Psychology Archives

How the Placebo Effect “Tricks” the Brain

You have probably heard of the placebo effect, but what is it and how does it work? Can something that’s in our heads actually provide relief?

Food waste is a big problem in the United States, where each household discards an average of one third of the food people buy.

Bringing humor to the news may be a perfect combination for encouraging people to remember information and then share it with people they know.

How often do you share funny news stories? New research suggests news with humor in it is more likely to be both shared and remembered.

Children learn language for the first time in a cool way, and the good news is that adults can, too. Find out how.

Researchers say calling on the phone instead of texting leads to stronger feelings of social connection—and isn’t nearly as awkward as we fear.

Our eating habits are affected by the type of activities we engage in and the amount of attention they require, according to recent studies.

Does a person’s attractiveness go up when their availability goes down? Scientists decide to find out by taking a look at an old dating strategy.

Loneliness is recognizable in brain maps that capture levels of closeness with others and feelings of similarity to or difference from others.

Why do people love some fictional villians more than heros? Much like the villains themselves, the answer is complex and, well, interesting.