Discussing alcohol: To speak or not to speak? Say you’re asked to improve public health by designing an intervention that stimulates interpersonal communication, based on the idea that discussing unhealthy behaviors stimulates people to behave in a more healthy way. Would it work and why (or why not)? Hanneke Hendriks • December 21, 2015
New World Stereotyping Recent events in America highlight the continued plague of racism on society. Here, I describe the nature of stereotypes in other parts of the New World with a legacy of slavery and suggest that such stereotypes have an impact on racism. Lasana Harris • December 17, 2015
Buying happiness or stress? The role of empathy in Christmas shopping A few weeks before Christmas most people seem to be stressed out about what to buy their loved ones. But why do we make such an effort in buying all these gifts? Sandy Overgaauw • December 09, 2015
In love with a robot? Getting intimate with a robot… it may perhaps seem a bit of a weird idea. Why would anybody want to? Roy de Kleijn • November 24, 2015
Why risk takers are mostly young At Leiden University's Brain and Development Lab, Barbara Braams studied adolescents' risk-taking behaviour in connection to the brain's development. Examples of risk-taking behaviour are: drinking a lot of alcohol and acting really funny on your scooter. Barbara Braams • November 22, 2015
Connecting clinical decision- making and psychological research with rule-based methods Psychologists working in practice have to make decisions about clients, with limited time and information. New data-analytic algorithms may provide empirical research results that are more efficient and easier to apply in psychological practice. Marjolein Fokkema • November 10, 2015
Shy? What about your family? Being shy is a familiar experience for many people. And most people are nervous when they have to speak in a group. But what if serious anxiety gets the better of you in social situations? Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam • October 27, 2015
Why we are doomed when handwriting disappears A recent study shows that computer use in schools is negatively correlated with academic performance. I say it’s time to start emphasizing handwriting in schools again. Stephen B.R.E. Brown • October 20, 2015
Can’t find my keys: innocent or problematic forgetfulness? Where are my keys? What was I going to do? I can’t focus! Everyone experiences cognitive problems from time to time. But to what extent do they relate to actual cognitive impairment? Karin van der Hiele • October 12, 2015
