Psychology

What does the Michigan Fish Test say about you?

A quick visual test shows that people from different cultures tend to focus on different things. Sometimes this drastically alters their picture of reality and their performance in future situations. In a simple test that has gained some sociological traction, different nationalities of people were shown the same picture for five seconds and subsequently asked…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Could a notorious party drug be the next psychiatric breakthrough?

MDMA is a drug that’s typically associated with youth culture and dance parties — but it’s increasingly attracting the attention of psychologists and cognitive therapists. Also known as ecstasy, the drug has shown effectiveness in treating a number of mood disorders. But are the potential health risks worth it? Since its introduction less than 50…

io9 George Dvorsky

Kinky people have better mental health than everyone else

People who engage in kinky sexual practices involving such things as bondage and sadomasochism may actually be more mentally healthy than those who don’t, according to a new study. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to break out those whips and handcuffs. BDSM is an umbrella term that mainly bridges bondage and discipline…

io9 Joseph Bennington-Castro

Did everyone 3,000 years ago have a voice in their head?

Today, plenty of us talk to ourselves, but relatively few of us hear voices. According to one psychologist, as little as 3,000 years ago it was the other way around. Find out about the bicameral mind, and why once upon a time everyone might have been hearing voices. In 1976, Julian Jaynes came out with…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

At what age do we understand sarcasm?

We’re used to kids being sassy, but not toddlers. At what age does sarcasm become understandable to a developing brain? The answer depends on the way that that sarcasm is delivered. In my elementary school classes, the teachers had a habit of making students read sections of the books that we were assigned for English…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The effect that explains why you regret posting in anger

Ever come across one of your old angry Internet comments and cringed with disbelief? There’s a reason for that. While good feelings still feel immediate over time, negative ones tend to fade away quickly, leaving only angry tweets behind. If someone told you that we lose the intensity of negative events faster than positive ones,…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

A quick way to manipulate people

What’s the best way to get people to do what you want them to do? Make them believe that they’re the kind of person who would do what you want to do. If you’ve ever shouldered your way past a clipboard person on the sidewalk, you may want to beware one particular tactic. If I…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why do rational people buy into conspiracy theories?

You’ll find them on Facebook, in bars, and at weekend barbecues: people, friends and loved ones you generally regard as level-headed who believe whole-heartedly in the most implausible conspiracy theories. Where does this seemingly contradictory behavior take root? Writing for New York Times Magazine, Boing Boing science editor Maggie Koerth-Baker explores this fascinating quirk of…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Gamers are more hostile towards opponents that seem human

A recent study has shown that gamers who wage battle against human-looking characters are more likely to experience aggressive thoughts and words than those facing monstrous nonhuman targets. For the study, a University of Connecticut research team led by Rory McGloin had 148 participants play the first-person shooter, Quake 3 Revolution, before administering tests to…

io9 George Dvorsky

Could a virtual therapist really help with your personal problems?

Ellie may be a computer simulation, but she’s incredibly perceptive. By reading the body language and vocal inflections of real live humans, she can engage in surprisingly meaningful exchanges, and even evoke emotional openness from her conversation partners. Her creators believe her receptivity to human emotional cues could revolutionize the field of mental health. Watching…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

An experiment shows how people deliberately sabotage themselves

If you got a great score on a test, you’d like to continue your winning streak, wouldn’t you? One experiment proves you wouldn’t. You’d self-sabotage. Not unintentionally and not subconsciously. You’d knowingly and deliberately screw up. We sometimes engage in behaviors that scuttle our chances of getting what we want. This is a baffling behavior…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Smoking Pot Offers Relief to the Lonely

This seems a bit counter-intuitive, but a new study has shown that marijuana protects people from the emotional pain of being socially excluded. Previous studies have shown that over-the-counter medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) reduce both physical and social pain. Because Tylenol affects cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors in the brain, a research team led by Timothy…

io9 George Dvorsky

The Psychological Test That Explains Why You’re Bad at Communicating

It’s not everyday that you come across a childhood game in a psychology experiment — particularly one that you thought that you had made up. But the “finger tapping” game gives us some insights into our past, and explains why people can’t understand you when you think you’re being clear as day. A few days…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Your Dreams Might Be Ruining Your Love Life

We know our dreams aren’t real — and we certainly know that the actions of the people in our dreams can’t be held against them in real life. But a new study suggests we may be doing exactly that, albeit at an unconscious level. Psychologist Dylan Selterman and colleagues have discovered that the contents of…

io9 George Dvorsky

How to get away with attempted murder

Very few people want to get away with attempted murder, mostly because they want to get away with actual murder. Still, if your murder attempt has already failed, there is a way to keep from facing the full consequences of it — just have someone else murder your victim. Fiery Cushman, a psychologist, was interested…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Do people turn mean because they’re helpless?

The just-world theory, infamous in psychology and sociology, is the theory that people get what they deserve. The unfortunate bring their suffering upon themselves while the fortunate are reaping just rewards. One study showed this rather graphically. But do we think this because we hate others, or because we hate ourselves? The first just-world experiment…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Cryptomnesia makes us accidental plagiarists

We know that people make up false memories if prompted. But since our brain never stops being a jerk, we can also convert real memories into things we believe we imagined. Cryptomnesia can strike via our own memories, or our memories of things that others tell us. One of the most famous cases of cryptomnesia…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Struggling to understand depression? Read this.

For those seeking hope and understanding in the hopeless meaninglessness of their – or someone else’s – depression. Allie Brosh (the cartoonist/blogger/awesome-lady behind the much-loved webcomic/blog/awesome-place Hyperbole and a Half) has been struggling with depression publicly for some time now, and privately for even longer. Back in October 2011, Brosh posted her funny/sad/poignant “Adventures in…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Why does music move us?

Ever wondered why OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” can put a manic grin on your face? Or why Adele’s “Someone Like You” makes you sob like a baby? In the latest episode of It’s Okay to be Smart, Joe Hanson takes to the streets of the live music capital of the world to test a recent hypothesis,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

The scientific equivalent of “When did you stop beating your wife?”

There’s a famous joke question: “When did you stop beating your wife?” The structure of the question is funny — or disturbing — because any response condemns you. You’d assume that a quick-witted person could see through it. But this study proves that you’re wrong. “Do you think your contempt for America might influence your…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

What does the Michigan Fish Test say about you?

Could a notorious party drug be the next psychiatric breakthrough?

Kinky people have better mental health than everyone else

Did everyone 3,000 years ago have a voice in their head?

At what age do we understand sarcasm?

The effect that explains why you regret posting in anger

A quick way to manipulate people

Why do rational people buy into conspiracy theories?

Gamers are more hostile towards opponents that seem human

Could a virtual therapist really help with your personal problems?

An experiment shows how people deliberately sabotage themselves

Smoking Pot Offers Relief to the Lonely

The Psychological Test That Explains Why You’re Bad at Communicating

Your Dreams Might Be Ruining Your Love Life

How to get away with attempted murder

Do people turn mean because they’re helpless?

Cryptomnesia makes us accidental plagiarists

Struggling to understand depression? Read this.

Why does music move us?

The scientific equivalent of “When did you stop beating your wife?”

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