It's not hard to find TikTok, IG, or webposts about a field called "color psychology." It generally argues that different colors have specific effects on your mood, behavior, and energy. Put your critical thinking hat on while we take a look at some of its claims. Can the color you choose to wear really impact …
Category: Chapter 14; Replicability, Generalization, and the Real World
Repairing past research injustices (a joint post with Jess Hartnett!)
This is a joint blog post by two W.W. Norton & Co. authors (and pals): Beth Morling and Jess Hartnett. We first “met” through our blogs and social media years ago (Beth's blog on teaching RM, which you are reading now, and Jess's blog on teaching stats, notawfulandboring, here). Our friendship love language is DMing each …
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Claim: Using smartphones on the toilet increases hemorrhoid risk
The study found that people who use their smartphone on the toilet are more likely to have hemorrhoids. How strong is their evidence? Photo: Svitlana Hulko/Shutterstock Is there any relationship between using your smartphone on the toilet and your hemorrhoid risk? Let's get into it. A study on this topic did find an association. …
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Replication update: Mueller-Lyer Illusion (Ch 14)
Turns out this illusion is probably universal--not only in humans, but also in other species. Photo: Dr. Dorsa Amir One of the examples in Chapter 14 is about the Mueller-Lyer Illusion (pictured), specifically, as a prominent example of culture's influence on psychological processes. The original study (conducted by Segall, et al., 1966) showed that people …
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“Want to raise kind, generous kids? Take them to an art museum”
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 …
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“Fetuses smile for carrots but grimace over kale”
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 …
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Time alone with your thoughts?
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 …
Where do you get more creative ideas?
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 …
How much weekly exercise can prevent depression?
The weekly recommendation for exercise is 150 minutes. Photo credit: blasbike/Deposit Photos A journalist wrote about a recent meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry which evaluated the connection between weekly time spent exercising and levels of depression. The headline of the Washington Post summary read, "Exercising even half the recommended amount can help prevent depression". Let's delve …
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Swapping saliva
According to the study, even babies know that we don't share our food with just anybody... Photo: szefei/Shutterstock When you see the photo here, you probably assume the kids are siblings, or at least very close friends. It's not the matching dresses--it's because they're taking turns tasting the same ice cream cone--an activity in which …