Psychology
- Anthropology
Spiritual convictions and group identities inspire terrorist acts, study finds
Sacred values and becoming one with comrades fuels terrorist acts, a report finds.
- Psychology
A look at Rwanda’s genocide helps explain why ordinary people kill their neighbors
New research on the 1994 Rwanda genocide overturns assumptions about why people participate in genocide. A sense of duty, not blind obedience, drives many perpetrators.
- Psychology
African farmers’ kids conquer the marshmallow test
Nso farmers in Cameroon groom kids for self-control that Western peers often lack.
- Psychology
Running is contagious among those with the competitive bug
Can behaviors really be contagious? Runners log more miles when their friends do — especially if they want to stay leader of the pack, a new study finds.
- Science & Society
New museum exhibit explores science of racism
“Us and Them,” a new exhibit at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, draws on genetics, psychology, anthropology and sociology to examine why racism and prejudice persist.
- Psychology
Out-of-body experiments show kids’ budding sense of self
Sensing that “my body is me” starts early and develops over many years.
- Science & Society
Online reviews can make over-the-counter drugs look way too effective
Online patient reviews put a far more misleading spin on medications than clinical trials do.
- Psychology
Nudging people to make good choices can backfire
Steering people’s decisions with simple nudges, such as e-mail reminders or opt-out programs, can come with a downside.
- Psychology
Physically abused kids learn to fail at social rules for success
What physically abused kids learn about rewards at home can lead to misbehavior elsewhere.
- Neuroscience
Mysteries of time still stump scientists
The new book "Why Time Flies" is an exploration of how the body perceives time.
- Psychology
Long-lasting mental health isn’t normal
Those who stay mentally healthy from childhood to middle age are exceptions to the rule.
- Psychology
You’ve probably been tricked by fake news and don’t know it
In the fight against falsified facts, the human brain is both the weakest link and our only hope.
