Out of Character

Mimicry -- the tendency to automatically copy the gestures of an interaction partner -- has often been referred to as a "social glue."  Most research has found that when others subtly mimic us, we like it.  But new work by Jia Liu and colleagues is suggesting that mimicry might not always be a plus, especially when money is involved. Read More

The minds of many people are ready and willing to engage in a phenomenon psychologists term spontaneous trait inference -- the readiness to bind a single personality descriptor or action to a new person. But is this a basic human response, or is it a cultural one? Read More

Anger is intimately linked with aggression. Much research has shown that people who chronically experience anger also tend to be more likely to lash out at others in hostile ways. No surprise there. But what about disgust?  Read More

We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about how people judge the personal qualities of others. Nicholas Rule and colleagues have an intriguing new finding out today that examines a somewhat related question: What determines how accurate people are in assessing the sexual orientation of others? Turns out, for women at least, the timing of the judgment plays a big factor. Read More

In laying the groundwork for an expected run for the presidency, Newt Gingrich is seeking to reinvent himself, or at least part of himself.  Not his mind, as almost everyone agrees that he is one of the biggest thinkers in the crowded republican field.  Not his drive and managerial ability, as he is well remembered as a shrewd tactician.  Not even his conservative bona fides, as Read More

As CNN just noted, Mel Gibson has "opened up" in a recent interview about his less than chivalrous behavior.  As most everyone knows, Mel has been caught a few times over the past years spewing racist and sexist epithets (and worse).  Unfortunately, such behavior is evidenced by many people.  But what makes the case of Mel interesting to us is the fact that he also has many, many Read More

For all his great accomplishments, Barry Bonds is likely to be remembered most for being convicted of obstructing justice.  It appears that Bonds, like many baseball heros, succumbed to the use of steroids to enhance performance.  But unlike many, Bonds worked really hard to try to convince people he didn't.  The question that interests us isn't only how did it come to this, but Read More

"We are left isolated" Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of the Japanese city of Minamisoma, said with face drawn and voice strained, as he recorded a video pleading for assistance. His city, like many in Northern Japan, was devastated by the earthquake, leaving citizens with little food and medicine and, due to radiation warnings, little option but to remain indoors. Read More

Joe Scarborough had an interesting piece in Politico yesterday where he suggested that many on the left were engaging in moral hypocrisy by supporting President Obama's actions in Libya while they condemned President Bush's in Iraq.  Simply put, Scarborough asks, " How can the left call for the ouster of Muammar Qadhafi for the sin of killing hundreds of Libyans when it opposed th Read More

When I was six my pet rabbit, Peter, went on a “vacation in Florida” and never came back. As years passed, I eventually intuited that he was likely not living out his golden years in the sand and sun, but instead probably met the business end of a Michelin tire or got himself mixed up in the wrong patch of greens. Read More

Indecisiveness.  Fickleness.  Flip-flopping.  Whatever you choose to call it, the notion that one's beliefs and opinions can change quickly, seemingly with the wind, is usually not seen as a mark of good character.  Rational analysis.  Reliability.  These are the markers of what we should look for and admire.  These are the traits that make someone a good lead Read More

Is compassion a moral force? The answer, according to many spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama, is a resounding yes. The experience of compassion, they assert, has a radiating effect, extending kindness and forgiveness toward others, even those who have intentionally transgressed. Read More

When you think of the “typical” American high school student, the words highly motivated, engaged, and working for a better future might not be what immediately comes to mind.  A lot of recent research on education shows that taking short-cuts to succeed seems to be rather endemic among American youth.  But today, President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Dunca Read More