All posts tagged: sheds

Christmas comes faster every year? Psychology study sheds light on holiday time distortions

Christmas comes faster every year? Psychology study sheds light on holiday time distortions

Published by José

New research published in PLOS One investigates why annual events like Christmas and Ramadan often feel like they come around more quickly each year. The study, which spanned participants in the United Kingdom and Iraq, found that the perception of time speeding up between such events is widespread and influenced by factors such as enjoyment of the event, memory function, and attention to time. Importantly, the study challenges the common belief that these distortions in time perception are more pronounced with age. The sensation that time speeds up as we age—or that recurring events like Christmas seem to arrive faster—has become a common anecdote in everyday life. However, this feeling isn’t fully understood. Previous research has often linked distortions in time perception to short-term experiences, such as how an engaging activity can make hours feel like minutes, or boredom can stretch minutes into an eternity. Less is known about how time distortions occur over longer periods, particularly for events that recur annually. The researchers aimed to explore whether specific psychological factors—like emotional responses to the …

Neuroscience sheds light on ketamine’s strange effect on our sense of touch

Neuroscience sheds light on ketamine’s strange effect on our sense of touch

Published by José

A new study published in Neuropsychopharmacology has revealed how the drug ketamine changes the way our brains process touch, especially the difference between touch from ourselves versus someone else. Researchers found that under ketamine, the brain struggles to make this distinction, suggesting that ketamine may blur the boundaries of self-perception. These findings offer new insights into how certain psychiatric symptoms related to self-awareness could be mirrored in the brain. Ketamine is a medication originally developed as an anesthetic, but it has gained attention for its ability to produce rapid antidepressant effects, even in people who haven’t responded to traditional treatments. Ketamine is a dissociative drug that can create an altered state of consciousness, where individuals experience a separation from their usual sense of self. At lower doses, ketamine is used in treating depression and chronic pain, while higher doses are used in medical anesthesia. Because it temporarily disrupts the brain’s usual processing, ketamine offers a unique way to study how certain psychiatric symptoms, especially those related to self-awareness and perception, might be simulated. The motivation …

Why do people enjoy horror movies? New study sheds light

Why do people enjoy horror movies? New study sheds light

Published by José

For many, horror movies are more than just scary—they’re an exciting escape that combines fear and thrill. But what drives people to watch films filled with fright? A recent study found that a person’s enjoyment of horror is linked to their curiosity about dark topics, the realism of the scenes, and the intensity of fear they feel. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. Horror movies, along with other fear-related activities like haunted houses and thrill rides, have become increasingly popular. Although fear typically triggers unpleasant reactions, many horror fans describe experiencing a blend of excitement and enjoyment from these movies. Previous research suggests that excitement can come from the arousal fear causes, and if this arousal is seen as something desirable, it can transform into enjoyment. However, the precise factors that allow some people to view fear and excitement as enjoyable experiences remain unclear. “Our research group is mostly interested in how we perceive threatening or disgusting content,” said study author Botond Kiss, a PhD student and assistant research fellow at the …

The Knowledge. New data sheds light on hours spent at school

The Knowledge. New data sheds light on hours spent at school

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles In 2022, the then government laid out a new expectation that state-funded mainstream schools should deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours from this term. Now, new census data allows us for the first time to better understand the length of the school week across the country and its relationship with pupil outcomes. Earlier this year we examined what the international research tells us about the length of the school week and its impact on pupil attainment and wider outcomes. It showed that the effects of providing additional school time, which encompasses instruction time and extracurricular activities, are varied but broadly positive with the diversity of effects often being attributed to variations in the timing, manner, and nature of the activities during these extended hours. Previous research has also shown that the effect of increasing school hours varies depending on the subject being taught. Crucially for those interested in tackling the persistent disadvantage gap, extending the school day tends to have a more pronounced impact on the …

New research sheds light on the influence of “The Apprentice” on Donald Trump’s political rise

New research sheds light on the influence of “The Apprentice” on Donald Trump’s political rise

Published by José

A new study published in the American Political Science Review explores how Donald Trump’s role on the reality television show The Apprentice helped propel his success in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The research suggests that Trump’s carefully cultivated image as a successful businessman and savvy negotiator on the show helped create a lasting, favorable impression among viewers, boosting his appeal among voters. The findings add to the growing evidence that entertainment media, often viewed as politically neutral, can have significant political consequences. Television plays a major role in shaping public perceptions in the U.S., where most households still watch hours of TV daily. While much research has been devoted to understanding how news media influences political opinions, there’s been less focus on how entertainment media shapes politics. However, the new study by Eunji Kim of Columbia University and Shawn Patterson Jr. of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center suggests that entertainment, which more Americans consume than traditional news, has the potential to shape public perceptions of political figures in unexpected ways. Kim …

Study sheds light on the toll of suspected infidelity

Study sheds light on the toll of suspected infidelity

Published by José

Trust is the cornerstone of any strong marriage, but what happens when that trust is broken — or even just doubted? A new study in Family Process highlights that merely suspecting a partner of infidelity is strongly linked to lower levels of happiness in marriage. While infidelity is a well-known cause of relationship breakdowns, little research had been conducted on how a partner’s belief or suspicion of infidelity might influence the dynamics of a marriage. The researchers aimed to fill this gap by examining not only the prevalence of different types of infidelity but also how these variations impact the happiness and satisfaction of both partners in a relationship. The study reanalyzed data from the National Couples Survey, which was originally designed to explore contraceptive decision-making among couples. This survey, conducted between 2005 and 2006, involved 236 married couples from four U.S. cities: Seattle, Durham, St. Louis, and Baltimore. On average, the couples had been married for about five years, and the study included only those who were not pregnant, postpartum, or seeking to become …

Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang | Antarctica

Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang | Antarctica

Published by skeptic

If you know what it means to be a “fidlet” going for a “jolly” in your “doo”, then you are part of an exclusive club that speaks colloquial Antarctic English. A New Zealand linguistics doctorate graduate from the University of Canterbury has completed a world-first study into colloquial Antarctic English, spoken at the US, British and New Zealand Antarctic research stations. While there have been previous literary studies into Antartica English vocabulary, Dr Steph Kaefer’s study marks the first time a researcher has visited Antarctica to document the unique colloquialisms used in daily life. Over three weeks in 2019, Kaefer spent time at three English-speaking Antarctic stations observing and gathering data from workers based on what the US station refers to as “The Ice”, or the British call the “South”. Initially prompted by a love of the continent, Kaefer was further inspired to investigate Antarctica’s vocabulary after reading an academic’s article discussing how newcomers to the continent were struck by the distinctive vocabulary. “Some of it was mundane, talking about the weather conditions, organisation of …

‘He had a sarcastic turn of phrase’: discovery of 1509 book sheds new light on ‘father of utilitarianism’ | Philosophy

‘He had a sarcastic turn of phrase’: discovery of 1509 book sheds new light on ‘father of utilitarianism’ | Philosophy

Published by skeptic

One of the dangerous “fools” caricatured in a medieval printed satire called Ship of Fools is the Foolish Reader. He is shown in an illustration surrounded by his many learned volumes, but he doesn’t read any of them. This idiot, depicted with many others, including a Feasting Fool, a Preaching Fool and a Procrastinating Fool, was a warning to the wise by the German author Sebastian Brandt 530 years ago. Now research at a London university has unearthed a rare English 1509 copy of this book once owned by the renowned English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. And the 1494 satirical allegory, which pokes fun at various kinds of public folly, sheds new light on Bentham’s influential ethics. It also makes it clear that Bentham himself was not the sort of fool to ignore his own books, since he has left revealing notes and formulas inked in the margins of several pages. Bentham, the father of utilitarianism, is the man who established the principle that the best actions are those that create “the greatest good for the …

New study sheds light what really influences nightmares and their psychological impact

New study sheds light what really influences nightmares and their psychological impact

Published by José

Recent research published in the journal Dreaming has provided new insights into what influences nightmares and the distress they cause. The study found that an individual’s long-standing personality traits, rather than their momentary emotional state, play a more critical role in both the occurrence of nightmares and the distress experienced from them. Nightmares affect between 2.4% and 12% of adults, and their impact extends beyond unpleasant dreams. They have been linked to heightened emotional distress, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, paranoia, and even an increased risk of suicide. While previous research explored both nightmare frequency (how often they occur) and nightmare distress (how bothersome they are), there has been an ongoing debate about the roles of personality traits (long-term characteristics) versus states (temporary experiences). The new study aimed to clarify how these factors interact and to investigate recently identified traits such as ego strength and emotional regulation. “I’ve always been interested in understanding why we dream, especially why we have bad dreams or nightmares. The reasons seem both complex and elusive. Since I like a good …

New psychology research sheds light on the dark side of “wine mom” culture

New psychology research sheds light on the dark side of “wine mom” culture

Published by José

Recent research has illuminated how the “wine mom” phenomenon, prevalent on social media and television, influences mothers’ attitudes towards alcohol. This study found that the portrayal of mothers consuming alcohol as a stress-relief mechanism on platforms like Instagram and Facebook could encourage risky drinking behaviors by shaping social norms around alcohol consumption among mothers. The findings have been published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media. The “wine mom” phenomenon promotes the idea that alcohol is a necessary coping tool for motherhood’s challenges, often via humorous memes, hashtags like #winemom, or groups like “Mommy Drinks Wine and Swears.” The researchers were concerned that this social media discourse could adversely affect health outcomes, as increased alcohol consumption heightens the risk of developing physical and mental health disorders. “As a mother, I frequently see memes and discourse on social media about the need to drink alcohol to survive the challenges of motherhood. The messages often uses humor. As a scholar, I was curious about the effects of seeing this type of ‘wine mom’ messaging and I realized …