Why Do We Fall for Scams?
People want to believe that the person they trust with their money, or their hearts, is telling the truth. The con artist relies on that.
Gossip Girls (and Boys)
Researchers found that male and female adolescents may respond differently to gossip or other forms of social aggression.
How LGBTQ+ Activists Got “Homosexuality” out of the DSM
The first DSM, created in 1952, established a hierarchy of sexual deviancies, vaulting heterosexual behavior to an idealized place in American culture.
Why Do We Listen to Sad Music?
Scientists investigate the emotional and physical effects of sad music, in an ongoing quest to explain the "paradox of pleasurable sadness."
Could Negentropy Help Your Life Run Smoother?
In physics, entropy is the process of a system losing energy and dissolving into chaos. This applies to social systems in everyday life, too.
The Hidden Meaning of a Notorious Experiment
In Stanley Milgram's studies of obedience, people believed they were giving shocks to others. But did their compliance say much about the Nazis?
Is the Authoritarian Personality a Legitimate Concept?
A group of thinkers who fled Europe wanted to explain the rise of Nazism, but their ideas haven't withstood scrutiny.
Your Brain on Quarantine
Struggling to stay inside during quarantine? Feeling bored? Anxious? Researchers say you're not alone.
The Self-Help Mantra That Got Better and Better
Every day, in every way, the pop psychology of Emile Coué conquered 1920s Britain.
How Jewish Immigrants Changed American Psychology
Secular Jewish psychologists like Boris Sidis criticized the positive optimism of Protestant-centered psychology.