Science Of Karma: 3 Steps To Making It Work For You
you believe in karma? Research shows that most of us do, whether we admit it or not. When we want something and we're unsure whether we'll get it, we become more helpful: We suggest that when wanting and uncertainty are high and personal control is lacking, people may be more likely to help others, as if they can encourage fate’s favor by doing good deeds proactively. Four experiments support this karmic-investment hypothesis. You feel that if you do something…
6 minutes
Science Of Sexy: 5 Things That Can Make You Irresistible
mor Is Sexy Humor is attractive to men and women -- but not in the same way. The research shows women like men who make them laugh, and men like women who laugh at their jokes. Via Mating Intelligence Unleashed: The Role of the Mind in Sex, Dating, and Love: Recent research suggests that while both men and women say they like a "good sense of humor" in a potential mate, they differ in what they mean by this phrase. Women…
6 minutes
Good Parenting Skills: 7 Research-Backed Ways to Raise Kids Right
ve posted about the research behind happy families and solid marriages, but what does science say about good parenting skills? Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman do an excellent job of rounding up the latest research in their book, NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children. Here are my highlights: 1) Praise Kids For Effort, Not Smarts Praise kids for something they can easily control -- the amount of effort they put in. This teaches them to persist and that improvement is possible.…
7 minutes
How To Make Friends Easily And Strengthen The Friendships You Have
iendship is a good thing. That's hardly front-page news -- but somehow we all forget how important it is. We take friends for granted. As we raise families we neglect friends. We don't put in the effort to make and keep friends. And the problem is growing. In 1985 most people said they had 3 close friends. In 2004 the most common number was zero. Via Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect: In a survey given in 1985, people…
8 minutes
Recipe For A Happy Marriage: The 7 Scientific Secrets
w York Times writer Tara Parker-Pope pulled together the science behind nuptial bliss in her book For Better. Here's the seven point recipe for a happy marriage that she spells out: 1) Celebrate Good News Turns out divorce isn't as much about increased negative things as it is about decreased positive things. Via For Better: How the Surprising Science of Happy Couples Can Help Your Marriage Succeed: “We’ve found that the positives are more and more important,” says Howard Markman,…
5 minutes
How To Have A Happy Family – 7 Tips Backed By Research
Having Dinner Together Matters Kids who have dinner with their families do better across pretty much every conceivable metric. Via The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More: A recent wave of research shows that children who eat dinner with their families are less likely to drink, smoke, do drugs, get pregnant, commit suicide, and develop eating disorders. Additional research found that children who enjoy family meals have…
6 minutes
How To Flirt — Backed By Scientific Research
es Flirting Actually Work? Very much so. In fact, research says it's more effective than looking good. Signaling availability and interest trumps attractiveness. Via How to Make Someone Fall in Love With You in 90 Minutes or Less: Dr. Monica Moore, a psychologist at Webster University in St. Louis, has conducted research on the flirting techniques used in singles bars, shopping malls, and places young people go to meet each other. She concluded that it's not the most physically appealing people…
4 minutes
How To Make People Like You: 6 Science-Based Conversation Hacks
you want to know how to make people like you? It's easier than you think. A while back I posted about how to master conversation skills. Here are 6 more research-backed tips: 1) Encourage people to talk about themselves It gives their brain as much pleasure as food or money: Talking about ourselves—whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter—triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money, researchers…
4 minutes
