In recent years, the field of behavioral genetics has made some important strides in unearthing some of the thousands of genes that are likely associated with IQ. While the association of any particular gene with IQ is minuscule, the more we discover their combined influence on the development of brain networks that support cognition (such […]
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The Dark Core of Personality
Over 100 years ago, Charles Spearman made two monumental discoveries about human intelligence. First, a general factor of intelligence (g) exists: people who score high on one test of intelligence also tend to score high on other tests of intelligence. Second, Spearman found that the g-factor conforms to the principle of the “indifference of the […]
STUDY ALERT: Are bigger brains smarter? Evidence from a large-scale pre-registered study
A positive relationship between brain volume and intelligence has been suspected since the 19th century and empirical studies seem to support this hypothesis. However, this claim is not uncontroversial because of concerns about publication bias and the lack of systematic control for critical confounding factors (e.g., height, population structure). We performed a pre-registered study of […]
STUDY ALERT: The development of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S)
The development of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A multifactorial measure for a complex emotion David B. Yaden, Scott Barry Kaufman, Elizabeth Hyde, Alice Chirico, Andrea Gaggioli, Jia Wei Zhang, Dacher Keltner Abstract Awe is a complex emotion composed of an appraisal of vastness and a need for accommodation. The purpose of this study was […]
STUDY ALERT: Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training
Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training Anthony P. Zanesco1 & Brandon G. King2,3 & Katherine A. MacLean3 & Clifford D. Saron3,4 Abstract Sustained attention is effortful, demanding, and subject to limitations associated with age-related cognitive decline. Researchers have sought to examine whether attentional capacities can be enhanced through directed mental […]
Why Quieting the Ego Strengthens Your Best Self
We live in some times. On the one hand, things are better than they’ve ever been. Overall rates of violence, poverty, and disease are down. There have been substantial increases in education, longevity, leisure time, and safety. On the other hand… We are more divided than ever as a species. Tribalism and identity politics are […]
What Does a Messy Room Say About Your Character?
“Clean up your room. That’s a good start.” — Jordan Peterson One of Jordan Peterson’s main theories is that cleaning your room is related to lots of other positive characteristics. Now, obviously, he doesn’t mean literally cleaning your room. It’s a metaphor for getting your whole self in order first before you try to improve the […]
Embrace your (positive) destiny
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about destiny. I think destiny exists. Within each of us is a particular set of proclivities that when matched with just the right environmental triggers, then BAM, there it is. It’s undeniable. Even though our conscious minds may go through many tricks to deny the reality of the match, […]
The hypnotic attraction of power and fame blinds us to inner value
In a completely commercialized society in which salability and optimal profit constitute the core values, and in which every person experiences [themselves] as ‘capital’ that [they have] to invest on the market with the aim of optimal profit (success), [their] inner value counts as little as that of a dental cream or a patent medicine. Whether [one] is kind, […]
The Role of Luck in Life Success Is Far Greater Than We Realized
[This article originally appeared in Scientific American] What does it take to succeed? What are the secrets of the most successful people? Judging by the popularity of magazines such as Success, Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur, there is no shortage of interest in these questions. There is a deep underlying assumption, however, that we can learn […]
An Existential-Humanistic View of Personality Change: Co-Occurring Changes with Psychological Well-Being in a 10 Year Cohort Study
An Existential-Humanistic View of Personality Change: Co-Occurring Changes with Psychological Well-Being in a 10 Year Cohort Study Hilda Osafo Hounkpatin • Alex M. Wood • Christopher J. Boyce • Graham Dunn Abstract Increasingly, psychological research has indicated that an individual’s per- sonality changes across the lifespan. We aim to better understand personality change by examining […]
The time has come for dimensional personality disorder diagnosis
“We are concerned about the implications of retaining a categorical system that has been so thoroughly shown to be empirically and clinically problematic. It is very difficult to justify allocating resources toward continued research on an approach that has proven to be fundamentally flawed, as opposed to a dimensional model that points to exciting new […]