Mind & Behavior

Mind & Behavior

Study the science of how we think, feel, and act, with insights that help you better understand yourself and others.

There is no long-term beneficial effect of medication on standardized test scores.
success
Success can be measured in different ways. When it hinges entirely on our careers, we fall victim to a devastating addiction.
arguing
Arguments are a normal and often healthy part of a relationship. It all depends on picking the right kind of arguments, though.
Does memory start to work only at a certain age?
deaths of despair
Deaths of despair are skyrocketing in the U.S., while at the same time, they are falling in other wealthy countries. What are we doing wrong?
Pain makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. What's puzzling is why so many of us choose to seek out painful experiences.
John Templeton Foundation
Can we stop mass shootings? The first step is collecting data, and these authors have done just that.
words for love
You can love a romantic partner, but also a pet, a book, God, or the sound of someone’s voice. We need many more words for love.
digital nomad
Digital nomads can fully immerse themselves in their surroundings while advancing their career and stimulating the local economy. But there is one potential downside.
What Odysseus needed from his father was something more important: the comfort of being a son.
genius
You've heard of Stephen Hawking. Ever heard of Renata Kallosh? Didn't think so.
John Templeton Foundation
greater fool theory
An analogy explains the greater fool theory: You don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away; you just have to run faster than the other guy.
Does your father say "I love you," or express it in another way?
angry hamsters
For 40 years, scientists thought a specific gene was linked to aggression in hamsters. Removing it, however, had violent consequences.
google AI
The engineer working on Google's AI, called LaMDA, suffers from what we could call Michelangelo Syndrome. Scientists must beware hubris.
game theory
Game theory is a unique combination of math and psychology. Its applications turn up everywhere, from nuclear war to Tinder to game shows.
In the age of distraction, don't we all want to read faster and more efficiently?
In "The Secret Life of Secrets", Michael Slepian explores how holding secrets affects our relationships, psychology, and well-being.
Types of therapy are about as different as the people who use it.