Behavioral Psychology
Desire Thinking Is Common to Different Types of Addiction
Whether it’s addiction to a substance or addiction to a behavior, different types of addiction share certain features. Generally, these involve a strong urge to engage in some type of rewarding behavior despite negative consequences. For psychologists, understanding what ties together different forms of addiction is a key to learning more about how addiction works.…
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Gratitude Might Be a Foundation for Ethical Behavior
Many psychologists believe that gratitude is an especially powerful emotion. People who are more grateful tend to be happier, with higher emotional intelligence. They may also be more ethical, according to a new study. In a paper titled The Grateful Don’t Cheat: Gratitude as a Fount of Virtue, researchers from Northeastern University and Pennsylvania State…
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The Character Traits of Productive Procrastinators
In the traditional telling of the story, procrastination is the arch-enemy of productivity. The more you procrastinate, the less you get done. But psychologists who study procrastination have questioned that narrative. A 2005 study proposed that there are two types of procrastinators: so-called active and passive procrastinators. Passive procrastinators are your typical procrastinators who struggle…
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Spending Habits Can Reveal Personality Traits
Among the various types of data that are being collected about you while you browse the internet, you can bet that your spending habits are one of them. That raises the question of just how much someone knows about you when they have a record of your purchases. There are some obvious conclusions that can…
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What Do Internet Addiction and Smoking Have in Common?
No, that question isn’t the beginning of a bad joke. But it could be the beginning of a psychology study. In fact, a team of researchers in China recently did take it as the starting point for a study. In attempting to answer the question, they honed in on one factor that has previously been…
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Psychedelic Encounters With “Higher Powers” Have Lasting Spiritual Effects
When someone says they’re “ready to meet their maker,” they don’t usually mean they’re about to drop acid, but encounters with “higher powers” are in fact a common effect of psychedelic drugs. A new study shows the extent to which these encounters can lead to lasting spiritual and psychological changes. The study is the result…
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More Compassionate People Can Prefer Harsher Punishments
A compassionate disposition and a desire to see someone get their “just deserts” might not seem to go together. But a new study suggests that people who are more compassionate also prefer to see harsher punishments doled out when someone perpetrates an injustice against others. As part of the study, published in Journal of Personality…
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The Psychology of Choosing a Seat
You walk into a crowded café. There are two empty seats. Which one do you choose? There are a surprising number of psychological considerations that can go into this choice. If you’re like me, you’re probably going to choose the seat that is the furthest from everyone else in the café. Call me antisocial, but…
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People Care More About Climate Change After Experiencing a Hurricane
Climate change is an interesting psychological case study. It’s a big, scientifically unambiguous problem, but we’re more or less content to ignore it and go on with our lives as usual. Part of the reason for this nonchalance is that, for now, the effects of climate change seem distant and abstract. We all have immediate…
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Quitting Smoking Can Set Off a Chain Reaction of Positive Mental Health Changes
There are obvious physical health benefits that come with giving up tobacco, but it turns out there are some mental health benefits too. Researchers have consistently found a link between quitting smoking and positive mental health outcomes. For example, a meta-analysis of 26 studies published in 2014 found that smoking cessation was associated with lower…
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