People Are Strange

Exploring the weird and the wonderful in personality science

Jennifer V. Fayard Ph.D.

Smelling Coffee Increases Attention and Memory

Ah, the smell of motivation in the morning! Simply sniffing your morning cup of coffee might trick your brain into being alert and attentive. No caffeine is necessary.

Do People With Amnesia Know if Their Personality Has Changed?

Can people with anterograde amnesia know how they have changed, or are they stuck with an idea of who they were in years past?

The Revenge That Feels Best Is Actually No Revenge at All

Just how sweet is revenge? A recent study shows that retaliating isn't as pleasant as we imagine, and not seeking revenge at all feels best.

How Not to Seem Creepy

What makes someone creepy, and how can we keep from being creepy? Research has the answers.

The Free Britney movement has gained support following Spears' testimony.

#FreeBritney Provides a Good Lesson on Mental Health Stigma

Learning about the reality of Spears’ life has prompted many to trade judgment for empathy. Can this situation teach us a lesson about the consequences of mental health stigma?

Why Rewatching TV Shows Feels So Good

Watching the same shows over and over on Netflix? You're not alone. Research explains why people turn to their comfort shows.

Finding Creativity at the Strip Club

Creativity involves innovative solutions to problems. A strip club's solution for staying in business during the pandemic illustrates creativity's scope.

How Will You Write Your Own Pandemic Story?

A lot has happened this year, and it taught us something about ourselves. Whether our story of this year is constructed around resilience or ruin matters for our mental health.

Who Drinks Responsibly? Nice, Thoughtful People, Study Finds

Surprising associations between two key personality traits and alcohol misuse.

Conscientious people are more likely to follow guidelines in order to protect other people.

Conscientious People Are Dealing Better With the Pandemic

Conscientiousness helps us protect our bodies against COVID, but does it also have a protective effect on mental health? Research on coping and stress during the pandemic says yes.

Extraverts may be more likely to violate stay at home orders because of their high sociability.

Mandate, Shmandate: Who Is (and Is Not) Staying at Home?

Some are diligent about distancing, even when the rules aren’t enforced. Others flagrantly flout stay at home orders and mask mandates. Does personality help explain these differences?

Got Stress? You'll Spend Less (on Holiday Gifts, at Least)

Do you typically give a few small gifts, or throw a gift-giving extravaganza of epic proportions? Your personality may explain, in part, the way you approach holiday gift-giving.

The bathroom is a BYOB zone: bring your own book.

Sloppy Poppie, Trash Eclairs: Prescriptive Norms in Seinfeld

If Seinfeld taught us anything, it was to never eat an eclair out of the trash. We'll examine the many ways George, Jerry, and Poppie violated social norms.

Liberosis: On Escaping Guilt in a Time of Pandemic

Living in a pandemic can put your sense of guilt into overdrive, especially if you're normally a responsible person. What can you do about it?

How Will the New ICE Rule Affect International Students?

Trying to get an education during the instability of COVID is hard enough. Now international students face deportation if their universities go online.

The Psychology of "Seinfeld"

In anticipation of "Seinfeld" coming to Netflix in 2021, let's look at some of the many ways the show illustrates key psychological concepts.

Snowball "helping" me work.

The Curious Case of the Professor Who Turned Into a Cat

We’re designed to recognize patterns, but sometimes that means we see connections between things that aren’t really connected. Those perceived links can be awfully hard to debunk.

What Good Does It Do to "Say Her Name"?

Maybe you've heard of the "Say Her Name" campaign. Why is it important to say victims' names? In short: It makes us care.

Why Should We Believe the Science Behind Social Distancing?

It can be hard to accept scientific findings when your experience conflicts with the data. Here's why you should trust the experts on coronavirus and why science weighs more than opinion.

Stuck Inside: Take a “Fakecation” to Combat Cabin Fever

Dreading weeks or months of reduced social contact due to the coronavirus? Here's an idea to feed your curiosity and fight boredom.

If Psychologists Wrote Conversation Hearts

If candy conversation hearts reflected science-based relationship advice, what would they say?

Personality On Your Plate

Research shows that certain personality traits are associated with a variety of food preferences and eating habits. What classic dishes are you eating this Thanksgiving?

Five Big Reasons to Embrace the Big Five Personality Traits

Are the Big Five really all that and a bag of chips? See how they stand up to criticisms of other personality tests.

How to (Accurately) Measure Your Personality

Looking for a scientifically valid way to measure your personality? Check out a test of the "Big Five" personality traits.

When Personality Test Results Are Wrong, But Feel So Right

If our personality test results were wrong, we’d know it, right? Not necessarily. Here are some reasons we might think our results are right when they’re really not.

We have an inherent need to belong.

Why Do We Like Personality Tests, Even the Bad Ones?

Why do we like personality tests so much? The reasons we like them are the same reasons we sometimes believe results that are inaccurate.

Your Favorite Personality Test Is Probably Bogus

Some of the most popular personality tests have some major flaws. Can you trust your results?