Psychology

Psychology

The write stuff for test anxiety

A brief writing exercise prompts higher exam scores for students struggling with academic stress.

Psychology

Lonely teardrops

Women’s tears appear to contain an odorless substance that, when sniffed, lowers men’s sexual arousal.

Humans

Google project launches new field of culture study

An analysis of digitized books probes language change, collective memory and other cultural developments from 1800 to 2000.

Psychology

Face memory peaks late, after age 30

Striking an unanticipated blow for mature thinkers, 30- to 34-year-olds have the best face memory.

Psychology

Connected at church, happy with life

People who feel best about their lives combine religious identity with congregational friendships, a survey finds.

Psychology

Shared talking styles herald new and lasting romance

Verbally in-sync conversations may help to start and maintain dating relationships.

Psychology

Many unhappy returns for wandering minds

A cell phone–based survey finds that people frequently feel worse when their minds wander than when they focus on the moment.

Psychology

Aboriginal time runs east to west

Some indigenous Australians envision time moving westward, suggesting that culture shapes how people think about this basic concept.

Humans

Weighing risks, convicts display blind spots

Prisoners often don’t appreciate likely gains or losses in making decisions, a finding with possible policy implications.

Psychology

Lies, damned lies and psychology experiments

Researchers may deceive themselves when they mislead study participants.

Psychology

Kids learn late to tackle data overload

An information-thrifty tactic used by adults for making accurate judgments takes hold during the tween years.

Psychology

Getting to not know you

Knowledge of a romantic partner’s likes and dislikes declines over decades, a study finds.