Can you demonstrate power or kindness by the flick of a wrist?
bsp; Palm down gestures indicate power. Palm up shows submission. via the New York Times: Skilled politicians instinctively woo audiences with the upraised palms that made Mr. Clinton and Ronald Reagan seem so genial and helpful (or contrite, when the occasion demanded). Veteran politicans know to avoid palm-down gestures unless they’re attacking enemies or trying to look strong... He cites Adam Kendon, author of Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance, on the deeper meaning of these hand positions: Gestures of the…
2 minutes
Can praying for your partner reduce infidelity?
you can get them praying for you, they're less likely to cheat: Because religion and/or spirituality is integral to the lives of a majority of the world population, we conducted 3 studies on the role of prayer in romantic relationships. Study 1 (N = 375) showed that prayer for the partner predicted lower levels of extradyadic romantic behavior over a 6-week period, over and beyond relationship satisfaction, and initial levels of extradyadic romantic behavior. In Study 2 (N =…
1 min read
Does legalizing medical marijuana reduce fatal car accidents?
cohol and marijuana are substitutes so when pot is legalized, drunk driving drops: To date, 16 states have passed medical marijuana laws, yet very little is known about their effects. Using state-level data, we examine the relationship between medical marijuana laws and a variety of outcomes. Legalization of medical marijuana is associated with increased use of marijuana among adults, but not among minors. In addition, legalization is associated with a nearly 9 percent decrease in traffic fatalities, most likely to…
1 min read
Why do more women file for divorce than men?
llow @bakadesuyo The primary determinant of whether it's the husband or the wife who files for divorce is who gets the kids -- and women are far more likely to get custody than men: Our results are consistent with our hypothesis that filing behavior is driven by self-interest at the time of divorce. Individuals file for divorce when there are marital assets that may be appropriated through divorce, as in the case of leaving when they have received the benefit…
2 minutes
Do shy people prefer to send email?
is study showed that people who are more extraverted and/or less socially anxious preferred face-to-face and phone conversations, while people who were more introverted and more neurotic tended toward email: ...Consistent with these expectations, the reported results revealed that Extraversion and Neuroticism were significantly correlated with media preferences. Extraverts and participants low on Neuroticism more strongly preferred media with high-richness levels (face-to-face communication compared to e-mail) than introverts and individuals high on Neuroticism... Source: "Do Shy People Prefer to Send…
1 min read
What’s one way where money definitely brings happiness?
llow @bakadesuyo Trying to become happy via money makes us miserable and once we can pay for all the basics of life, money's ability to increase happiness is quite minimal. However, there are a few ways we can use money to increase our happiness and one of the key ones is, ironically, spending it on other people: via The Boston Globe: What if, for example, she spent it not on a new flat-screen television or sectional sofa, but on other…
2 minutes
How much exercise do you have to do to get health and mental benefits?
llow @bakadesuyo Any. PURPOSE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been characterized as the ultimate goal for health interventions such as physical activity (PA). We assessed how frequency, duration, and intensity of PA were related to HRQoL in younger (<65 yr) and older (≥65 yr) females and males. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study explored associations between frequency, duration, and intensity of PA and physical and mental health. HRQoL was measured by SF-8 Health Survey. Frequency and duration were assessed by…
2 minutes
How can we easily make fun moments even more pleasurable?
llow @bakadesuyo When something good happens, don't try to explain it or make sense of it. Just enjoy it. Don't try to resolve any uncertainties. ("Who gave me this gift? Do I deserve it? Why me?") As this study shows, a little uncertainty after a positive event prolongs enjoyment. We always want answers but the truth is making sense of good things reduces the pleasure we feel: The authors hypothesized that uncertainty following a positive event prolongs the pleasure it…
1 min read
