60-Second Mind

Meat-Eating Is Viewed as More of a Man's Game

21 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study finds that we tend to view meat consumption as being more masculine than vegetarianism. Christie Nicholson reports

When Pro-Vaccine Messaging Backfires

13 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study shows that strong pro-vaccine messaging might have an unintended impact. Christie Nicholson reports

Shut Off E-Mail to Ease Work Stress

07 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Workers who turned off their e-mail had lower stress and did less multitasking compared with co-workers who left their in-boxes open. Sophie Bushwick ...

Keeping Secrets Weighs You Down, Literally

29 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

New research finds that keeping a secret can make you feel as if you are physically burdened. Christie Nicholson reports

If We Feel Too Busy, It's Probably Due to Having Too Much Free Time

22 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A forthcoming study finds that keeping busy with selfless tasks greatly expands our perception of how much time we have. Christie Nicholson reports

Men Who Hold a Gun Appear Taller and Stronger

14 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that men are perceived to be strong and large if they are carrying a deadly weapon. Christie Nicholson reports

We Tend to Underestimate How Much We Weigh

08 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

New research has found significant discrepancies between how much people think they weigh and how much they actually weigh. Christie Nicholson reports

Ability to Learn Is Affected by the Timing of Sleep

24 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers find that how soon we sleep after learning new information impacts how well we retain it. Christie Nicholson reports

Mind Wandering Is Linked to Your Working Memory

17 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A new study has found a strong correlation between how much your mind wanders and your working memory capacity. Christie Nicholson reports

How to Gain Self-Control

10 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

New research finds a relatively simple method to increase your capacity for self-control. Christie Nicholson reports

Hunger Affects What We See

04 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

When our body needs something, like food, the brain tends to open a fast track for perceiving that specific thing. Christie Nicholson reports

Dehydration Affects Women's Moods

25 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Two recent studies find that dehydration not only affects your body but your mood as well. Christie Nicholson reports

Why Online Dating Doesn't Work

18 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A team of psychologists reviewed online dating sites and their conclusions are not promising. Christie Nicholson reports

If Time Is Money, Then Free Time Is Frustrating

11 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

If we think of time as money, we might be undermining our ability to enjoy free time. Christie Nicholson reports

More Than One Blow for a Concussion in Football

04 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study shows that it's multiple blows to the head that lead to a concussion in football. Christie Nicholson reports

How the Itch Informs the Scratch

28 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that where the itch begins says a lot about how bad it is--and how pleasurable the scratch. Christie Nicholson reports

Lack of Sleep Might Make You Feel Hungrier

22 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Extreme lack of sleep might make one more susceptible to food imagery, making us feel hungrier than we actually are. Christie Nicholson reports

Men Spend the Big Bucks When Women Are Scarce

14 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study finds that when men perceive that there are few women, they'll spend more money. Christie Nicholson reports

Cognitive Decline Sets in around Age 45

08 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A new study finds that the inevitable cognitive decline we all face starts earlier than we originally thought. Christie Nicholson reports

The Elderly React Slowly Because They Want to Be Right

31 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent studies have found that the elderly may respond more slowly to specific tasks, but not because their cognitive skills are slower. Christie Nich...

Toddlers Don't Monitor Their Own Speech

24 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Adults and children hear their own voice and use it as feedback to monitor their speech, but it seems that young toddlers do not. Christie Nicholson r...

A Quirk of Speech May Become a New Vocal Style

17 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

What used to be thought of as a symptom of a speech disorder might now be a hot trend in vocal style among rock stars and young women. Christie Nichol...

Individuals Are Removed from Blame When in Groups

11 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study has found that we do not tend to hold individual members of a group responsible for their individual actions. Christie Nicholson report...

Killing 1 Person to Save 5

03 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers test a famous ethical dilemma called the "trolley problem" in a very real setting. Christie Nicholson reports

Dreams Help Soothe Your Bad Memories

28 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that dreams may help consolidate and soothe troubled memories and experiences. Christie Nicholson reports

Protein Might Ward Off Afternoon Snooze

19 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Glucose can block brain cell secretion of orexin, which keeps us alert. But amino acids can stop that block. Christie Nicholson reports

How We View Half-Naked Men and Women

13 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that scantily-clad women and men are judged in similar ways. Christie Nicholson reports

Brains Built to Cooperate

06 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds support for the theory that brains excel when we cooperate. At least in duet-singing wrens. Christie Nicholson reports

Be Afraid, but Not Too Afraid

31 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween reminds us that we love to be scared. But too much of anything is not good. Christie Nicholson reports

Are Men Funnier Than Women?

24 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A new study finds that the humor gap between the sexes is more stereotype than reality. Christie Nicholson reports

Body Language Improves Our Communication

19 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research finds that body language significantly improves how well we are understood by our audience. Christie Nicholson reports

Young Children Think Differently about Ownership

09 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research shows that young children tend to think that naturally occurring objects like pinecones or rocks cannot be owned. Christie Nicholson reports

Clothing Reveals Racial Stereotypes

01 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A study in the journal Public Library of Science ONE finds that many judge race based on types of clothing. Christie Nicholson reports

Speech Disorders May Be Helped Using Rhythm and Familiar Words

29 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Singing therapy is often used to restore fluency to sufferers of speech disorders due to stroke. Recent research found, however, it may not be the sin...

Scientists Find a New Way to Measure Pain

20 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists have been searching for an accurate way to measure pain beyond a patient's self-report, but to no avail. A recent study might have found on...

Musicians Maintain Hearing Better

13 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A hearing study of experienced musicians found they had a better chance than non-musicians of avoiding the hearing loss associated with aging. Christi...

Overeating Depends on Context

03 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research has found that ritual and context influences us to eat too much with no regard for quality. Christie Nicholson reports

Global Survey Links Religion and Happiness

01 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

An analysis of the Gallop World Poll finds that there is an association with religion and increased happiness, but only in societies that lack adequat...

Ability for Mathematics May Be Inborn

21 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Children who have a good sense of numbers also tend to have a talent for arithmetic, even before formal training. Christie Nicholson reports

Spoiling the Ending Makes for a Better Story

14 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research has found that giving away the best part of a story at the beginning actually makes it more enjoyable. Christie Nicholson reports

More Football Players Found to Suffer from Degenerative Disease

07 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The Canadian Sports Concussion Project announced the results from brain autopsies of four CFL football players. Two of the players suffered from the d...

Panic Attack Sufferers Are Unaware of Symptoms

30 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Panic attacks seem to come out of nowhere, but research finds symptoms appear up to one hour before the sufferer is aware of the attack. Christie Nic...

Compulsive Gamblers Combine Impulsiveness with Irrationality

17 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Compulsive gamblers seeking treatment were more impulsive and more likely to be superstitious than were non-gamblers. Steve Mirsky reports

Hot Baths May Cure Loneliness

02 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research finds that taking a hot bath can cure loneliness. Christie Nicholson reports

Paying in Cash Keeps Us Healthy

25 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research finds that our vices can be held back when we use cash instead of credit cards at the grocery store. Christie Nicholson reports

Small Study: Young Gang Members Want Dogs Mostly for Companionship

18 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A study of 25 young gang and group members in South Wales found that they wanted dogs less as weapons or protection and mostly for companionship and s...

Inattentional Blindness Can Make You Not Perceive Events

11 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that a cop who testified that he ran past a beating without seeing it could be telling the truth. Christie Nicholson reports

Math Learning Disability as Common as Dyslexia

04 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research has found that dyscalculia, a learning disability focused around number and math concepts, is as common as dyslexia. Christie Nicholson repor...

The Blind Use the Visual Cortex to Process Sound

28 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research has confirmed that in blind subjects who use echolocation to navigate, it is the visual part of the brain that processes the auditory ...

Rude People Can Be Perceived as Powerful

22 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Powerful people often bend the rules, so if someone is a rule-breaker could they be perceived as powerful? Christie Nicholson reports

How to Speak Persuasively

14 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Discover how to successfully persuade others with these findings from a recent study on speech. Christie Nicholson reports

Know Thyself

07 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A recent review paper shows that we might not know ourselves as well as we think. Christie Nicholson reports

First Impressions Can Be Quite Accurate

30 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A study about the perception of neighborhoods reveals that our gut instinct based on the physical features of the neighborhood is highly accurate. Chr...

Reading the Mind to Restore Speech

25 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

By just thinking about, or saying, certain words, people can control a computer cursor. Christie Nicholson reports

Our Uhs and Ums May Help Children Learn Language

17 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

We think we should remove any ums and uhs when we talk, especially when teaching children language. New research finds that such pauses may be useful....

Yawns Are Contagious When You're with Friends

10 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research with chimpanzees finds that chimps yawn more around other yawning chimps from their own community than with those from a separate community. ...

People with Tourette Syndrome Show Strong Cognitive Control

02 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research finds that increased brain activity in key areas is tightly linked to an ability to control the tics caused by Tourette syndrome. Christie Ni...

First Sex Alters Body Image

27 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A recent assessment of undergrads reveals a gender difference in how the students see their bodies after their first sexual intercourse. Christie Nich...

Self-Restraint Leads Us to Prefer Aggression

20 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research shows that when we practice self-restraint, we also tend to prefer aggressive messaging and movies. Christie Nicholson reports

Right-Handers Tend to Prefer the Right Side

13 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research in the journal Psychological Science found that righties tend to prefer the right side of anything (spatially speaking) and lefties th...

Perception of Our Physical State When Depressed or Anxious

06 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Depression and anxiety have very different influences on how we perceive physical symptoms. Christie Nicholson reports

Social Context Influences Language

27 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study with teenage male songbirds finds that they can suddenly have a surge of tweeting talent when they are placed in the presence of a fema...

Early Attachment May Affect Our Ability to Resolve Conflict in Relationships

22 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research in the journal Psychological Science reveals that infant attachment styles might influence our ability to recover from fights with our...

Look to Lessen Acute Pain

14 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Volunteers could endure an uncomfortable stimulus longer when they looked at the affected body part, and even longer if the part appeared enlarged

Cannabis May Influence Onset of Psychosis

07 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Research to be published this summer finds that the use of cannabis is associated with the early onset of psychosis. Christie Nicholson reports

Babies Think Large Means Dominant

30 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Recent research shows that even infants have a bias to think that big means alpha. Christie Nicholson reports

Meditation Correlated with Structural Changes in the Brain

22 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A study published this week finds that an eight-week meditation course leads to structural changes in the brain. Christie Nicholson reports

Play Up That Ugly Trait

16 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Data analysis from the popular online dating site OkCupid finds that the women who get the most attention from men are rated by many men as unattracti...

The Popularity of Predictive Medical Testing

08 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

A recent survey performed by the Tufts Medical Center finds that many would take a predictive test for prostate cancer. Christie Nicholson reports

What It Means to Forgive

01 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This New Year's as we reflect on our experiences with friends and family we might think about forgiveness, both given and received. Philosopher Charl...

The Strongest Predictor for Low Stress

25 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Research from wild baboons provides insight into perhaps the best way to combat daily, psychological stress. During this holiday season it might bring...

More Money Doesn't Mean More Happiness

19 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Easterlin wrote a paper back in the 1970s showing that increased income doesn't correlate with increased happiness. Last week he published an ...

What Makes an Honest Smile Honest?

11 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What is the telltale clue to a genuine smile? Recent research finds positive correlations with this honest show of emotion. Christie Nicholson reports

Visual Illusions Depend On Visual Cortex Size

05 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Research released today in Nature Neuroscience finds that we are are more likely to be tricked by a visual illusion if we have a smaller amount of bra...

Brain Imaging Studies Show Different Cultures Have Different Brains

27 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The emerging field of cultural neuroscience reveals fascinating differences in brain function between cultures and environments. Christie Nicholson re...

Fear-Based Messaging May Influence Skepticism of Global Warming

20 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A study proposes that fear-based messaging about an issue like global warming may encourage the audience to dismiss it. Christie Nicholson reports

Who Teens Blame for Bullying

13 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent Swedish study finds that teenagers put most of the blame for bullying behavior on the bully or the victim, and not on their peers or the scho...

Male Names Are Still Mentioned First

06 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study finds that despite our efforts for parity between the sexes, male names still come first when referring to a couple. Christie Nicholson...

Beware of Brain Differences in the Sexes

30 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent review advises us to beware of the gender differences found in brain-imaging studies. Christie Nicholson reports

Generosity Might Keep Us Healthy

23 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist Liz Dunn spoke with us from the PopTech conference in Camden, Maine, about the link between greed and long-term health. Christie Nicholso...

Adversity Is Linked to Life Satisfaction

16 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A certain amount of negative life events is correlated with an overall sense of life satisfaction and happiness. Christie Nicholson reports

Thinking about Time or Money Impacts How We Spend Our Days

09 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Priming our mind with thoughts of time or money influences our future behavior. Christie Nicholson reports

Tennis Players' Grunts May Slow Opponents' Reactions

02 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study shows the negative impact that noise can have when one is attempting to predict where a tennis ball will land. Christie Nicholson repor...

Women Apologize More Frequently Than Men Do

25 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Research confirms that women tend to apologize much more frequently than men do, but there's a curious twist as to why this is the case. Christie Nic...

We Only Trust Experts If They Agree with Us

18 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

We only consider scientists to be experts when their argument is in line with our own previously held beliefs. Christie Nicholson reports

Mind-Reading Tools Go Commercial

12 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The tools used by the commercial industry to detect our thoughts and brain states are very different, and somewhat limited, compared with those used i...

It's Very Tough to Tell Just How Drunk Someone Is

04 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent review of studies on intoxication has determined that we are very bad at determining just how drunk someone is. Christie Nicholson reports

Generation X Loyaler to Religion Than Previous Generation

28 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent survey analysis reveals that gen-Xers are more likely than baby boomers to remain loyal to religion. Christie Nicholson reports

Poor Linguistic Ability May Indicate Risk of Alzheimer's

22 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A series of longitudinal studies done with nuns out of the University of Kentucky shows a significant relationship between linguistic ability early in...

Your Opinion of Climate Change Depends on Your Social Psychology

14 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In a public lecture at the Banff Center for the Arts, science journalist Jay Ingram argues that climate change controversies have little to do with fa...

Psychology Studies Biased toward Western Undergrads

07 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A recent and exhaustive meta-analysis of scientific data shows that top psychology studies tend to make conclusions about human nature based on sample...

Busting the Myth That Opposites Attract

31 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to love, we're ambivalent about "opposites attract". Christie Nicholson reports

The Impact of Rude Behavior on a Business

24 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

New research shows that rudeness between employees can have a far worse impact on a business than rudeness directed toward customers, or even employee...

Large-Brained Mammals Live Longer

18 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A new study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology finds that mammals with larger brains tend to have longer life spans. Christie Nicholson...

Bully or Victim? More Similar Than We Might Think

10 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A new analysis reveals that bullies and victims share more similarities than we might think, with one stand-out difference. Christie Nicholson reports

The Connection Between Multiple Sclerosis and Depression

03 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Research in the journal Biological Psychiatry finds a potential physiological connection between multiple sclerosis and depression. Christie Nicholson...

The Real Concern When Couples Fight

26 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

New research reveals that nearly all fights between romantic partners can be distilled into two fundamental complaints. Christie Nicholson reports

How We Fool Ourselves Over and Over

19 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In a new book "The Invisible Gorilla and Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us," authors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons show how little we know ...

The Staying Power of Alcoholics Anonymous

12 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Alcoholics Anonymous continues to lead addicts to sobriety as long as they stick with it for the long haul. Christie...

Lower IQ Scores Linked to Higher Suicide Risk

05 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A study of over one million men shows a link between IQ scores and attempted suicide. Christie Nicholson reports