kindness can actual hinder us from extending those gestures, research finds.

The Hidden Power of Workplace Rituals

Employees rightly expect to be able to bring their feelings — big and small — to work. One important way to provide that support is through rituals. The author defines rituals using two important benchmarks. First, rituals go beyond their practical purpose, moving participants…

The Scientific Underpinnings and Impacts of Shame

People who feel shame readily are at risk for depression and anxiety disorders

Judgment is an exercise in discretion: circumstances are everything | Aeon Essays

A virtuous person respects the rules. So when should the same person make a judgment call and break or bend them instead?

Seven Things I Learnt Doing Stand-Up Comedy | Michael Gomes Vieira

I took part in a 6 week stand-up comedy course for beginners at The Comedy Store in Central London. At the end of the course, myself and the other co...

All time best interviews with accused fraudsters

One of my pastimes is listening to interviews with accused corporate fraudsters before and after they got caught.

The Economic Principle That Helps Me Order at Restaurants

If you’re just eating one dish, you’re missing out.

The Importance of Holiday Cards

Sending written holiday greetings is not a new tradition. Holiday cards are new, however. Where did this practice come from and why does it persist?

Animal Magic: Why Intelligence Isn’t Just for Humans

Meet the footballing bees, optimistic pigs and alien-like octopuses that are shaking up how we think about minds.

On the moral virtues of mischief and mischievous people | Aeon Essays

Mischievousness requires humour, wit and a playful humaneness: qualities that make for a particular kind of virtue

How effective altruism went from a niche movement to a billion-dollar force

Effective altruism has gone mainstream. Where does that leave it?

The Psychology of FOMO

One of the many unintended consequences of social media is what is popularly referred to as FOMO - fear of missing out. People see all the wonderful things people are doing and buying in their social media profiles, and fear that they are missing out on the good life, or the…

The Making of a Conspiracy Theory | Tzafrir Barzilay

On the fabrication of well-poisoning accusations in medieval Europe.

How the Brain Links Gestures, Perception and Meaning

Neuroscience has found that gestures are not merely important as tools of expression but as guides of cognition and perception.

What Keeps a Crowd from Becoming a Mob?

Amid COVID, studies in Denmark suggest that crowds do not always engage in bad behavior—and that mass-gatherings sometimes offer meaningful connection

The value of not flying

Why might people decline an offer of up to $10,000 just to keep their feet on the ground?

Shamelessness as a strategy

I’ve enjoyed playing a game called Avalon recently. I won’t go too far into the rules, but it’s a hidden role game in the vein of Secret Hitler or Werewolf, where one team is “good”, trying to uncover who among them is “evil”, before the evil team wins.

When Did Shaking Hands Become a Standard Way of Greeting Someone?

There’s ancient evidence for the custom of shaking hands, but did it mean the same thing then as it does today?

Quiet People in Meetings Are Incredible

Knowing when not to talk is an art.

Be the Most Persuasive Person in the Room: 9 Things Highly Influential People Always Do, According to Science

Sometimes facts, logic, and reasoning aren't enough. Here's how the most persuasive people make a great argument even more convincing.