Once More, With Feeling

The science (and neuroscience) of your emotions

Sarah Rose Cavanagh Ph.D.

Stop Shaming Political Emotions

Emotions in politics, like emotions in life, are powerful.

Friendship by the Numbers

Friendship is one of the most critical predictors of our physical and mental well-being. So what do we know about how it works?

What You Should Read Next

As the days get shorter and the news gets more brutal, we could all use a healthy dose of fictional transportation. Here are some of my favorite 2017 reads.

No, Smartphones are Not Destroying a Generation

A recent article in the Atlantic claims that smartphones and social media have ruined a generation. It is wrong.

You Are Not Alone

Are we separate, autonomous beings, or do we operate more like a hivemind?

Every Human Interaction, Explained

The secret motive underlying all of our interactions, according to a famous acting coach.

Why Science Is on the March

Generally scientists like to stick to science-ing, and stay out of politics. So why are they taking to the streets this Earth Day and marching on Washington?

4 Emotions for Surviving & Thriving in an Uncertain America

Americans are facing unprecedented times, and many are experiencing emotional upheaval. What advice does emotion science hold for the months ahead?

In Defense of Power Poses

The idea that you can get a boost of confidence from posing like a superhero has recently come under fire. While these critiques have merit, so does the original idea.

5 Steps to a More Creative You

Three recent works on creativity and innovation suggest similar approaches to a more creative you.

Your Emotions at Work

Your emotions don't just turn off when you turn your car into the commuter lot. How you handle workplace emotions can impact your enjoyment and productivity.

Calling All Teachers!

An exciting new book suggests new avenues for improving teaching effectiveness.

How Fiction Could Save Us All

If exposing artificial intelligence to fiction can help them understand human values, could reading fiction similarly make us better people?

5 Great Halloween Reads for the Psychologically Minded

Some of the best spooky, brainy reads on the internet this Halloween.

The Hidden Toll of Emotional Labor

Why your job, which involves no physical exertion, leaves you a puddle of Netflix-bingeing exhaustion at the end of it.

Is Your Team Effective?

What scientists helping NASA prepare for a Mars Mission can tell you about running an effective team - whether a workgroup, a Girls' Scouts troupe, or a family.

Newsflashes from Emotion Science

A few reflections on the themes that emerged from the second annual meeting of the Society for Affective Science, a new society dedicated to understanding our emotional lives.

10 Reasons You Should Go to Sleep Right Now

On the myriad benefits of sleep, glorious sleep.

The Mindful Educator

From the halls of academia to the shelves of Barnes and Noble, interest in mindfulness is at a peak. Might this ancient practice hold some lessons for the classroom?

Manage Your Emotions

Many psychologists are tackling the question: what are the healthiest ways to manage our emotional lives? This post reports on some of the newest, most intriguing research on how people manage their emotions and the relationship this has to psychological health.

Teaching Ferguson

Talking to our students about the August events in Ferguson.

Harnessing the Power of Emotion in Education

The lay assumption seems to be that learning is a dry, staid affair best conducted in quiet tones and ruled by an unemotional consideration of the facts, and historically we have constructed our classrooms and working environments with this assumption in mind. But I argue that we learn – and work – at an optimal level when our emotions are fully engaged.

Highlights from the Trenches of Emotion Science

Tidbits from the inaugural meeting of the new Society for Affective Science.

Emotions in the Wake of Disaster

A new study of people living in Tokyo, Japan during the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis reveals important relationships between how you respond to emotion and measures of psychological health.

Female Sexual Desire: An Evolutionary Biology Perspective

Wherein I interview an evolutionary biologist for her perspective on sex differences in libido.

Your Brain on Friendship

New research by social neuroscientist Jim Coan suggests that our friends are deeply embedded in how our brains process the world, and sheds light on how friendship yields emotional and physical health benefits.

Dealing with Death

Death represents one of our greatest emotional challenges. Which emotion may provide a buffer against death-related despair?

Taming Love... With Science.

What do psychologists know about the what, how, and who of passionate love? Can we use the tools of science to unpack this mysterious emotion?