Over 300 years ago, Swiss physician Johannes Hofer observed disturbing behaviors among Swiss mercenaries fighting in far-flung lands. The soldiers were prone to anorexia, despondency and bouts of weeping. Many…
Category: Psychology
Perspective-changing experiences, good or bad, can lead to richer lives
In December, my husband, our 5-year-old daughter and I tested positive for COVID-19. Life, already off-kilter, lurched. Smell, taste, breath — were they normal? The air smelled only of cold;…
Scientists should report results with intellectual humility. Here’s how
In the children’s chapter book series Zoey and Sassafras, which my own two kids adore, young Zoey has to work out how to save magical creatures with mysterious injuries and…
Nostalgia may have bona fide benefits in hard times, like the pandemic
Over 300 years ago, Swiss physician Johannes Hofer observed disturbing behaviors among Swiss mercenaries fighting in far-flung lands. The soldiers were prone to anorexia, despondency and bouts of weeping. Many…
Everyone maps numbers in space. But why don’t we all use the same directions?
Consider a ruler, a timeline or even weights lined up in a gym. Why are the smaller values, the earlier times and the lighter weights typically on the left and…
Perspective-changing experiences, good or bad, can lead to richer lives
In December, my husband, our 5-year-old daughter and I tested positive for COVID-19. Life, already off-kilter, lurched. Smell, taste, breath — were they normal? The air smelled only of cold;…
Everyone maps numbers in space. But why don’t we all use the same directions?
Consider a ruler, a timeline or even weights lined up in a gym. Why are the smaller values, the earlier times and the lighter weights typically on the left and…
‘Ghost games’ spotlight the psychological effect fans have on referees
When the fans are away, the home team loses its sway, new research suggests. During the 2019–2020 season, European soccer teams played in front of vacant stadium seats due to…
‘Ghost games’ spotlight the psychological effect fans have on referees
When the fans are away, the home team loses its sway, new research suggests. During the 2019–2020 season, European soccer teams played in front of vacant stadium seats due to…
How the strange idea of ‘statistical significance’ was born
In the middle of the 20th century, the field of psychology had a problem. In the wake of the Manhattan Project and in the early days of the space race,…
