Behavior4226 articles archived since 1845

Disgust Can Be Morally Valuable

Repugnance at wrongs such as hatred, hypocrisy and cheating are reasonable, but in cases where it’s inappropriate, we can learn to control it

How GPS Weakens Memory—and What We Can Do about It

A new app helps you navigate, not with turn-by-turn directions but via audio “beacons”

The Pursuit of Resilience

We Must Rethink the Role of Medical Expert Witnesses

The Derek Chauvin trial highlighted a deficiency in the criminal justice system

Adolescent Brains Are Wired to Want Status and Respect: That’s an Opportunity for Teachers and Parents

Advances in neuroscience and psychology could lead to real-world benefits in education and mental health

Sally Ride’s Enduring Legacy

America’s first woman in space worked to make STEM education more equitable and inclusive, with a special emphasis on encouraging participation by girls

Why Do People in Relationships Cheat?

A new study breaks down the reasons—they’re complicated

Fear Is the Key to Convincing Residents to Evacuate before a Storm

Safety officials need to use strong language and images to persuade the human psyche

‘Cave Syndrome’ Keeps the Vaccinated in Social Isolation

After a year away from friends and co-workers, people sometimes struggle to resume their public routines

Religion Both Helped and Hurt during the Pandemic

It was good, on balance, for people’s mental health—but not so good for physical health

Making Vaccines Is Straightforward; Getting People to Take Them Isn’t

Our instincts are unreliable about which problems are easy to solve and which are hard

COVID Has Created a Perfect Storm for Fringe Science

It’s always been with us, but in a time of pandemic, its practitioners have an amplified capacity to unleash serious harm

Scientists Should Never Stop Being Students

Being too comfortable with the universe as it’s “supposed to be” is harmful to creative thinking

We’ll Never Fix Systemic Racism by Being Polite

Contrary to the sanitized version we sometimes hear about the civil rights movement, change was not achieved solely by protest marches and people singing “We Shall Overcome”

From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter

Protest expert Aldon Morris explains how social justice movements succeed

Why Are Police Using a World War I–Era Chemical Weapon on Civilians?

Most people think tear gas is relatively harmless, but we know very little about its long-term effects on human health and the environment

The Deadly Consequences of Hypersexualizing Asian Women

A long history of racism and misogyny set the stage for recent violence, including a murderous “bad day” in Atlanta

Coping Strategies of Ocean Castaways Hold Lessons for the COVID Pandemic

Shipwreck victims cast adrift for weeks or months exhibit a resilience that serves as a model to weather any extended crisis

A Digital Obsession

How to feel less stressed and more empowered and to create a life of meaning—without your phone

Students Who Gesture during Learning ‘Grasp’ Concepts Better

Hand movement appears to help in teaching about statistical models