5 surprising insights on why we do (and don’t) donate to charity:
Men are more generous to charities when women are watching. 2) Those who have less give more. 3) We donate more when others can see how much we give. 4) Religious people aren't any more generous than non-religious people. 5) We donate more money when blondes ask. Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
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Are pictures sexier at the top of your computer screen or at the bottom?
ctures of women are rated sexier at the bottom of the screen. Men are seen as more attractive when their photos are presented at the top of the screen: Grounded theory proposes that abstract concepts (e.g., power) are represented by perceptions of vertical space (e.g., up is powerful; down is powerless). We used this theory to examine predictions made by evolutionary psychologists who suggest that desirable males are those who have status and resources (i.e., powerful) while desirable females are…
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When thinking about their future, what do kids want the most?
bsp; Fame. Via Yalda Uhls: In line with Greenfield's (2009) theory of social change and human development, current popular preadolescent TV shows suggest that fame, an individualistic goal, is an important and achievable aspiration (Uhls & Greenfield, 2011). Such messages may be particularly salient for preadolescents, ages 10-12. This study used focus groups and mixed analytic methods (qualitative and quantitative) to examine how popular media, passive and interactive, are interpreted by preadolescents and how their interpretations relate to their media…
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Can Botox cure depression?
's only one small study but the results are pretty impressive: Removing frown lines made subjects look happier. This affected how others treated them and made the subjects feel happier. Nine out of ten were no longer depressed and all ten improved. From Sonja Lyubomirsky's very interesting book, The How of Happiness: The participants were ten clinically depressed patients whose depressions had not responded to treatment by either drugs or psychotherapy. In other words, nothing had worked. They all were…
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5 ways to easily increase self-control:
Practicing a little willpower every day increases self-control over time. 2) For immediate results: tighten your muscles, sit up straight or cross your arms. 3) Get enough sleep and don't miss meals. 4) Context is key. Those around you exert more influence on your behavior than you think. 5) Don't get cocky. Thinking you have great self-control leads to failure. Sometimes little temptations are harder to resist than bigger ones. Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
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5 proven techniques for achieving your goals:
Pick ambitious goals. 2) Vague goals can be a good thing. 3) Know which things are proven to help us and hurt us when it comes to goals. 4) Stop fantasizing and start planning. 5) Pursue mastery instead of focusing on outdoing others. There are tricks to becoming an expert. Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
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10 things every leader needs to know:
How do you build a good work environment? 2) What do you have to do to be perceived as a leader? 3) What are the scientific, time-tested methods for hiring the best people? 4) How do you improve team morale? 5) How can managers easily improve employee performance? 6) What can leaders do to enhance team success? 7) What makes teams smart? 8) Does nagging work? 9) Should leaders be very assertive or more passive? 10) What really motivates…
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Do we have more fun at work or at home?
spend a lot more time in high-challenge, high-skill situations that encourage flow states during work hours. We're more likely to feel apathy during leisure time at home. From Sonja Lyubomirsky's very interesting book, The How of Happiness: ...one study, adult workers were given pagers that beeped them at preprogrammed intervals as they went about their days. Each page was a signal to the participants to consider their at that very moment and to complete several rating scales—that is, how…
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