Hawthorn Effect - Psychology Definition of the Week
Friday May 30, 2008
Definition: A term referring to the tendency of some people to work harder and perform better when they are participants in an experiment. Individuals may change their behavior due to ... Read More
Does Making Decisions Hurt Productivity?
Thursday May 22, 2008
During a recent trip to Las Vegas, I stood in front of a crowded vendor stand staring at a ridiculously wide variety of hooded sweatshirts. The heat of the day ... Read More
Illusion - Making Your Eye Feel Closed When It Isn't
Tuesday May 20, 2008
Cognitive Daily has an excellent post on an interesting illusion that you can try at home. Go into a room, shut the door and turn out the lights so that ... Read More
Psychology News Roundup – Volume 2
Friday May 16, 2008
In this edition of the Psychology News Roundup, we take a look at new research on how infants see color, an amusing psychometric scale from the 1930s and a study ... Read More
Unconditioned Stimulus - Psychology Definition of the Week
Thursday May 15, 2008
Definition: In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally and automatically triggers a response. For example, when you smell one of your favorite foods, you may immediately ... Read More
What is Self-Efficacy?
Thursday May 15, 2008
Psychologist Albert Bandura has defined self-efficacy as our belief in our ability to succeed in specific situations. Your sense of self-efficacy can play a major role in how you approach ... Read More
This Week in Psychology History
Monday May 12, 2008
Some notable events that happened this week in psychology history: March 11 - In 1988, the American Psychological Association sold the magazine Psychology Today for $6.5 million, after losing nearly $16 ... Read More
The Psychology of Lying
Friday May 9, 2008
Lying and exaggerating create different psychological responses.Photo © Nicolas Loran/iStockPhoto An interesting article in The New York Times takes a look at the psychological differences between exaggeration and lying. Research has ... Read More
Issues in Developmental Psychology
Thursday May 8, 2008
In the study of developmental psychology, there are a number of theoretical issues that are debated by researchers. These issues include the debate over nature versus nurture, as well ... Read More
False Memories Complicate End-of-Life Decisions
Monday May 5, 2008
Living wills are often touted as a sure-fire way to ensure that our end-of-life wishes are observed. A living will is a legal document designed to relate wishes in the ... Read More
Short-term Stress Can Impact Memory & Learning
Thursday May 1, 2008
Stress can impair learning.Photo © Ana Balzic While some students claim that learning under pressure actually helps them remember more, a new study from research at the University of California-Irvine suggests ... Read More