psychology
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Angry Birds, Calm Mind?
Can playing Angry Birds really make you feel more Zen? The answer, according to Jane McGonigal at Lion’s Roar, is yes: When we play games … we’re not just paying attention to the game—we’re paying a special quality of attention. That…
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Narrative Dependencies
People contain multitudes, and by multitudes, I mean libraries. For the Atlantic, Julie Beck presents us with a thrilling article on narrative psychology, providing some scientific basis for that brilliant statement by Joan Didion: we tell ourselves stories in order…
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Dan Weiss’s Morning Coffee
(Dan Weiss is out on tour with his band The Yellow Dress. He’ll be back on August 3rd.) Now is a good time to read Green River Running Red. RIP Ann Rule. Fantastical history with Richard Nixon. This is not…
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Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
Science of Us explains why it felt so great to write that angry letter to your boss (even if you never sent it): When we talk with someone with whom we don’t feel completely safe, our social editor jumps in on…
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Word of the Day: Woofits
(n.); an unwell feeling, particularly in the head; a moody depression; c. 1918, from Nevil Shute’s The Rose and the Rainbow The archetype of the mad genius dates back to at least classical times, when Aristotle noted, “Those who have…
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This, That Mean More Than You Think
The words we never think about reveal a lot about what we’re saying. Filler words—this, though, I, an, and, that, and there—are so common we never really think about them, but they give away a lot of information. Psychologist James…
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Our Pets, Ourselves
After her dog leapt out of a third story window, writer Laurel Braitman became fascinated by animal psychology. Check out her interview with NPR to see what animal behavior reveals about humans and why gorillas at the Bronx Zoo love…
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The Rumpus Interview with Maria Konnikova
Writer Maria Konnikova explores the mechanisms behind how a sharp mind works, through an investigation of one of literature’s premier duos—Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Watson.
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The Rumpus Interview with Dr. Matthew McKay
Matthew McKay, writer and the co-founder of New Harbinger Publications, explores his transition from nonfiction to fiction writing, and looks closely at dissociative identity disorder and what it means to love someone with this and other mental illnesses.
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Fast and Slow Thinking
Psychologists believe that the brain has two complementary modes of thought. If you’re curious about the difference between system 1 (fast mode) and system 2 (slow mode), check out this Guardian review of Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.…
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You Are What You Read
You know when psychology and reading enthusiasts join forces and deliver good news about the merits of leading a literary life? This is one of those moments! In a recent study, some researchers at the University of Buffalo found that…
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“Decision Fatigue”
The exhaustion of decision-making is now scientifically validated. This essay looks at how decision fatigue, or “ego depletion,” manifests, in examining settings such as the courtroom, the grocery store, and even Ceasar’s decision to march on Rome. Decision fatigue can…