In case you missed them, here are my picks this week for psychology/neuroscience posts from ResearchBlogging.org.
- Viewers of videos synchronize their blinking. It's true. When people watch videos in a group, they tend to blink at the same time. Steve Genco explains why.
- The goal really does seem bigger when you're kicking well. Mo explains the research, which involves an extremely cute miniature adjustable field goal.
- People work harder when they believe their work is "meaningful." A cool experiment involving Legos explains why adult video store clerks are the surliest people in the world (or so I've heard).
- Placebos have "side effects." Neuroskeptic shows why this may mean that side-effects of real drugs are exaggerated.
More like this
According to Thomas and Irwin in Perception & Psychophysics 2006, 68 (3), 475-488:
We've discussed attentional blink several times on CogDaily.
Attention training through meditation can reduce the duration of the "attentional blink" - in which detection of a first rare target causes people to be unaware of a second target presented soon after the first - according to research by
Part III. Serendipity strikes when we Blink
In which we find an unexpected result when we Blink while looking at the mumps polymerase.
Hey, I'll have you know that, yeah, everyone's seen Clerks, but that I am an adult video store clerk and I am just the most helpful, positive, perky lil' thing you'll ever lay eyes on!
But I never knew that I was supposed to be the epitome of "surly", so now me and my 5'4 frame and my high pitched voice will try to be a better example of such! :)