Keep your mouth shut, stay where you are, and whatever you do, don't look at the clock.
By
PT Staff, published on May 01, 2007 - last reviewed on March 19, 2008
Quick, Don't Move!
Photos of soccer penalty kicks invariably catch goalies doing their best Superman impressions—often sailing away from the ball. A study reveals that the optimal goalkeeper strategy is to stay centered—at least until kickers switch their strategies, too. So why don't they? Unlike most situations, the researchers say, goalies feel more guilt for failure after inaction than after action.
In Groups We Trust
Groups are less trusting than individuals, but they're just as worthy of the trust of others, a study suggests. In a money-lending game, teams expected less reciprocation from their lendees than single players did, but offered just as much in response to the investments of others.
Putting Worry To Bed
Alarm clocks can be the insomniac's worst enemy. For both good and poor sleepers, clock-watching fuels excessive worry about not being able to fall asleep, pushing back sleep onset. It also causes them to overestimate the time it takes to doze off, causing further stress and still more lost sleep. It all adds up to a vicious cycle.
The Bible Belt Illusion
Forgiveness isn't the only thing religion preaches. Religious faith also promotes acceptance of one's body. A Cornell University study finds that religious adherents are less likely to perceive themselves as overweight. Jewish women are the exception: They are more likely to overestimate their body weight and pass on the matzo balls.
A study shows that political conservatives have less fantastical dreams, sleep more soundly, and experience fewer nightmares than liberals, perhaps because conservatives are more strongly anchored in the here and now.
56%
Fifty-six percent of MBA students cheat, versus 47% in other grad disciplines.
Too Much Information
Think withholding your true emotions will doom your relationship? A study shows that socially anxious people can actually improve romantic closeness by putting a lid on their reactions, which often take the form of hostility or withdrawal. For the more self-assured, it's better to open up, which heightens intimacy.
Tags:
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Body image,
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closeness,
cornell university study,
excessive worry,
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jewish women,
kickers,
matzo balls,
mba students,
money lending,
political conservatives,
poor sleepers,
religious adherents,
religious faith,
single players,
sleep anxiety,
true emotions,
trust,
vicious cycle,
worst enemy
