The study investigated two types of behaviors and two types of liking. Photo credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Can psychological science make you more popular? That's what a journalist from Forbes claims in an article, "A science-backed way to up your popularity and friendship." Let's see what the journalist is claiming and see if we buy the evidence. …
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Seeing different size models on TikTok videos affected people's body esteem. Photo: AlessandroBiascioli/Shutterstock Have you ever watched dance challenge videos on TikTok? If so, you probably noticed the skill and appearance of the dance model. Some psychologists have started to study how TikTok dance models affect viewers. A set of three studies asked, can the …
Continue reading Do TikTok dance videos influence body perceptions?
The study tested two different types of stories to see which might ameliorate the stress of reading about tragic news events. Photo credit: Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock This post contains descriptions of violence in the news. Have you ever been saddened or dismayed by a news about a terrible event, such as a natural disaster, mass shooting, or …
Cultural practices around both snacks and gift-giving were proposed as one of the mechanisms behind this study's results. Photo credit: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock In a recent study, researcher Yuko Munakata tested the self-regulation and self-control abilities of children in two cultures: The U.S. and Japan. She published the research in the empirical journal Psychological Science, but also …
Did the study manipulate exposure to art museums? Photo: AChubykin/Deposit Photos On my first read of this headline, I was skeptical. "Probably a correlational study behind this one," I thought. As it turns out we are actually looking at an experiment. However, there's another problem with the journalist's coverage of this study. Read on. The …
Continue reading “Want to raise kind, generous kids? Take them to an art museum”
Starting a relationship soon after a breakup is associated with some positive outcomes for people. Photo: SynthEx/Shutterstock Did you know that psychologists have studied rebound relationships? I didn't, at least not until I encountered this summary of some rebound relationship research in Forbes. The title of the journalist's piece reads, "A psychologist explains 3 ways …
Participants in the study took either a multivitamin or a placebo. Photo: Sorapop Udomsri/Shutterstock When you shop in a natural foods or general nutrition store, you might see claims that vitamins can improve your health and cognitive function. Scientists don't always test such claims in randomized trials, so it's best to be skeptical until you …
To measure creativity in the study, participants came up with creative uses for a brick. Photo: levkro/Deposit photos A lot of people believe that using marijuana can make them more creative--some artists use it specifically when they are composing songs, painting, or creating new work. A recent study experimentally tested this idea. The study provides …
The studies found that puppies recognize their mothers and that mothers recognize their offspring, but that siblings may not recognize each other after they've lived apart. Photo credit: cynoclub/Deposit Photos Not an endorsement, but our dog Fig likes to use Rover.com, and the company sent me this article in their email newsletter. It's titled, "Do …
The study found a correlation between gendered racism and symptoms of depression among Black college women. Photo: Deposit Photos This post is about a study on intersectionality--a combination of race and gender--in the lives of Black women in college. The empirical study appeared in the Journal of American College Health, and a journalist from PsyPost …
Continue reading Gendered racism (intersectionality) and psychological distress