An essay from the Wilson Quarterly (via aldaily.com): [W]e live now in a climate in which friends appear dispensable. While most of us wouldn’t last long outside the intricate web of interdependence that supplies all our physical needs—imagine no electricity, money, or sewers—we’ve come to demand of ourselves truly radical levels of emotional self-sufficiency…
NYT’s Unplugged Challenge–series of articles and video from participants. The latest article profiles research into how plugged-in life affects attention: Echoing other researchers, Mr. Strayer says that understanding how attention works could help in the treatment of a host of maladies, like attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and depression. And he says that on a day-to-day basis, too much
Set aside some time if you want to take in this massive Slate article. Lots of embedded video, including this, the Skinner Box at work: UPDATE: The Slate article seems to have disappeared. Here’s a Wiki page about the Skinner Box instead.
The Fragility of Memory Read More »
Jonah Lehrer looks at the “paradox of power” in the WSJ. Contrary to the Machiavellian cliché, nice people are more likely to rise to power. Then something strange happens: Authority atrophies the very talents that got them there.
The Psychology of Power Read More »
PsychCentral: More College Students with Depression, Anxiety More college students are grappling with depression and anxiety disorders than they did a decade ago, according to research presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association. And with greater diagnoses of depression and anxiety has come a related rise in the number of college students on psychiatric
College Anxiety and Depression Upswing Read More »
ScienceDaily: Trusting people make better lie detectors Trusting others may not make you necessarily a fool or a Pollyanna, according to a study in the current Social Psychological and Personality Science. Instead it can be a sign that you’re smart…
Does venting anger help? YANSS looks at the research. The Misconception: Venting your anger is an effective way to reduce stress and prevent lashing out at friends and family. The Truth: Venting increases aggressive behavior over time. Related: Angry People Want To Be Rewarded (PsychCentral).
Does Venting Anger Help? Read More »
Stuff v. Happiness in the NYT: A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people. Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.” So
But Will It Make You Happy? Read More »
Diane Johnson looks dating and marriage in a NYRB review. It used to be that on a date, the boy would pay for a Pepsi and the movie; that was it. Lori Gottlieb, in Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough, estimates the cost to today’s woman of four months of dating, counting
From WebMD: Is Your Marriage Toxic? Give it time. Don’t expect the walls of resentment to come down right away. Rivkin suggests allowing at least three months to see if working with a therapist or using the advice from a relationship book is helping your marriage. Change may come slowly. But don’t be afraid of
A Vote for Marriage Counseling Read More »