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Posts

March 21, 2013

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12:23 AM | How to End a Bad Relationship for Good
Sometimes we find ourselves in relationships that make us miserable more than they make us happy, relationships that we know in our hearts are not right, yet still have a hold on us. If this sounds like you, or someone you care about, here are some research-based strategies you may not have considered before for ending it for good and getting on with your life. Read More->

Aron, A. (2005). Reward, Motivation, and Emotion Systems Associated With Early-Stage Intense Romantic Love, Journal of Neurophysiology, 94 (1) 327-337. DOI:

Schweiger Gallo I & Gollwitzer PM (2007). Implementation intentions: a look back at fifteen years of progress., Psicothema, 19 (1) 37-42. PMID:

Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science
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February 15, 2013

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5:27 AM | Do it for Future You
Source It's only a month and a half into the New Year, and most of us have already abandoned our New Year's resolutions. We had the best of intentions, but our intentions only got us so far, and eventually we fell back into our old habits--eating and drinking too much, exercising and sleeping too little. Why are we so bad at this? There are a number of reasons for our difficulty with New Year's Resolutions and other efforts to make positive changes in our lives. For example, […]

Hershfield, H. (2011). Future self-continuity: how conceptions of the future self transform intertemporal choice, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1235 (1) 30-43. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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January 25, 2013

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8:13 PM | New Year’s Resolutions: Are You Suffering From Decision and Willpower Fatigue?
Today's guest post comes from Sarah Roberts, Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal and blogger at Psychobabble for Normal People.  Why is it that at the beginning of January, we’re able to keep our New Year’s Resolutions—hitting the gym regularly, drinking less alcohol, wasting fewer hours on Facebook, following a budget or a diet—but our willpower wears off as the month wears on? Similarly, how come at 9am, 10am, and 1pm, […]

Danziger, S., Levav, J. & Avnaim-Pesso, L. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (17) 6889-6892. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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Editor's Pick

November 28, 2012

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10:23 PM | When Objectification Is a Choice
In a recent interview, actress Cameron Diaz controversially said "I think every woman does want to be objectified." Given that decades of research has documented the many ways that objectification can be harmful, why would anyone voluntarily choose to be objectified? Read More->

Fredrickson, B. & Roberts, T. (1997). OBJECTIFICATION THEORY., Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21 (2) 173-206. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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November 14, 2012

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6:57 PM | Can Mindfulness Make You Happier?
Today's guest post comes from Sarah Roberts, Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal and blogger at Psychobabble for Normal People. Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation are hot trends in clinical psychology right now. What's all the buzz about? Mindfulness refers to a state of mind characterized by awareness and attention in the present moment, and by an accepting, curious, and non-judgmental attitude. A Buddhist concept now integrated into […]

Higgins, E. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect., Psychological Review, 94 (3) 319-340. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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October 04, 2012

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1:14 AM | For The Love of Humanity: The Psychology of Thinking Globally
Source When was the last time you thought about the fact that you are a member of the human species? For most of us, this aspect of our identity is not front and center. More relevant are things like gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, political party, sports team affiliations, and all of our other groups memberships, large and small. Not only do we stake our identity and often also our sense of self-worth in these groups, but we also tend to be more helpful towards those who belong […]

McFarland S, Webb M & Brown D (2012). All Humanity Is My Ingroup: A Measure and Studies of Identification With All Humanity., Journal of personality and social psychology, PMID:

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Psychology | Social Science
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August 22, 2012

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7:40 PM | "She Asked For It": The Destructive Impact of Rape Mythology
Source A U.S. congressman and senate candidate recently made headlines for his comments about the link between rape and pregnancy. "If it's a legitimate rape," he said in a TV interview, "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down" (you can watch the full interview here). This statement has been criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, as it suggests not only that women who become pregnant from rape were likely not in fact raped, but also, […]

Bohner, G., Siebler, F., & Schmelcher, J. (2006). Social norms and the likelihood of raping: Perceived rape acceptance of others affects men's rape proclivity, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, DOI:

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August 09, 2012

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8:36 PM | How to make time stand still
It often feels like there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all the things we want to accomplish, let alone find a moment to relax. The demands of work and social life, combined with our basic needs for sleep, food, and exercise, can quickly add up and overflow, producing the sense that time is constantly slipping away and we're constantly running to catch up. Time may be limited, but it doesn't have to always feel that way. New research suggests that our state […]

Rudd, M., Vohs, K.D., & Aaker, J. (2012). Awe expands people's perception of time, alters decision-making, and enhances well-being., Psychological Science,

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Psychology | Social Science
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Editor's Pick

July 12, 2012

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2:01 AM | The Dangers of Self-Forgiveness
Source The ability to forgive oneself for mistakes, large and small, is critical to psychological well-being. Difficulties with self-forgiveness are linked with suicide attempts, eating disorders, and alcohol abuse, among other problems. But self-forgiveness has a dark side. Research suggests that while it can relieve unpleasant feelings like guilt and shame, it can also reduce empathy for others and motivation to make amends. In other words, self-forgiveness may at times serve as a crutch, […]

Fisher, M. L., and Exline, J. J. (2010). Moving toward self-forgiveness: Removing barriers related to shame, guilt, and regret., Social and Personality Psychology Compass, DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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June 28, 2012

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3:43 AM | When "He's Just Not That Into You" Backfires
Source The popular self-help book He's Just Not That Into You: The No Excuses Truth To Understanding Guys is intended to empower women to stop waiting around for disinterested guys. The basic premise is that if a guy is interested, he will make it clear (e.g., ask you out, call you, propose to you, etc), and if he doesn't make it clear, then he's just not interested. There are certainly times when women and men alike need to be snapped out of wishful thinking and move on, but […]

Leary, M. R. (2005). Sociometer theory and the pursuit of relational value: Getting to the root of self-esteem, European Review of Social Psychology, DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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June 08, 2012

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7:01 AM | Friday Fun: The Self-Esteem Playlist
Source We make playlists for everything from exercise to studying to lulling ourselves to sleep, so why not make one for self-esteem? Here are some musical gems to help you give yourself whatever type of love you need.   Read More-> […]

Kernis, M. (2003). TARGET ARTICLE: Toward a Conceptualization of Optimal Self-Esteem, Psychological Inquiry, 14 (1) 1-26. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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May 23, 2012

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3:02 AM | No Pain, No Gain: The Psychology of Self-Punishment
Source One of my favorite professors once told the following story: She was in the check-out line at the grocery store, and two young children, a boy and a girl, were seated in the cart behind her. When she unloaded some containers of yogurt onto the belt, the girl gazed at them longingly. Slowly, she began to reach her little arm towards the yogurts. Before she could touch them, her father slapped her arm away and said sternly, "No!" The girl cowered back in shame. A moment […]

Bastian, B., Jetten, J. & Fasoli, F. (2011). Cleansing the Soul by Hurting the Flesh: The Guilt-Reducing Effect of Pain, Psychological Science, 22 (3) 334-335. DOI:

Comer, R. & Laird, J. (1975). Choosing to suffer as a consequence of expecting to suffer: Why do people do it?, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32 (1) 92-101. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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May 10, 2012

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8:40 AM | Five Classic Psychological Catch-22s
Source Yossarian, the protagonist of Joseph Heller's classic novel, Catch-22, wants to be excused from air combat. To be excused, he needs only to prove that he is mentally unstable, but there's a catch: the very act of asking to be excused would show that he is sane. In other words, there's no way out. The term "catch-22" has since been used to describe any situation where circular logic guarantees an undesired outcome, no matter what a person does. Although […]

Shelton, J., Richeson, J., Salvatore, J. & Trawalter, S. (2005). Ironic Effects of Racial Bias During Interracial Interactions, Psychological Science, 16 (5) 397-402. DOI:

Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science
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May 04, 2012

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8:38 AM | Friday Fun: You Are What You Say
Source Outside of high school English classes, most people don't give much thought to pronouns, prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs, and other "function words" (e.g., I, to, of, am, the). They seem to be no more than fillers for the more important content words–the who, what, where, and why of language. But it turns out that these invisible words have psychological significance. In his new book, The Secret Life of Pronouns, psychologist James Pennebaker describes [...]

Ireland, M. & Pennebaker, J. (2010). Language style matching in writing: Synchrony in essays, correspondence, and poetry., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99 (3) 549-571. DOI:

Pennebaker, J. & Ireland, M. (2011). Using literature to understand authors: The case for computerized text analysis, Scientific Study of Literature, 1 (1) 34-48. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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April 25, 2012

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9:39 AM | The Body Problem: Why are we so afraid of bodily functions?
A Parody of "Everyone Poops" The children's book Everyone Poops, which documents the pooping styles and sizes of a range of animals and a little boy, did not get the greatest critical reception. Publishers Weekly said: "Okay, so everyone does it–does everyone have to talk about it? True, kids... may find it riveting, but their parents may not want to read to them about it... Call it what you will, by euphemism or by expletive, poop by any name seems an unsuitable picture [...]

Goldenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J. & Solomon, S. (2000). Fleeing the Body: A Terror Management Perspective on the Problem of Human Corporeality, Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4 (3) 200-218. DOI:

Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science
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April 16, 2012

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7:59 PM | Call Me Crazy: The Subtle Power of Gaslighting
Source Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over, but had me believing it was always something that I'd done, sings Kimbra in Gotye's "Somebody that I used to know." In psychology, this phenomenon is called "gaslighting," a term that has its origins in a 1938 play (and a 1940 film) called Gas Light, where a man leads his wife to believe that she is insane in order to steal from her. When she notices strange events, such as the gas light dimming [...]

Gass, G. & Nichols, W. (1988). Gaslighting: A marital syndrome, Contemporary Family Therapy, 10 (1) 3-16. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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April 04, 2012

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7:00 AM | How to survive a break-up: Give yourself a break
Source There is no shortage of advice on how to recover from a bad break-up: keep busy, don't contact your ex, go out with friends, make a break-up mix (preferably one that includes "I will survive"), etc. But according to a new study, something important is missing from this list. In the study, led by David Sbarra and published in Psychological Science, participants who had recently separated from their spouses were recorded talking for four minutes in a [...]

Sbarra, D., Smith, H. & Mehl, M. (2012). When Leaving Your Ex, Love Yourself: Observational Ratings of Self-Compassion Predict the Course of Emotional Recovery Following Marital Separation, Psychological Science, 23 (3) 261-269. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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March 23, 2012

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6:18 AM | Friday Fun: The Ryan Gosling Obsession
Source When Bradley Cooper was named People Magazine's Sexist Man Alive this year, angry protesters swarmed People's headquarters (okay, there were only about 15 protesters, but still). According to one, Ryan's "left arm alone makes him the Sexiest Man Alive. Hello, look at his abs!" Ryan is also the subject of the "Hey Girl" meme, which started with a single tumblr that inspired multiple off-shoots, like feminist Ryan Gosling, typographer Ryan Gosling, and [...]

DeBruine LM, Jones BC, Crawford JR, Welling LL & Little AC (2010). The health of a nation predicts their mate preferences: cross-cultural variation in women's preferences for masculinized male faces., Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, 277 (1692) 2405-10. PMID:

Tangney, J. (2000). Humility: Theoretical Perspectives, Empirical Findings and Directions for Future Research, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19 (1) 70-82. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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March 21, 2012

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7:07 AM | Neighborly Love: The Psychology of Mr. Rogers
Source Mr. Rogers is undoubtedly one of the most beloved cultural icons in American history. His TV show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, ran for more than thirty years and inspired many generations of young viewers. Admittedly, I remember sometimes finding the show a little cheesy and slow-paced (I wanted to be watching Saved By The Bell or Full House instead). But there was also something comforting about Mr. Rogers' kind, gentle demeanor. When he looked at me and said, I like you just [...]

Baumeister, R. & Leary, M. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation., Psychological Bulletin, 117 (3) 497-529. DOI:

Goetz, J., Keltner, D. & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review., Psychological Bulletin, 136 (3) 351-374. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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March 02, 2012

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10:17 AM | Friday Fun: Birth Order and Romantic Compatibility
Source Research suggests that the order in which you were born, relative to your siblings, plays a role in shaping your personality -- older siblings tend to be more traditional and dominant, middle-borns more sociable and attention-seeking, and younger siblings more rebellious and unconventional. These differences are theorized to stem from sibling competition and the need to occupy different "niches" in order to shine and gain parental favor (e.g., the overachiever, the [...]

Jefferson, T., Herbst, J. & McCrae, R. (1998). Associations between Birth Order and Personality Traits: Evidence from Self-Reports and Observer Ratings, Journal of Research in Personality, 32 (4) 498-509. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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February 29, 2012

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8:18 AM | Freudian defense mechanisms: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Source Freud had some weird ideas, but he also had some brilliant ones. Along with Freudian slips, one of my favorites is his classification of ego defense mechanisms, which was further elaborated by his daughter Anna and by other psychoanalysts. Defense mechanisms refer to unconscious strategies that protect us from threats to our self-esteem and other sources of anxiety. Not all defenses are created equal, however - some are more likely to take us down the road to psychosis, whereas others [...]

Vaillant, G. (1994). Ego mechanisms of defense and personality psychopathology., Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103 (1) 44-50. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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February 15, 2012

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8:27 AM | The Dawn of Happiness Apps
Source After years of stubborn resistance to the smartphone craze, I reluctantly accepted an iphone as a gift last month. I instantly fell in love. Aside from the obvious convenience of having constant access to email, what I really love are the apps. And as a psychologist, I'm especially excited by the idea that apps can be used in the service of mental health and well-being. A few examples of promising research-based happiness apps: Read More-> [...]
Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science

February 13, 2012

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6:06 AM | Valentine's Day Special: An Insider's Guide to Speed Dating
This week's guest blogger is Maya Kuehn, a fellow graduate student at UC Berkeley. We're thrilled to have this talented researcher and writer contribute to the blog. In this post she'll be discussing research on speed dating. Source To my never-ending delight, being a social psychologist can sometimes make me feel like I have an insider’s guide to social life. When I discovered that two dear friends of mine were about to try speed dating for the first time, I couldn’t help [...]

Back, M., Penke, L., Schmukle, S., Sachse, K., Borkenau, P. & Asendorpf, J. (2011). Why mate choices are not as reciprocal as we assume: The role of personality, flirting and physical attractiveness, European Journal of Personality, 25 (2) 120-132. DOI:

Eastwick, P., Finkel, E., Mochon, D. & Ariely, D. (2007). Selective Versus Unselective Romantic Desire: Not All Reciprocity Is Created Equal, Psychological Science, 18 (4) 317-319. DOI:

Eastwick, P. & Finkel, E. (2008). Sex differences in mate preferences revisited: Do people know what they initially desire in a romantic partner?, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94 (2) 245-264. DOI:

Finkel, E. & Eastwick, P. (2009). Arbitrary Social Norms Influence Sex Differences in Romantic Selectivity, Psychological Science, 20 (10) 1290-1295. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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February 02, 2012

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10:23 AM | The Bachelor: A modern-day replication of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Bachelor Ben and his ladies. In 1971 a group of Stanford researchers led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted what became a famous study of the power of  deindividuating situations. Within only six days, twenty-four seemingly normal, psychologically healthy participants were transformed into sadistic prison guards and dejected, emotionally unstable prisoners who came to voluntarily tolerate the abuse that was inflicted on them. Thirty-one years later, the first episode of "The [...]

Miller, G. (2011). Using the Psychology of Evil To Do Good, Science, 332 (6029) 530-532. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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January 30, 2012

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7:52 AM | SPSP 2012: Poster Highlights
Not actually SPSP but the closest I could find As Amie said in a previous post, SPSP poster sessions are like your "elementary school science fair, but all grown up and on steroids." With over 2,000 posters spanning topics ranging from the psychology of political ideology to the link between rejection and health to the dynamics of cheating behavior, it's easy to become overwhelmed. In recent years, posters in a given subject area (e.g., "Emotion") are grouped together [...]

Carney, D., Cuddy, A. & Yap, A. (2010). Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance, Psychological Science, 21 (10) 1363-1368. DOI:

Wohl, M. & Thompson, A. (2011). A dark side to self-forgiveness: Forgiving the self and its association with chronic unhealthy behaviour, British Journal of Social Psychology, 50 (2) 354-364. DOI:

NEFF, K. (2003). Self-Compassion: An Alternative Conceptualization of a Healthy Attitude Toward Oneself, Self and Identity, 2 (2) 85-101. DOI:

Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science
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January 13, 2012

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7:54 PM | Friday Fun: Five Surprising Findings from 2011
Source Social psychology findings can sometimes seem obvious. At times, however, they contradict common sense, make us question our assumptions, or are just plain bizarre. Here are five of such findings, published in the past year, that particularly caught my attention: Read More-> [...]

Richard, F., Bond, C. & Stokes-Zoota, J. (2001). "That's Completely Obvious... and Important": Lay Judgments of Social Psychological Findings, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27 (4) 497-505. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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January 04, 2012

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6:05 AM | How to trick yourself into keeping your New Year's Resolution
Source Year after year we make ambitious New Year's Resolutions, 90% of which ultimately fail, according to a 2007 study. There is no shortage of advice on how to make this year the one where you actually stick with your resolution: we know that we should set realistic goals, take things one step at a time, enlist support, and bounce back from setbacks rather than giving up too easily. And yet, somehow we still manage to fail, time and time again. If you are a chronic resolution-breaker, [...]

Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being., American Psychologist, 55 (1) 68-78. DOI:

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Psychology | Social Science
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December 21, 2011

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8:07 AM | Modern Day Freudian Slips
Source George H. W. Bush once made the following classic Freudian slip in a public speech: "For seven and a half years I've worked alongside President Reagan, and I'm proud to have been his partner. We've had triumphs. We've made some mistakes. We've had some sex -- setbacks." When the audience erupts in laughter, you can't help but feel a little bad for the guy, who appears to have a mini heart-attack if you watch his chest closely (see the video [...]
Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science

December 15, 2011

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10:34 PM | I'm sorry: Sometimes not enough, sometimes too much
Source "I'm sorry" is infamous for its inadequacy. It often seems flippant, insincere, or incomplete, as in "I'm sorry you feel that way" or "I'm sorry, but...". Wayward public figures are notorious for inadequate apologies, especially those that involve a failure to own up to wrongdoing. Some argue that a full apology requires many elements, such as acceptance of responsibility, an expression of genuine remorse, an offer to make amends, and an [...]
Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science

December 07, 2011

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8:45 AM | Mind over meat: How we justify eating animals
Source Most people like animals and have no desire to hurt them. An estimated 63% of American households own at least one pet, and many love their pets as if they are their children, doing everything possible to ensure their health and well-being. At the same time, however, at least 80% of Americans eat animals as a regular part of their diet. In recent research, Brock Bastian and colleagues refer to this as the "meat paradox," and they propose that people [...]
Psych Your Mind
Psychology | Social Science
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