How did your friend get you to babysit her kids for the weekend, or your sister talk you into hosting the next book club meeting? They probably asked when you were anxious about a work project or stressed about making an …
Behavior
Excerpt: Her Best-Kept Secret
My name is Gabrielle, and I’m not an alcoholic.
I’m a journalist who has written about the overlapping universes of women, health, and culture for two decades. A few years ago, I started noticing signs that women were …
Bad at Math? It Could Cost You Your Home
A simple math test can predict who will default on a subprime mortgage, which isn’t good news for the numbers-phobic.
How Money Makes You Lie and Cheat
Money corrupts, they say, and now there’s a study that shows why people get so sneaky when it comes to making a profit.
Bullying in the Family
Brothers and sisters fight, but when the bickering evolves into physical or emotional abuse, it’s bullying.
Reputation vs. Cash Rewards: How to Inspire Good Behavior
The mere suggestion that others are watching can put people on their best behavior, and a new study finds that concern for reputation is more powerful than cash payments in getting neighbors to do the right thing.
Stress Can Boost Good Habits Too
(UPDATED) Under stress, we all tend to seek comfort — sometimes in not-so-healthy ways — but a new study suggests that challenging experiences are as likely to promote good habits as they are to support bad ones.
10,000 Hours May Not Make a Master After All
There are many roads to greatness, but logging 10,000 hours of practice to help you perfect a skill may not be sufficient.
U.S. Panel Finds Little Evidence to Support Universal Screening For Suicide
Experts say that existing screening methods can identify at-risk individuals, but such tools may not help to prevent suicides.
Can Giving Be Good for Getting Ahead?
Sharing and caring can be good for the soul, but what about the bottom line?
Young Kids Know How to Share but Choose Not To
Learning to share is one thing, but getting children to do it is another.
Study Shows Seeing Smiles Can Lower Aggression
A happy face can certainly lift spirits, but can it reduce rage?
Why Overheard Cell Phone Conversations Are So Annoying
The latest research shows that overhearing one-sided exchanges is more distracting than eavesdropping on a conversation between two people.