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Give Someone a Virtual Avatar and They Adopt Stereotype Behavior
People behave differently depending on the appearance of their digital avatar
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The 10,000 Hour Rule Is Not Real
The biggest meta-analysis of research to date indicates that practice does not make perfect
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Our Personalities Are Most Stable in Mid-Life
In some ways, our 80-year-old selves mirror our 20-year-old selves
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Losing Weight Makes People Healthy—But Not Necessarily Happy
The relationship between losing weight and being happy is not at all straightforward
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This Mathematical Equation Predicts Momentary Happiness
Keeping your expectations low, it seems, is key to achieving fleeting satisfaction
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Suicide Risk Could Soon Be Predicted Through a Blood Test
Elevated levels of stress-related chemicals in the body seem to correlate with suicide
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If You’re Feeling Stressed After Work, Skip the TV
People who arrived home stressed and then watched TV or played video games wound up feeling guilty about those activities
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Researchers Crack the Code of First Impressions
Mathematics identifies the subtle facial features that influence how we judge others
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This Guy Simultaneously Raised a Chimp and a Baby in Exactly the Same Way to See What Would Happen
When treated as a human, the baby chimp acted like one—until her physiology and development held her back
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Schadenfreude is a Childish Emotion
Even two-year-olds find the twisted joy in others’ pain
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Playing Outside Enhances Kids’ Love of Nature and Animals
Exposure to the great outdoors could also influence kids’ ideas about the importance of conservation
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Science Proves That Kids’ Eyes Really Are Bigger Than Their Stomachs
Adults around the world uniformly clean their plates at dinner time, but not kids
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Even Toddlers Recognize the Superior Cuteness of Puppies and Kittens
Our notion of cuteness might be hardwired rather than learned
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These Psychologists Think We’d Be Happier If We Talked to Strangers More
Though you should definitely take this on a case-by-case basis.
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Yet other researchers think that different factors, such as the quality and timing of practice, matter most
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A Quarter of Americans Are Stressed Out—And That’s Probably a Massive Underestimate
Health, family and monetary problems are top causes of stress, as are raising a teenager or being a single parent
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China Now Has Up to 250 Boot Camps to Cure Teens of Internet Addiction
One of these facilities recently opened in the US, too
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British Airways’ New Blankets Pick Up On and Display Your Anxiety
The blankets are only in the experimental phase right now, however
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