Psychology
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Computing
M. Ehsan Hoque develops digital helpers that teach social skills
Computer scientist M. Ehsan Hoque programs emotionally attuned assistants that bring people together.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
Confusion lingers over health-related pros and cons of marijuana
50 years ago, the effects of chronic marijuana smoking on mental health were hazy. They still are.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
Science can’t forecast love
Scientists’ forecast for romantic matches is unpredictable.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
Teaching methods go from lab to classroom
Cognitive researchers are finding ways to help young students to hold on to all the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school.
By Susan Gaidos -
Anthropology
Spiritual convictions and group identities inspire terrorist acts, study finds
Sacred values and becoming one with comrades fuels terrorist acts, a report finds.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
A look at Rwanda’s genocide helps explain why ordinary people kill their neighbors
New research on the 1994 Rwanda genocide overturns assumptions about why people participate in genocide. A sense of duty, not blind obedience, drives many perpetrators.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
African farmers’ kids conquer the marshmallow test
Nso farmers in Cameroon groom kids for self-control that Western peers often lack.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
Running is contagious among those with the competitive bug
Can behaviors really be contagious? Runners log more miles when their friends do — especially if they want to stay leader of the pack, a new study finds.
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Science & Society
New museum exhibit explores science of racism
“Us and Them,” a new exhibit at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, draws on genetics, psychology, anthropology and sociology to examine why racism and prejudice persist.
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Psychology
Out-of-body experiments show kids’ budding sense of self
Sensing that “my body is me” starts early and develops over many years.
By Bruce Bower -
Science & Society
Online reviews can make over-the-counter drugs look way too effective
Online patient reviews put a far more misleading spin on medications than clinical trials do.
By Bruce Bower -
Psychology
Nudging people to make good choices can backfire
Steering people’s decisions with simple nudges, such as e-mail reminders or opt-out programs, can come with a downside.
By Bruce Bower