Did the study manipulate exposure to art museums? Photo: AChubykin/Deposit Photos On my first read of this headline, I was skeptical. "Probably a correlational study behind this one," I thought. As it turns out we are actually looking at an experiment. However, there's another problem with the journalist's coverage of this study. Read on. The …
Continue reading “Want to raise kind, generous kids? Take them to an art museum”
Participants in the study took either a multivitamin or a placebo. Photo: Sorapop Udomsri/Shutterstock When you shop in a natural foods or general nutrition store, you might see claims that vitamins can improve your health and cognitive function. Scientists don't always test such claims in randomized trials, so it's best to be skeptical until you …
The studies found that puppies recognize their mothers and that mothers recognize their offspring, but that siblings may not recognize each other after they've lived apart. Photo credit: cynoclub/Deposit Photos Not an endorsement, but our dog Fig likes to use Rover.com, and the company sent me this article in their email newsletter. It's titled, "Do …
Football coaching seems to have a stereotype problemPhoto credit: dotshock/Shutterstock Here's a story from the website Psypost. The headline reads, "Study of U.S. football coaches finds the more White you look, the more likely you are to be head coach". This report is a study based on a well-known disparity in U.S. football (both college …
Continue reading In U.S. football, Whiter-looking men more likely to be head coaches
In one study, department store workers ate more unhealthy foods when they were working more demanding shifts. Is such a study likely to bean experiment, a quasi-experiment, or a correlational study?Credit: 22January/Shutterstock A Washington Post journalist integrated several health psychology studies in an article about the relationships between stress and eating. For many people, stress …
Continue reading Stress and food: experimental and quasi-experimental evidence
Does holding a comfort object actually reduce anxiety in adults? That's an empirical question! Photo: NDanko/Shutterstock Apparently, about half of American adults still have a childhood teddy bear, and 40% still sleep with it (we can look into the methodology of this survey in a later post!). Do such comfort objects provide anything beyond sentimental …
Continue reading Can a cuddly object or blanket reduce adult anxiety?
This fetus's facial expression would be judged as more of a cry or grimace. Photo courtesy of FETAP (Fetal Taste Preferences) Study, Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Durham University This fetus's facial expression would be judged as smiling (or lip-pulling). Photo courtesy of FETAP (Fetal Taste Preferences) Study, Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Durham University …
Continue reading “Fetuses smile for carrots but grimace over kale”
Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock Imagine sitting alone with your thoughts for 20 minutes. You wouldn't be allowed to distract yourself with a book, phone, or even walking around. How much do you think you would you enjoy it? When this question was asked of participants in a series of studies, most reported that they'd not enjoy …
The research tested whether people came up with more, and more creative, ideas when working face-to-face compared to Zoom. Photo credit: MBI/Alamy Stock Photo Apparently, researchers have found that Zoom can stifle pairs' creativity. Here's how an empirical study on this topic was introduced by journalists writing for The Guardian: While the benefits of Zoom …
The study focused on therapy dogs' effect on perceptions of pain in emergency room patients. Photo: monkeybusiness/Deposit Photos Adults and children alike can benefit from petting a therapy dog (a friendly pet who makes rounds with a trainer, perhaps to a clinic, pediatric unit, or even on campus during finals week). In this study, covered …