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Recent Research on Well-Being, Giving, Getting, and Gratitude
Posted on February 20, 2013
From SPSP Press Release: Giving away money to feel wealthy New research shows that people all around the world – from Canada to Uganda, from South Africa to India – derive more happiness from spending money on others than they do on themselves. For the first time, we show that giving away money or spending […]
Posted in Altruism, Distribution, Emotions, Positive Psychology | 1 Comment »
The Situation of ‘Common Sense’
Posted on July 6, 2010
On April 15, I had the pleasure of participating in a Collaborative training symposium on Implicit Bias and Eyewitness Identification, conducted for Connecticut prosecutors and public defenders. I spoke on the topic of implicit bias, a core research interest. It was an interesting conversation, and the engagement was intelligent, thoughtful, and public minded. Afterwards, Chris Nolan, […]
Posted in Implicit Associations, Naive Cynicism, Situationist Contributors | 9 Comments »
Our Stake in Corporate Behavior
Posted on January 23, 2010
Situationist Contributor David Yosifon published a thoughtful and timely op-ed, in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle. Here are some excerpts. * * * Corporations are crucial institutions in our society. Consumers rely on them for everything from the basic provisions of food and clothing to the more dispensable delights of computers and cell phones. Workers rely […]
Posted in Deep Capture, Politics, Public Policy, Situationist Contributors | 1 Comment »
The Changing Face of Marketing?
Posted on May 15, 2009
Last week, in a guest blog post at the Faculty Lounge, I suggested that corporate America has been behaving rather strangely recently. Oil companies have been touting investments in wind technology. Investment firms have been urging caution. Agriculture behemoths have been talking about conserving earth’s precious resources. And clothing companies, known for trading on sex, […]
Posted in Marketing, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
The Situation of Confabulation
Posted on April 13, 2009
Helen Philips had a nice article titled “Mind fiction: Why your brain tells tall tales,” in the October 2006 issue of New Scientist. Here are some excerpts. * * * The kind of storytelling my grandmother did after a series of strokes . . . [n]eurologists call . . . confabulation. It isn’t fibbing, as […]
Posted in Book, Choice Myth, Deep Capture, Illusions, Neuroscience | 1 Comment »
The Situation of a Loved One’s Clothes
Posted on January 15, 2009
Interesting piece by Linda Carroll of MSNBC on how we take comfort in the clothing worn by loved ones. We excerpt the piece below. * * * As many as three-quarters of women say they snuggle with shirts and other clothing worn by someone dear, but not near, researchers reported in a study published in […]
Posted in Emotions, Life | 4 Comments »
The Situation of Staring
Posted on April 1, 2008
From American Psychological Science: * * * It’s happened to all of us: While sitting at the conference table or at dinner party, a friend or colleague unleashes a questionable remark that could offend at least one person amongst the group. A hush falls and, if you’re like most people, your eyes will dart towards […]
Posted in Conflict, Life | 3 Comments »
Social Networks
Posted on March 3, 2008
Nicholas Christakis describes his research with James Fowler on social networks, and how he came to that research, on Edge. We have posted some excerpts from the fascinating video and transcript below. * * * There is a well-known example in evolutionary biology about whether the eye was designed, or is “just so” because it […]
Posted in Choice Myth, Food and Drug Law, Life | 7 Comments »
The Financial Squeeze: Bad Choices or Bad Situations?
Posted on November 2, 2007
Bob Sullivan wrote a terrific article last month on the sources of pressing debt loads for much of America’s middle class. It reviews and echoes some of the best research on how situational forces are attributed to the dispositions of the individuals and families feeling the squeeze of situation. We have excerpted Sullivan’s article below. […]
Posted in Choice Myth, Deep Capture | 7 Comments »
The Situation of College Debt – Part II
Posted on September 26, 2007
Business Week recently published an excellent collection of articles (by Jessica Silver-Greenberg) examining the increasing use of credit cards by college students. The series sheds light on some of the situational sources of the escalating debt loads of college graduates, one component of a wider debt and and bankruptcy epidemic. The Situationist is offering a […]
Posted in Choice Myth, Deep Capture, Marketing | 3 Comments »
Why You Bought That
Posted on September 6, 2007
Christina Binkley had an terrific article last month in the Wall Street Journal on “How Luxury Brands Alter Shoppers’ Price Perceptions.” We have excerpted portions of the article below. * * * What is too much to spend on a suit? The question weighed on Barry Schwartz as he scanned the racks at Boyds men’s […]
Posted in Choice Myth, Emotions, Marketing | 2 Comments »
