Congratulations to the Winners of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest!
These mind tricks will make you reconsider what is real
Behavior & Society3770 articles archived since 1845
Certain ZIP Codes Pick Losers
People in certain ZIP codes are more likely to purchase products that flop, buy homes that are poor investments, and pick political candidates who lose. Christopher Intagliata reports.
A Cognitive Secret for Improving Romantic Relationships
The latest brain science on love and play in Scientific American Mind
Linguists Hear An Accent Begin
Residents of an overwintering station in Antarctica provided linguists with evidence of the first small changes in speech that may signal the development of a new accent.
Vote Now for the Best Illusion of the Year!
The Top 10 mind-boggling videos competing for first prize
Rethinking the Infamous Milgram Experiment in Authoritarian Times
It’s usually cited as showing that people will follow dubious orders under social pressure—but a more important lesson may be that some people will refuse
The Language You Speak Influences Where Your Attention Goes
It’s all because of the similarities between words
Police Killings of Unarmed Black Americans May Affect Health of Black Infants
Maternal stress arising from perceived racial discrimination could cause premature births and lower birth weights
Is ASMR Real or Just a Pseudoscience?
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is all the rage lately. Is it real? Is there something special about people who have it?
Americans Are Fast to Judge Social Class
Judgments about the way people talk happen quickly and affect hiring decisions
A Pioneer of GPS Passes Away
James Spilker, Jr., helped create a technology that profoundly changed the world
What Racial Discrimination Will Look Like in 2060
As biracial people become increasingly common in the U.S., bias based on perceived rather than actual identity will, too
The Dark Side of Gratitude
Why saying ‘thanks’ can be detrimental
Ick Factor Is High Hurdle for Recycled Drinking Water
Recycled wastewater can be cleaner than bottled water, but people still avoid drinking it because of their disgust over its past condition.
The War on Childhood Obesity Needs a War on Blame
We need to communicate to kids that their health, not a number on the scale, is what’s important
What Makes a Song? It’s the Same Recipe in Every Culture
Humans everywhere bring together pitch, tempo and the like in a similar fashion
How Video Games Can Teach Us to Play Well with Others
What I learned from a game that brings the phenomenon of implicit bias vividly to life
Some Relief for Test Anxiety Is Found in an Unusual Treatment
Students were given placebos and told they were placebos, yet the intervention helped
Does Grandpa Have Depression?
In traditional Vietnamese culture, the very question is virtually taboo
When Good Advice Goes Bad
Well-intentioned guidance can backfire, both in everyday life and in public policy—but there’s a way to fix it
