Psychology

"Studies show that being satisfied with your romantic relationship is one of the best predictors of happiness - even more important than education, income, or having a high-status job. Resolve to make 2013 your happiest year yet with these bond-strengthening pledges."

Resolution #1: Start living in the future
“Stop basing the potential relationship of your future to your relationships of the past,”

"psychological distress from the disaster and its patchy recovery is likely to be growing, trauma experts say." - "Those most vulnerable to long-term emotional fallout from the storm are people who lost loved ones or whose homes were destroyed. But the disruption to normal life could well affect millions of others, experts say."

New research published in Perspectives on Psychological Science suggests that a different factor -- employee interests -- may be a better way to predict who will perform well on the job.

In the recent romantic comedy, “What’s Your Number?” Anna Faris plays a young single woman who is worried that her high number of past sexual partners, 19, will prevent her from meeting Mr. Right, and determines to find lasting love before bedding No. 20.

Men tend to overestimate, while women generally underestimate. -- In general, though, there seems to be a double standard. What’s in a number, and why should a woman’s be lower than a man’s?

"Happiness, like so many other things, can be part of a practice, and the first step is identifying what it is that makes you happy."

"The study explains that faking it is a way for these women to stake their claim on a man: those women who were more concerned about a man cheating on her were more likely to fake orgasms."

Life is full of stressful situations, some of which are lower on the totem pole of emotional intensity and some much higher. On the lower end might be a morning drive to work in unexpected traffic or a subtle reminder from your boss about the minor deadline you missed. Seeing the destroyed car (and driver) that caused the traffic jam or your boss questioning your ability to do your job, would likely elicit more extreme emotional reactions.

For several decades, psychologist have been interested in how people successfully control their emotions in stressful situations. The idea is that, if we can understand how healthy people manage their emotions, we may be able to improve the lives of those with depression or anxiety (both of which are characterized by breakdowns in emotional equilibrium). Now, new research published last week in the journal Psychological Science shows that successfully regulating our emotions is not a "one size fits all" endeavor. Rather, it involves bringing the right emotional regulation strategy to bear on the situation. Simply put, different emotional contexts require different regulation processes.

An argument for compassion and respect.

In the wake of several highly publicized cases in which teen taunting provoked either suicidal or violent behavior, we have to ask ourselves how social rejection, verbal abuse, and peer ridicule affect developing brains. Last week, I wrote about some of the effects of bullying and verbal abuse on teens. Now, a new piece of research on mice begs the question, Do negative social experiences change the developing brains of humans?

Happy neurochemicals can’t work if they’re on all the time.

Four neurochemicals cause happiness: endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. Each evolved to do a different job. When you know what the job is, you know why your happy chemicals can't be on all the time.

New study says crossing your arms confuses your brain to relieve your pain.

Cheaper than a massage, and fewer side effects than popping pills: A new study reports that crossing your arms can significantly relieve pain.

We all move around in a protective bubble of "near space," more commonly known as "personal space." But not everyone's bubble is the same size. People who project their personal space too far beyond their bodies, or the norm of arm's reach, are more likely to experience claustrophobic fear, a new study finds.

University of Alabama at Birmingham's Stephanie Rauterkus, PhD, explains.

When Obama Is Not a U.S. Citizen (And a Muslim, Anti-Christ)

The effect of race primes on acceptance of Obama smears

Potential Presidential nominee Donald Trump is raising quite a fuss over Obama's birth certificate. Polls show that a surprisingly high number of people believe he could be the anti-Christ, and that he is Muslim. Research (here and here) has begun to explore the causes of these beliefs.

Deeply rooted in the primal need to sense threats and survive, fear still stalks us. Usually, it's totally unwarranted. But to overcome fear, you have to be willing to face it first.