True lies: How letter patterns color perceptions of truth
Cause-and-effect statements may seem more true if the initial letters in the words are in alphabetical order because the human brain prefers patterns that follow familiar sequences.
Read moreConsumer Behavior
Commit a crime? Loved ones got your back
Reading about a child abuse case or someone burglarizing homes often stirs feelings of disgust, anger and disbelief when it's learned the perpetrator's family or friends did nothing to stop it or report it to police.
Read moreExploring a strategy that leads to mutual cooperation without non-cooperative actions
A research team has analyzed which strategies would be effective in the prisoner's dilemma game, into which a new behavior of not participating in the game was introduced.
Read moreInequality: What we've learned from the 'Robots of the late Neolithic'
Seven thousand years ago, societies across Eurasia began to show signs of lasting divisions between haves and have-nots. Scientists have now charted the precipitous surge of prehistoric inequality and trace its economic origins back to the adoption of ox-drawn plows.
Read moreMore operations are scheduled if doctor is well rested
Researchers have investigated how orthopedic surgeons make decisions regarding surgery, and how the decisions are related to how much of their work shift they have completed. The results show that a patient who meets the surgeon at the end of his or her shift is less likely to be scheduled for surgery.
Read moreThree faces of teen popularity: Being feared, being loved, and being feared and loved
In novel longitudinal study, researchers identified three distinct types of teen popularity: prosocial popular; aggressive popular; and bistrategic popular or Machiavellian. These naughty and nice Machiavellian-like teens were the most popular and were above average on physical and relational aggression as well as prosocial behavior. Just like the 'Mean Girls' in the iconic American teen comedy, they are aggressive when needed and then quickly 'make nice' to smooth out any ruffled feathers.
Read moreDon't make major decisions on an empty stomach
A new study suggests that people might want to avoid making any important decisions about the future on an empty stomach.
Read moreAmericans would rather drive themselves than have an autonomous vehicle drive them
Are you willing to ride in a driverless car? Researchers studied how Americans' perceived cost of commute time changes depending on who's driving.
Read moreHow happy couples argue: Focus on solvable issues first
In marriage, conflict is inevitable. Even the happiest couples argue. And research shows they tend to argue about the same topics as unhappy couples: children, money, in-laws, intimacy. So, what distinguishes happy couples? According to a new study, it is the way happy couples argue that may make a difference.
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