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Ben Ambridge

Ben Ambridge is Professor of Psychology at the University of Manchester and the ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD). He is the author of two popular-psychology books, Psy-Q: You Know Your IQ – Now Test Your Psychological Intelligence and Are You Smarter Than a Chimpanzee?, which together have been translated into 16 language editions. To find out more about Ben’s writing and research, please visit www.benambridge.com or follow him on Twitter @benambridge.

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Two moms playing with son in front of Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Education & Society

Kids Need Dads—Or Do They?

Data suggest that fathers can be fantastic, but there’s no magic ingredient they supply for children’s emotional, educational, or social development.
Image courtesy of Coca-Cola
Psy-Q

The Coca-Cola Wars: Can Anybody Really Tell the Difference?

While few people can reliably discern any difference in a blind taste test, Coca-Cola is winning in its branding war with Pepsi.
Psy-Q

A Smoking Gun: The Battle Over Gun Control and Statistical Significance

Gun control and statistical significance in Florida
Ancient, hand-drawn horoscope with zodiac signs
Psy-Q

Psy-Q: Does Your Horoscope Affect School Performance?

Does one's horoscope birth date impact performance in school? A look at the research.
Bride and groom during wedding rings exchange
Psy-Q

How to Have a Happy Marriage: Overestimate Your Spouse’s Good Qualities

Newlyweds’ perceptions of each other during “honeymoon period.” Can research tell us anything about how to have a happy marriage?
Psy-Q

Talk About Terrorism: Metaphors We Live and Die By

The four main metaphors of counter terrorism and their implications.
Psy-Q

Are Bilingual People Smarter Than People Who Speak One Language?

Is the bilingual advantage real? Are bilingual people smarter than people who speak one language?
By DFID - UK Department for International Development (Flickr: Bracing for a short, sharp jab) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Psy-Q

Should Vaccination Be Compulsory?

While science is clear that vaccines are safe and effective, it is silent on whether or not mandating compulsory vaccination is the right thing to do.
Photo of Warren Hill
Psy-Q

Sociologists Test Six Arguments For and Against Capital Punishment

The sociologists Michael Radlet and Marian Borg test out six arguments for and against capital punishment.
Psy-Q

Do Good Students Make Bad Teachers?

The relationship between GPA and the performance of good and bad teachers seems modest at best.
Woman with child in the wiilderness
Psy-Q

Wild, Natural, and Home Births: For the Birds?

Medical research on natural and home births
Woman receiving light therapy.
Psy-Q

PSY-Q: The SAD-dest Time of the Year

What are the treatment options for SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Psy-Q

Psy-Q: Is Christmas Gift Giving Wasteful?

Is Christmas Gift Giving Wasteful?
Russel Brand
Psy-Q

PSY-Q: Are the Drug Laws Working? Russell Brand Doesn’t Think So

All currently-illegal drugs, including cannabis, are harmful to health, the main argument for legalizing them reduces harm, by minimizing their consumption.
Psy-Q

PSY-Q: A Smoking Gun? (or The Plain Truth). Would Plain Cigarette Packaging Save Lives?

What is the health impact of plain cigarette packaging?
Free_Hugs,_in_Hibiyakoen,_Tokyo_Prefecture
Psy-Q

Is There Any Scientific Evidence for the Benefits of Hugging?

The science behind hugging, massage therapy, and physical touch.
Project Implicit Racial Prejudice
Psy-Q

Project Implicit Reveals Your Hidden Prejudice

Professor Anthony Greenwald invented the Implicit Association Test that can tap into our implicit feelings about race. What happens when people take it?
Psy-Q

Psy-Q: What Does The Prisoner’s Dilemma have to do with Greenhouse Gases?

Game theory tells us that climate deals are doomed to failure.
Psy-Q

“It’s the psychology, stupid.” What really decides elections?

The "rational choice" model alone doesn't account for voting behavior. So what does?
The Fountain of Youth
Psy-Q

Psy-Q: Is Age Really Just a Number?

Is age just a number?
Fear of Ebola
Psy-Q

Psy-Q: The Psychology Behind Our Fear of Ebola

Welcome to the first of a new weekly column, Psy-Q, which delves into the JSTOR archives to give ...

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