Psychology
Small bribes may help people build healthy handwashing habits
Getting people to wash their hands is notoriously difficult. Doling out nice soap dispensers and rewards helps people develop the habit.
Psychology
More Stories in Psychology
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Science & SocietyParents in Western countries report the highest levels of burnout
The first survey comparing parental exhaustion across 42 countries links it to a culture of self-reliance.
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Health & MedicineRedefining ‘flesh-colored’ bandages makes medicine more inclusive
Peach-colored bandages label dark-skinned patients as outside the norm, says med student Linda Oyesiku. Brown bandages expand who gets to be normal.
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AnimalsA rare bird sighting doesn’t lead to seeing more kinds of rare birds
The idea that more kinds of rare birds are seen when birders flock to where one has been seen, the so-called Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, is a myth.
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PsychologyIn the social distancing era, boredom may pose a public health threat
Boredom contributes to pandemic fatigue and may account for why some people don’t follow social distancing rules.
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PsychologyThe COVID-19 pandemic made U.S. college students’ mental health even worse
College students struggled with mental health problems before the pandemic. Now, some vulnerable students are even more at risk.
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AnimalsBonobos, much like humans, show commitment to completing a joint task
Experiments with bonobos suggest that humans aren’t the only ones who can feel a sense of mutual responsibility toward other members of their species.
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NeuroscienceLonely brains crave people like hungry brains crave food
After hours of isolation, dopamine-producing cells in the brain fire up in response to pictures of humans, showing our social side runs deep.
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Psychology‘Deaths of despair’ are rising. It’s time to define despair
A sense of defeat, not mental ailments, may be derailing the lives of less-educated people in the United States.
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Science & Society‘The Origins of You’ explores how kids develop into their adult selves
A new book describes the interplay of nature and nurture as children, at least in Western societies, grow up.