A classic optical illusion has provided insight into how anxiety influences our view of the world. Researchers used animated stick figures to assess participants’ perceptions. These figures have no depth, allowing them to be perceived as either walking toward the viewer (i.e. more hostile) or away (less hostile). Participants who had completed an anxiety reduction task (breathing […]
Tag: psychology
Canadian intelligence analysts sometimes lack confidence in their forecasts
Senior intelligence analysts working in the Privy Council Office have a tendency to lack confidence in their forecasts, a new study shows. The authors analyzed more than 1,500 strategic intelligence forecasts made by analysts advising senior policy makers in the Government of Canada, encompassing 6 years worth of reports. The usual finding in the forecasting […]
Do morality tales actually work?
When it comes to getting kids to tell the truth, “Pinocchio” has got nothing on “George Washington and the Cherry Tree,” a new experiment suggests. Researchers tested 268 children aged 3 to 7 to see if they would admit to an innocuous lie. Those who were read stories like “Pinocchio” – in which liars are punished […]
Artistic food tastes better
Food arranged to resemble an abstract painting is perceived as tastier, according to a new study. Researchers asked 60 participants to rate the same salad arranged three ways: randomly mixed, neatly arranged or designed to resemble artist Wassily Kandinsky’s “Painting number 201.” Participants rated the artistic salad as the most tasty and were willing to […]
Does spite pay off?
New research suggests our desire for fairness come not from altruism, but from a need to prevent local competitors from gaining an advantage. Researchers used a variation of the classic ultimatum game, in which one player decides how to split a pot of money, and the other decides whether to accept it; a rejection means […]
