Top Stories psychology
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How Thinking Hard Really Can Wear You Out
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Work More Efficiently By Identifying Your Unique Working Style
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Why A Little Bit Of Stress Can Actually Be Good For You
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How To Use Your Alone Time More Productively (And Actually Enjoy It)
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The Seven Elements Of A Creative Personality
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How Stores Manipulate Your Senses So You Spend More Money
How Did Humans Learn To Lie?
The movie The Invention Of Lying depicts an alternate reality where humans never developed the ability to tell porkies. It was a bit rubbish really (especially if you hate Ricky Gervais), but the film’s premise does put forward an interesting question: just what caused the origin of our species’ ability to deceive? A new study points an accusatory finger at an opposing human trait — cooperation.
How Thinking Hard Really Can Wear You Out
Some days, you leave work at 5 PM ready to pick up the kids, make a three-course meal, build a birdhouse, and hit the gym. Others, you walk in the door and collapse on the couch, begging for the sweet release of reality TV to soothe your inexplicably sore body along with a delivery pizza to fuel you up for a particularly intense eight hours of sleep.
Spot A Weak Argument By Looking For The Word ‘Surely’
When you’re digging through the internet and reading essays, or having a heated discussion with someone else, it’s often tough to immediately spot where the argument breaks down. Professor of philosophy Daniel C Dennett suggests that one key word to look for as a sign of a weak argument for is “surely.”
How To Beat The Plateau Effect
Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson are the authors of The Plateau Effect, a book that takes a look at why people in all kinds of pursuits will succeed to a point and then be unable to improve. Our sibling publication Business Insider Australia caught up with them to talk about the plateau effect (and how to collaborate on writing a book).
‘Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy’
This quotation from Theodore Roosevelt argues that comparing your work, your life or whatever else will only serve to make you unhappy. Why? Because when you compare yourself to others, you know all the dirty details of your situation or the problems with what you’ve created, but only the seemingly positive surface information about them or their work.
Would You Kill A Mouse For Ten Dollars?
A new study into the effects of markets on moral values has found that people are more likely to authorise killing animals when operating within bilateral market-like conditions. Participants were given the option to either receive no money and to save the life of a laboratory mouse, or to earn money and accept the killing of the mouse. The results show a clear link between markets and eroded moral values.
How Slot Machines Use Psychology And Design To Keep You Coming Back
Anyone who has ever walked into a casino has felt the lure of the slot machine. The bright lights, inviting little stools, and the promise of hitting the elusive jackpot are ever-present. It’s hard to avoid, no matter what logic tells you about the terrible odds. This Cool Hunting video shows just how involved the development of those enticing machines can be.
