Stories by Melanie Tannenbaum

Research suggests that high-tryptophan foods - like our favorite Thanksgiving classics - might lead to less impulsive shopping. How does this fit with what we see every year on Black Friday?

Every year on Thanksgiving, we reflect on and express our feelings of gratitude. How does this practice help make our lives -- and our relationships -- happier and healthier?

Can you predict the kind of reaction you'll get by stealing candy from a baby?

Just by asking 2 simple questions when trick-or-treaters come to your door, you can significantly lower the odds of a few greedy kids taking more than their share.

Could a simple psychological mind trick help you survive the eventual Zombie Apocalypse?

New research suggests that people's natural level of optimism tends to peak around age 68. Here's what that means for aging adults' physical health

On the campaign trail, it's normal for politicians to be speaking in overly simplistic terms. But that will probably change after Election Day -- which is a really, really good thing.

After three years and five seasons on the air, Key & Peele aired its final episode last week. With its departure, we've lost a great source of pop culture education about social psychology

Fans of Donald Trump praise his dedication to unfiltered honesty. But what exactly is it about the idea of being "anti-PC" that appeals to so many people?

Fans of Donald Trump praise his dedication to unfiltered honesty. But what exactly is it about the idea of being "anti-PC" that appeals to so many people?

Fans of Donald Trump praise his dedication to unfiltered honesty. But what exactly is it about the idea of being "anti-PC" that appeals to so many people?

Whether you’re single or partnered up this Valentine’s Day, psychology has all sorts of tips for you on how to find your next great love or improve your existing relationship with the one you’ve got.

In November 2011, I participated in my first Tough Mudder, an event officially billed as a “hardcore, 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie” (and unofficially billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet”). Since then, I’ve participated in 3 Super Spartans [...]

So, here is something that the casual reader of this blog may or may not know about me: In my other, non-psychology life, I’ve been working part-time for the past 2 years as a licensed Zumba® Fitness instructor.

Earlier this week, my husband and I returned home from our holiday travels after being away from our apartment for the past 9 days. We walked into our chilly apartment, greeted our whining cats with a quick pet and a kiss hello, put down our bags, and walked into the kitchen.

If there are three things that people tend to have on their minds during the holiday season, it's a) saving money, b) friends & family, and c) finding the perfect gifts for everyone on their lists.

Many of you have likely noticed that I have been on an extended hiatus from blogging due to an especially crazy 2014, filled with lots of big events and life changes that have kept me exceptionally busy.

This weekend marked the opening of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the latest installment in the wildly successful X-Men movie franchise. For those who are unfamiliar with the X-Men series, the stories revolve around groups of ‘mutants,’ super-powered beings who supposedly represent the next stage in human evolution and whose powers run the gamut from [...]

My final guest post at the BPS Research Digest went up on Friday, covering recent work by psychologists Crystal Hoyt, Jeni Burnette, and Lisa Auster-Gussman on the motivational implications of formally classifying obesity as a “disease,” as the American Medical Association did in July 2013.

I’m back at the BPS Research Digest today, with my second of three guest posts this week on recent social psychological research. My second post is on a recent paper published by P.J.

I’m thrilled to be breaking my dissertation-imposed “mini-hiatus” this week with a series of guest posts over at the BPS Research Digest, where I’ve been asked to take over guest hosting duties for the week and write a few pieces on some recent awesome Social Psych research.

One of the most important ways that we learn how to interact with the world around us is through observational learning. By watching how our friends and family members behave, we learn at a very young age how to do things like turn on a lightbulb, open a door, or play with a doll, without [...]

Imagine being in the jungle, thousands of miles from civilization Thus opened the promo two years ago forLove In The Wild, the extreme dating experiment on NBC that sent its contestants on first dates that were jam packed with shaky bridges, crocodile attacks, and bungee jumping.

There are few things in this world that I truly loathe. One of those things is the showEverybody Loves Raymond. Why, you might ask? First of all, its actually quite hard to really love Raymond.