Greenwashing: how ads get you to think brands are greener than they are – and how to avoid falling for it

Ads use music, colour and emotion to stress the sustainability of what they’re selling: even when the reality isn’t as attractive.

Zahra Golrokhi, Lecturer in Engineering, The Open University • conversation
June 20, 2022 ~8 min

Cricket: what happens when an elite player like England's Jonny Bairstow is 'in the zone'

Great sporting feats are often achieved when an elite athlete is ‘feeling the flow’.

Paul John Taylor, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology & Computer Science., University of Central Lancashire • conversation
June 17, 2022 ~7 min


Babies don't come with instruction manuals, so here are 5 tips for picking a parenting book

Being a parent can be tricky, and many turn to parenting guides for help in figuring out what to do. Two human development scholars have tips for picking a book that will be useful for you.

Bethany Bustamante Van Vleet, Principal Lecturer in Family and Human Development, Arizona State University • conversation
June 16, 2022 ~9 min

People overestimate groups they find threatening – when 'sizing up' others, bias sneaks in

Social psychology researchers found that people commonly exaggerate the presence of certain groups – including ethnic and sexual minorities – because they perceive them as ideologically threatening.

Rebecca Ponce de Leon, Assistant Professor of Management, Columbia University • conversation
June 9, 2022 ~7 min

Why can't you remember being born, learning to walk or saying your first words? What scientists know about 'infantile amnesia'

Psychologists know babies can form memories soon after birth. So why can’t people remember anything that happened to them before around age 2? A child development expert describes possible reasons.

Vanessa LoBue, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University - Newark • conversation
June 8, 2022 ~7 min

Why it isn’t always your fault when you can’t remember

Go easy on your friend next time they forget about the plans you made or the favour they promised.

Søren Kyllingsbæk, Professor in Cognitive Psychology at the Department of Psychology and at the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen • conversation
June 6, 2022 ~5 min

Bed bugs' biggest impact may be on mental health after an infestation of these bloodsucking parasites

Bed bugs are pretty much universally reviled. But a public health entomologist explains how – while potentially traumatizing to deal with – they aren’t likely to make you sick.

Jerome Goddard, Extension Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University • conversation
June 3, 2022 ~8 min

Bedbugs' biggest impact may be on mental health after an infestation of these bloodsucking parasites

Bedbugs are pretty much universally reviled. But a public health entomologist explains how – while potentially traumatizing to deal with – they aren’t likely to make you sick.

Jerome Goddard, Extension Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University • conversation
June 3, 2022 ~8 min


Decisive people don't make better decisions – new research

A new study shows indecisive people should go easier on themselves.

Wojciech Zajkowski, Research scientist in Psychology, Cardiff University • conversation
June 1, 2022 ~5 min

How to express yourself if you want others to cooperate with you – new research

Communication helps group members to size up the intentions of the others.

Zoe Adams, Post-doctoral researcher in Sociolinguistics, Queen Mary University of London • conversation
May 30, 2022 ~8 min

/

56