Boasting about how young you were when you had your first full drink (sips at the dinner table from Mom or Dad’s wine glass don’t count) may be fun when you’re in college, but researchers say the age at which you have your first …
Behavior
Trick to Improving Your Odds in Vegas: Get a Full Night’s Sleep
Anecdotally, we know we make worse decisions when we’re tired than after a good night’s sleep. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience puts a finer point on the link between sleep deprivation and unwise …
Do You Love Your Stuff Too Much? Maybe It’s Because No One Loves You
Do we substitute material possessions for love? That’s the question explored by a new study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, which also asks if the opposite is true: do people who get lots of love and acceptance …
The Lab Rat: A Better Way to Diagnose ADHD
Does your child have ADHD, or is he merely rambunctious? Few questions divide parents, teachers, and mental-health professionals as often as this one.
I’m Not Goofing Off. I’m Getting Inspired!
During the lead-up to nearly every major event or holiday — the Super Bowl, the Oscars, Thanksgiving — a swell of media reports describe how people’s preoccupation with the event causes lost productivity. Last year, for …
Was a Reporter’s On-Air Gibberish a Symptom of Stroke, or Something Else?
On Sunday night, Emmy-nominated CBS reporter Serene Branson began delivering a live report from the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. She spoke roughly three or four words, then descended into several seconds of muddled gibberish. …
Why People Reject Things That Keep Them Safe
When it comes to health and safety, Americans tend not to take the best precautions: we text behind the wheel, overeat, exercise too little and smoke and drink too much. Add to that the fact that we also tend to be unable to …
Young Adults Choose Self-Esteem Boost Over Sex and Money
It’s hard to imagine anything young people might value more than food, getting an extra paycheck or even having sex, but according to the results of a recent study in the Journal of Personality there is one thing prized most …
How Anti-Shoplifting Sensors Can Remind Us to Take Our Pills
One of the major challenges to getting patients the care they need, according to many doctors, has to do with the patients themselves: they tend not to take their medication as prescribed. In fact, according to the World Health …
Bored Drivers Most Likely to Have Accidents
How do you react when you hear the words “road trip?” Do you get excited, inspired by the idea of being on the road and by the adventure of driving?
When Holiday Gift Giving Offends the Giver
When it comes to gift giving, it’s the thought that counts — especially when the gift you’re giving runs counter to your own strongly held ideals.
Study: Why We Think Women Are More Trustworthy Than Men
Let’s be honest: everybody lies. The question is whether people believe what you say. And a new study shows that your trustworthiness depends not just on the words you use, but on who you are and how you say them.
Consumer Breakups: Why We Lash Out at the Brands We Once Loved
It happens to the best brands. One minute, they’re adored by millions. The next, they’re like Blockbuster, Friendster or Lindsay Lohan — sans fans, in need of rehab and largely ridiculed.
