Study looks at method behind card tricks
From the Simon Fraser University press release: A magician will have the upper hand because he knows how his trick works. But, according to Jay Olson, the magician might not know why. A recent study…
Study suggests larger font elicits stronger emotional responses in brain
From the Public Library of Science press release via EurekAlert!: Bigger words – literally those printed in larger font size – elicit stronger emotional brain responses, reports a study published May 9 in the open…
Study looks at perceptions of regifting
From the Association for Psychological Science press release: Birthdays, graduations, Christmas, baby showers, bridal showers, bar and bat mitzvahs, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, first marriages (and second.. and third…), wedding anniversaries, the spontaneous friendship gesture,…
Study looks at college men’s perceptions of performance enhancers
From the American Psychological Association press release via EurekAlert!: In the eyes of young college men, it’s more unethical to use steroids to get an edge in sports than it is to use prescription stimulants…
Study suggests images of pointing fingers are more effective than arrows in directing attention
From the University of Lincoln press release via AlphaGalileo: Images of pointing fingers are much better at diverting people’s attention than directional arrows, new psychology research suggests. In a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal…
Researchers look at why visual illusions trick our brains
From the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center press release via MedicalXPress: Barrow Neurological Institute researchers Jorge Otero-Millan, Stephen Macknik, and Susana Martinez-Conde share the recent cover of the Journal of Neuroscience in a compelling…
Study suggests that people like multitasking because it makes them feel better
From the Ohio State University press release: People aren’t very good at media multitasking – like reading a book while watching TV – but do it anyway because it makes them feel good, a new…
Study suggests having a “balanced time perspective” increases likelihood of being happy
From the San Francisco State University press release via EurekAlert!: Do you look fondly at the past, enjoy yourself in the present, and strive for future goals? If you hold these time perspectives simultaneously—and don’t…
Study looks at how the attractiveness of Facebook friends affects impressions of their friends
From the Inderscience press release via AlphaGalileo: A European study of students using online social networking shows that users tend to make new connections via their own more attractive friends regardless of whether they are…
Study suggests left side of face is more positively perceived than right side
From the Springer press release: Your best side may be your left cheek, according to a new study by Kelsey Blackburn and James Schirillo from Wake Forest University in the US. Their work shows that…