Is having more choices always a good thing?
. But we'll never admit it: We propose that individuals underestimate the costs of making choices relative to the benefits of finding the best option. Specifically, we demonstrate that research participants make systematic mistakes in predicting the effect of having more, vs. less, choice freedom on task performance and task-induced affect. Even when participants have the information to understand that the costs of choice freedom outweigh its benefits, they still predict that choice freedom will lead to better performance and…
1 min read
Here’s How You Can Significantly Reduce Job Stress
t a clear idea of what is expected of you: The aims of the present study were twofold: First, in differentiating between specific job characteristics, the authors examined the moderating influence of role clarity on the relationship between job demands and psychological and physical strain. Second, in providing a more comprehensive link between job demands and job performance, the authors examined strain as a mediator of that relationship. Participants were 1,418 Army cadets attending a 35-day assessment center. Survey data…
1 min read
Can stress really make you sick?
solutely. From APA: The results revealed a clear relationship between the amount of life stress reported and the percentage of people who caught the cold. As stress increased, so did the incidence of the cold, and this relationship was strongly linear, meaning that for each increment of additional stress, there is an additional increment of susceptibility to the cold. And: In a follow-up study, the result was replicated with an improved measure of cold infection. Cohen also obtained more information about…
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Should you go back to bed?
ve posted before on how little sleep you can get away with: ...by the end of two weeks, the six-hour sleepers were as impaired as those who, in another Dinges study, had been sleep-deprived for 24 hours straight — the cognitive equivalent of being legally drunk. The best part was, if you asked them, they felt fine and didn't realize they were impaired (the same way drunk people respond to such questions, minus the slurring.) Why else is it important?…
1 min read
Should you be as nice as humanly possible to your doctor?
ctors take pain more seriously when they like the patient: This study examined the influence of patients’ likability on pain estimations made by observers. Patients’ likability was manipulated by means of an evaluative conditioning procedure: pictures of patients were combined with either positive, neutral, or negative personal traits. Next, videos of the patients were presented to 40 observers who rated the pain. Patients were expressing no, mild-, or high-intensity pain. Results indicated lower pain estimations as well as lower perceptual…
1 min read
Does the placebo effect make any sense at all?
in over 151,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips 6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful
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5 ways to reduce stress and anxiety:
Chew gum. 2) Get some vanilla ice cream. 3) Watch comedy or listen to music. 4) Want to reduce anxiety about your relationship? Have more sex. 5) Want to worry less about losing your job? Here's a great fact to consider: worrying about losing your job is worse than losing your job. Join over 190,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips How To Get…
1 min read
Why do some people get sick so often and others never do?
ck of sleep makes you more susceptible to illness: Background Sleep quality is thought to be an important predictor of immunity and, in turn, susceptibility to the common cold. This article examines whether sleep duration and efficiency in the weeks preceding viral exposure are associated with cold susceptibility. Methods A total of 153 healthy men and women (age range, 21-55 years) volunteered to participate in the study. For 14 consecutive days, they reported their sleep duration and sleepefficiency (percentage of time in bed actually asleep) for the previous…
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