Science News for Writers

Thanks to all of the thousands that follow my humble little blog.  Your support means so very much to me. - Jim *  *  *  *  * Writing a 'thank you' note is  more powerful than we realize, study shows New research proves writing letters of gratitude, like Jimmy Fallon's 'Thank You Notes,' is a pro-social experience people should commit to more often. The gesture improves well-being for not only letter writers but recipients as well. Published in Psychological Science, research conducted by assistant professor of marketing in the McCombs School of Business at UT Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley at The University of Chicago asked participants, in three different experiments, to write a letter of gratitude to someone who's done something nice for them and then anticipate the recipient's reaction. In each experiment, letter writers overestimated how awkward recipients would feel about the gesture and underestimated how surprised and positive...

The famous line, "You can't handle the truth," delivered by Jack Nicholson, from A Few Good Men, 1992, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, with Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, Wolfgang Bodison, James Marshall, J. T. Walsh and Kiefer Sutherland in supporting roles. It was adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin from his play of the same name with contributions by William Goldman. People can handle the truth (more than you think) Most people value the moral principle of honesty. At the same time, they frequently avoid being honest with people in their everyday lives. Who hasn't told a fib or half-truth to get through an awkward social situation or to keep the peace? New research from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business explores the consequences of honesty in everyday life and determines that people can often afford to be more honest than they think. In the paper, "You Can Handle the Truth: Mispred...

Credit: UBC Media Relations   The researchers asked volunteers to react to simple stick drawings depicting scenes of physical inactivity and physical activity, and discovered that brain activity differed depending on the scene. This is such good news.  I thought it was just me.  No, it's just everybody. What a relief.  Now I can practice sloth without the guilt. Here's the story: *  *  *  *  *  Hardwired for laziness?  Tests show the human brain must work hard to avoid sloth "The research findings suggest that our brains may simply be wired to prefer lying on the couch." If getting to the gym seems like a struggle, a University of British Columbia researcher wants you to know this: the struggle is real, and it's happening inside your brain.  Society has encouraged people to be more physically active, yet we are actually becoming less active. This new study offers a possible explanation: Our brains may be...

Credit: Northwestern University   The four newly determined personality types are based on five widely-recognized character traits. While the authors suggest that this study will be of most interest to hiring managers and mental health professionals, I feel it will be a major help to authors and screenwriters.  A four personality type model makes it easier to develop consistent characters, sort of a checklist of how people's personalities fall into groups. Here's the report: *  *  *  *  * Scientists determine four personality types based on new data Comprehensive data analysis dispels established paradigms in psychology Researchers have sifted through data from more than 1.5 million questionnaire respondents and found at least four distinct clusters of personality types exist: average, reserved, self-centered and role model. They are based on the five widely accepted basic personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agre...

Credit: McMaster University  A figure showing the brain scans of study participants who were asked to tell stories using different forms. The art of storytelling : Researchers explore why we relate to characters For thousands of years, humans have relied on storytelling to engage, to share emotions and to relate personal experiences. Now, psychologists at McMaster University are exploring the mechanisms deep within the brain to better understand just what happens when we communicate. New research published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, suggests that no matter how a narrative is expressed -- through words, gestures or drawings -- our brains relate best to the characters, focusing on the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist of each story. "We tell stories in conversation each and every day," explains Steven Brown, lead author of the study, who runs the NeuroArts Lab at McMaster and is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, ...

Let's face it, as a society we're suckers for every new fad to wander down the interweb. Take probiotics.  The miracle food ‽ No.  Quite the obverse.  This cute, cuddly little research project shows that eating probiotics tends to make one foggy, addle-patted and significantly confused.  And fatter. "This is not good," as said the crazy Nazi author in The Producers.  Right before the dynamite touched off. So it could be that probiotic use prior to 2016 is a direct link to Trump being elected.  And is anyone investigating the food supplement industry?  Is Mueller conducting an investigation to election meddling by vegans? Makes you think, don't it? Here's the report. *  *  *  *  * Probiotic use is a link between brain fogginess, severe bloating Probiotic use can result in a significant accumulation of bacteria in the small intestine that can result in disorienting brain fogginess as well as rapid, significant bell...

If you've yet to read "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer, you'd best get on it. In a world ruled by True Believer ignorance and hutzpah, the more you know about this self-perpetuating phenomena, the better off you'll be.  Not happier or more content, rather less frustrated and ready to scream. As to why people ignore facts, truth or science in what they believe, read on. *  *  *  *  * Why we stick to false beliefs: Feedback trumps hard evidence New study finds that feedback rather than hard evidence makes us more confident that we're right Ever wonder why flat earthers, birthers, climate change and Holocaust deniers stick to their beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?  New findings from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that feedback, rather than hard evidence, boosts people's sense of certainty when learning new things or trying to tell right from wrong. Developmental psychologis...

Source:  Ravishly Yes, it does. For the better. Next question. *  *  *  *  * How does helping people affect your brain?  Study shows neurobiological effects of giving social support Providing "targeted" social support to other people in need activates regions of the brain involved in parental care- which may help researchers understand the positive health effects of social ties, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. By comparison, providing "untargeted" support such as giving to charity does not have the same neurobiological effects, according to the new research by Tristen K. Inagaki, PhD, and Lauren P. Ross, BA, of University of Pittsburgh. "Our results highlight the unique benefits of giving targeted support and elucidate neural pathways by which giving support may lead to health," the researchers write. Study May Show 'Neu...