Psychology

If you believe some commentators, we’re in the midst of a compassion crisis, with a particularly brutal daily news cycle taking its toll on our reserves of sympathy. The more suffering we see, the less we care, as we mentally switch off from others’ pain. The result may even be that we struggle to feel as much concern for people close at hand when they come to us for support; we end up feeling numb to any expression of emotion.“The whole world is at risk for ‘compassion fatigue,’” Time magazine declared recently. And…

By University of Texas at Austin February 4, 2024New research shows the last part of waiting is the most challenging, with people’s growing impatience for closure affecting their service perception.New research investigates the varying levels of impatience experienced at different stages of a waiting period, offering valuable insights for both marketers and consumers.New research answers a timely question: What is the hardest part of waiting? In our daily lives, we do a lot of it – be it online, in queues, in traffic, or…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain From the Five Love Languages to the concept of "Happy Wife, Happy Life," popular culture is riddled with ideas of how sex and relationships are supposed to work, but does the science back these ideas up? According to Faculty of Health Assistant Professor and Research Chair in Relationships and Sexuality Amy Muise, the answer is frequently no. …

New research challenges the notion that self-deception about personal behavior is the main driver behind climate change denial.Do climate change deniers bend the facts to avoid having to modify their environmentally harmful behavior? Researchers from the University of Bonn and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) ran an online experiment involving 4,000 US adults, and found no evidence to support this idea. The authors of the study were themselves surprised by the results. Whether they are good or bad news for the fight…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain How to reduce aggression when two parties are at odds? Ph.D. research by psychologist Lennart Reddmann shows that it can help to offer them a peaceful alternative. However, the attacking party benefits the most from such a solution. After years of research into conflict and cooperation, Reddmann knows that people don't fight…

Behavioral psychology reveals a lot about customer decision-making. Principles like the fresh start effect, fast vs. slow thinking, the speak-easy effect, and social proof can be applied to SEO to better understand and influence customer intent.  This article uncovers how these specific behavioral concepts can enhance your SEO and conversion rate optimization (CRO) efforts by tapping into customer psychology.Inside the customer’s mind Imagine, it’s the New Year, and you have a few resolutions you want to…

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends Do you find yourself getting stressed out often? If so, you may be interested in a new feature headed to the Oura Ring. The new tool is called “Resilience,” and it’s designed to help you manage stress. It will be available through a software update on Wednesday, January 31. Resilience is an assessment tool that uses data from your previous activity to evaluate your ability to cope with physiological stress. The Oura app will analyze various factors, such as your stress levels during the…

A recent study utilized big data to enhance understanding of motor learning, revealing key insights into how age, gender, and other factors impact motor control. This approach offers a novel perspective, complementing traditional lab-based research. Credit: SciTechDaily.comData generated by citizen scientists offer researchers new insight into how people adapt and move differently to correct for movement errors.A new research study examined the results from data generated by citizen scientists using a simple web-based…

Ruhr University Bochum researchers conducted the first systematic review of ASMR, finding that it induces short-term mental well-being and physiological changes in some individuals. Long-term effects on mental health, however, are yet to be studied.Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum have conducted the first systematic review of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR).Millions of individuals tune into YouTube and various social media platforms like TikTok, where content creators engage audiences by whispering…

The minimum mate preferences for incel and non-incel single men. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Credit: The Journal of Sex Research (2023). DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2248096 A new study published in The Journal of Sex Research has revealed the complex world of involuntary celibacy, providing important insights into the challenges faced by a growing community of men known as incels. …