Most people believe that they are moral and good. They also believe cheating on a partner is wrong. So how do cheaters live with themselves after their infidelity? Understanding how they reconcile their…
“Time is the thief of memory,” wrote Stephen King in one of his many books. For some people, however, that is not true. They are gifted with what scientists call highly superior autobiographical memory…
Who will prevail: 43-year-old Anand or 22-year-old Carlsen?
EPA/STR
In a previous article in The Conversation, I presented the Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen. He obtained the [grandmaster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmaster_(chess%29) title at the age of…
Moderating your behaviour, emotions and thinking in the face of change is not easy – but can it be taught?
Emotion image from www.shutterstock.com
Across a student’s lifetime, their world will change and change again. They’re likely to see industry reshaped, medical advancements, and huge changes to technology. In their own life too, they will begin…
Incoming! But did he need to jump though all those hoops?
Wolfsavard
Researchers and other similar species working within academia are ethical human beings. But actual standards are needed to ensure nobody is exposed to harm in our search for answers. Without these standards…
It is the events that happen in our lives that determine the state of our mental health, rather than some inherent personal inadequacy or genetic flaw.
Zombies are undergoing a revival. Our screens have been filled with films such as “Zombieland”, “World War Z” and “Resident Evil”. Many home-made zombie will be knocking at our doors this week for Halloween…
Sunlight has repeatedly been found to boost positive moods, though the link is weaker than many people imagine.
Image from shutterstock.com
The weather supplies many metaphors for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, dispositions can be sunny, futures can be under a cloud and relationships can be stormy. Like the weather, our…
It’s my party but I can’t invite who I want to?
Birthday image from www.shutterstock.com
Mark Breary, a headmaster in the UK, recently sent a letter to parents asking them to invite the whole class whenever their child was having a birthday party. The headmaster’s goal is commendable, and…
Did you see Wall-E? Loved that movie.
University of Portsmouth
Whether you’re already planning what your mechanised personal assistant will look like in the future or worrying that machines will inherit the Earth, there is no denying that human beings are fascinated…
I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
Runs with Scissors
Val Curtis, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
If you read about the record-breaking “fatberg” lurking under Kingston recently and reacted the same way as me - “Oh my God - a gob of fat in the London sewers as big as a bus - that’s disgusting!” - you’ll…
Tag me, tag me. OK I’ll do it myself.
Ambuj Saxena
An increasing number of studies into the correlation between social media and narcissistic tendencies confirm what many of us already suspect. We see teenagers spending hour after hour with their phones…
The relationship between emotional well-being and social networking is far from being fully understood.
Alessandro Valli
A recent study about Facebook made headlines across the world with claims that using the social media site makes people sad. But there seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of what the research actually…
For many people, psychology is at best a “soft” science.
AlicePopkorn
First, a disclaimer: I’m the proud holder of a Bachelor of Science (upper second class) in experimental psychology. So you shouldn’t be too surprised when I tell you psychology is a science. But for many…
Don’t you just want to hug him to death?
Antoinette vd Rieth
Humans respond to cute. Show us just about any little critter with a big round head and a pair of large, blinking-in-the-headlights eyes and cooing will ensue. Add to that a set of chubby cheeks, a button…
Our brains predispose us to a quick fix, but with the right leadership we could choose a path to different future.
Scott Ogilive
A sustainable future remains within our grasp but - thanks to the way human brains work - only governments can implement many of the necessary strategies. Our political leaders have a unique responsibility…
Appearance matters in the impressions we form, and the face perhaps most of all.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The idea a politician’s face would influence our vote one way or another seems preposterous: who would be swayed by something so seemingly trivial, so manifestly beside the point? But looks, alongside…
The headlines The Los Angeles Times: People trust eyes - not ears - when judging musicians Classic FM: Classical singers judged by actions not voice Nature: Musicians’ appearances matter more than their…
Misery is psychology’s stale bread and rancid butter. The field heaps attention on sadness, fear and anxiety, and their psychiatric cousins depression, phobia and neurosis. Anger receives much less scrutiny…