Behavioral Psychology

Behavioral Psychology

Four sequential diagrams of a figure skater performing moves within oval tracks, each position numbered from 1 to 58 on a blue background—visually illustrating how to change habits through step-by-step progress.
Willpower alone likely isn't enough to replace a bad habit with a good one.
John Templeton Foundation
Two men in athletic clothing stand against a black background, with glowing light trails swirling around them—symbolizing the energy and persistence involved in forming habits through dedication and motion.
3mins
Practice doesn’t actually make perfect. Here’s the willpower equation necessary for elite athletes and musicians.
John Templeton Foundation
Chatter represents the dark side of your inner voice.
Your inner voice can be the devil on your shoulder or the angel. It depends on where your focus lies.
A muscular figure pries open the jaws of a roaring lion lying on its back, depicted in a dramatic, dynamic scene with expressive brushstrokes—symbolizing the struggle of learning how to change habits.
Habit-forming rituals are subconsciously controlling your life. Here’s how to master them.
John Templeton Foundation
Faces of two people are being absorbed by their phones.
To reap the benefits of digital technologies, we must contend with their addictive designs.
psychopathy
Instead of a mental illness, some research suggests that psychopathy — in moderation — is a reasonable life strategy.
A frayed rope pulled from both ends against a solid orange background, with strands unraveling on each side—capturing the tension felt when you’re learning how to apologize and mend strained connections.
Dr. Amrisha Vaish explains the science of remorse, guilt, and an effective apology.
crashes
Morbid fatality statistics on digital highway signs seem to distract drivers, thus increasing the number of car crashes.
Research shows self-ratings of personality traits like diligence are generally more accurate than ratings from others.
Not only that, but AI learns what type of faces we like.
teenager myths
Society treats teenagers as if they’re a problem to be solved, but the truth is that we have to prepare them to solve our problems. It’s time that we change the narrative.
John Templeton Foundation
chimpanzees
Chimpanzees are able to consider the context of social interactions and can accept unfavorable outcomes — sometimes.
Salk scientists studied complex decision-making capabilities in a worm with just 302 neurons and a mouth full of teeth. It's smarter than you would think.
We imagine and debate the inner lives of literary characters, knowing there can be no truth about their real motives or beliefs. Could our own inner lives also be works of fiction?
ants cancer
The insects were just as accurate as trained dogs, although not as cuddly.
Dark personality traits include psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. Is there room for empathy?
The A.I. system could improve the lives of commercially raised pigs.
adult learning theory
Adult learning theory is a guidepost for designing training for maximum engagement.
Breathing exercise to lower blood pressure.
A small study suggests that IMST is as effective as medications or 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
chimps insects
Many animals practice what looks like self-medication. A new report suggests that chimps tend wounds with insects, often treating each other.
crossword puzzles
Long before the Wordle mania, there was the crossword puzzle craze. And newspapers around the world condemned them as an “invasive weed” that caused mental illnesses and even murder.
ultrasound ocd
OCD and addiction may result in part from improper “reward” pathways in the brain. Ultrasound can disrupt those pathways.
isolation experiment
This article was originally published on our sister site, Freethink. Fifteen volunteers in France just spent more than a month living in a cave — without any way to tell time — […]
hangover cures
After a night of partying and heavy drinking, you might be tempted to Google "hangover cures." Unfortunately, there aren't any.
placebo effect
The placebo effect is not the "power of positive thinking." The fact that it is getting stronger is not a good development.