Calling, texting or emailing a friend just to say “hello” might seem like an insignificant gesture — a chore, even, that isn’t worth the effort. Or maybe you worry an unexpected check-in wouldn’t be welcome, as busy as we all tend to be. But new research suggests that casually reaching out to people in our social circles […]

The study surveyed thousands of Americans online, quizzing them on scientific facts and soliciting their opinions on eight contested topics, including the COVID-19 vaccine. The researchers found that respondents who answered more factual questions correctly were more likely to agree with the scientific consensus about each topic. On the other hand, those who answered many

It’s been estimated that at least one third of the population will experience mental disorders and difficulties in their lifetimes, from anxiety to depression. Those affected can be helped by people working in applied fields of psychological science, such as clinical psychology, counseling, or school psychology. But what do we know about the prevalence of

Only 20 percent of computer science and 22 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees in the U.S. go to women. Women are missing out on flexible, lucrative and high-status careers. Society is also missing out on the potential contributions they would make to these fields, such as designing smartphone conversational agents that suggest help not only for heart attack symptoms

What comes to mind when you think of aging? Is it wrinkles and gray hair? Trouble with technology? Crankiness, achy bones or being hard of hearing? It’s said that age is just a number, but Becca Levy, Yale researcher and author of Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You

Almost everyone is thinking about the future of work and the new tools businesses will use. But less thought is given to the tools and strategies they’ll stop using.  Adam Grant hopes the concept of “best practices” will be on the list. The term used to describe a preferred method of performing a given task or procedure can be limiting,

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have fundamentally altered college admissions. Can psychological science inform changes to educational policy and practice to address the influence of the pandemic and make the college admissions process fairer? In a July 21 webinar produced by the APS Global Collaboration on COVID-19, four speakers from multiple areas of research and practice

The COVID-19 pandemic may have fundamentally altered many aspects of education. One less appreciated area of focus is on how the college admissions process has been affected. Recent books by Jeffrey Selingo on who gets in and why, Ron Lieber on the price you pay, and Colin Diver on the influence of the ranking industry, all provide current overviews of the landscape,

If you want to save money to start a business, you’re in good company. The majority of small businesses are funded through savings; one out of three small businesses launched with less than $5,000 in startup capital.  Hoping to save money also matters after you start a business. Some small businesses take years to turn a profit, and a huge percentage

The past two-plus years have been universally tumultuous, and couples therapists say they have been dealing with the fallout in their practices every day. Even now, when the pandemic no longer dominates daily life, many Americans continue to work, shop and do so much online that they count on their partners to meet their social