“89 percent of cellphone owners said they had used their phones during the last social gathering they attended. But they weren’t happy about it; 82 percent of adults felt that the way they used their phones in social settings hurt the conversation.” – Stop Googling, Let’s Talk An opinion piece by Sherry Turkle for The […]
Stressing in our free time
“It’s likely that the mere anticipation of interruption, and the resulting loss of control over one’s free time, eats away at the benefits of leisure, even if the interruptions turn out to be minor.” – The Psychological Toll of Being Off-Duty but “On Call” This study looked specifically at being on call after hours, but […]
Out of the Blue
A new study found that feeling sad limits how well we see colors on the blue-yellow axis. Earlier this summer another study looked into the late appearance of the color blue in societies around the world. Feeling Blue and Seeing Blue: Sadness May Impair Color Perception Humans didn’t even see the colour blue until modern times, […]
Your laughter shows your age
Laughter online is evolving, and your age, location and gender may be linked to how you do it. The Not-So-Universal Language of Laughter
Sarcasm with friends
Sarcasm may actually offer some important psychological and organizational benefits. Research uncovers creative benefits in using sarcasm when people trust each other. Go ahead, be sarcastic
To Brag or Humblebrag
If you’re going to brag, do it straight out instead of covering it up. Or just complain, it’s even more likeable than pure bragging. According to this new research, hiding your brag inside a complaint makes you less likeable – probably because you appear insincere. The researchers started with Twitter but went deeper through 5 […]
Green Space at Schools
It’s not surprising that schools with green space help students, specifically with attentiveness and working memory in this study. From the physical (clean air to breath, space for activity) to the psychological (gazing at nature makes you happier, friendlier, more playful) “more green around the school is better for cognitive development…” Study: Green Space Around […]
Social Withholding
Being honest and revealing your weaknesses might get you a date, but it won’t get you business. This new research explains why revealing too much in social media can benefit individuals but hurt businesses. The Surprising Benefits of Oversharing
Managing Busyness
“Smartphones have an off switch. Use it often.” This article in Mindful has some good tips: Don’t get addicted to busyness.