psychology

Bilingual

Four Types of Thinker
2 months ago
- The study found that people's thoughts are dominated by work, coffee, and a desire to return to bed.
- Four distinct groups of thinkers were identified: worriers, domestics, bodily thinkers, and work-hard-play-hards.
- Thoughts follow daily rhythms, with work prominent during the day and entertainment in the evening.
- About half of all thoughts are intentional, while the rest are intrusive or accidental.
- Sensory information and mental impressions account for nearly 20% of thoughts, followed by work (17%) and food (14%).
- Desires often focus on food or drink (especially coffee) and relaxation, including naps and sleep.
- The study supports Marcus Aurelius' idea that the quality of one's thoughts predicts happiness.
Why do we think we understand the world more than we actually do?
2 months ago
- The illusion of explanatory depth (IOED) is the tendency to overestimate how well we understand how things work.
- This illusion is revealed when we try to explain a concept, realizing our knowledge is much shallower than assumed.
- Common everyday examples include devices like toilets, locks, car engines, and light bulbs.
- The illusion has two parts: the belief that we can provide a clear explanation, and the assumption that the explanation will be thorough.
- It is especially strong for explanatory knowledge compared to facts or procedures, and it affects people from childhood onward.
Psychology Research Is Mostly Fine
2 months ago
- The replication crisis primarily affected social psychology, especially social priming research, not all of psychology.
- Most psychology subfields (e.g., cognitive, clinical, neuropsychology) are robust and produce trustworthy research.
- Other sciences like economics and medicine also face replication issues, making psychology not uniquely flawed.
- Critics should avoid generalizing failures of social priming to the entire field of psychology.
You say potato, I say leprosy
2 months ago
- Historically, potatoes were believed to cause leprosy due to their unusual appearance and growth method.
- AI can now generate full academic papers from spurious correlations, potentially making some academic fields redundant.
- 2025 is projected to have the fewest US murders since reliable data began in 1960.
- Biology is highlighted as crucial for preventing mundane medical procedures like catheter insertion.
- Over 200 failed apocalypse predictions have occurred, with zero successful ones.
- The US government originally relied on the Riverbank Institute for cryptography during WWI, leading to the NSA's precursors.
- Fighting in the Ukraine war is described as primarily trench-based with drone threats.
- Fountain pen caps use vacuum suction to draw ink into the nib.
- Neuroscientists still struggle to simulate a simple worm's brain due to complexity.
- AI has not replaced radiologists; instead, radiology jobs and salaries have increased.
- Political opinions remain stable over time, with less than 2% supporting political assassination.
- A replication of the 'Things Could Be Better' study was successfully conducted by beginners.
- Harvard is suing Francesca Gino for allegedly faking data again in her defense.
- Reducing NIH funding by 40% would have significant negative impacts on medical research.
- Claims of large personality changes over time are likely exaggerated based on re-analysis.
- ClearerThinking offers a mega personality test comparing various assessment methods.
- The classic cognitive dissonance experiment may have flawed data, casting doubt on some findings.
- Losing a Michelin star can improve TripAdvisor ratings by lowering expectations.
- Potentialism is a new civic vision emphasizing individual cultivation for the common good.
- Both US and USSR planned to nuke the moon during the Cold War.
- PhD students are more likely to take psychiatric medication than master's-level peers.
- Paying debris contractors by the ton led to fraudulent practices and extra costs.
- A $10k prize is offered for the best essay judged by humans and AI.
- A visual illusion shows mind-bending effects, causing strong reactions.
- Independent scientists are encouraged with resources and prizes for uplifting memes.
- DIY biology projects, like UV sterilization pumps, are being pursued by individuals.
- Metformin improved reaction times in one user but did not affect blood sugar.
- The internet likely accelerated but did not cause the decline of deviance since the 1990s.
- Americans are increasingly afraid of talking to each other, as discussed with Derek Thompson.
- Weirdest lyrics in #1 hits were explored in a Q&A with Chris Dalla Riva.
- A past post title remains memorable despite potential awkwardness for sharing.
How to be less awkward
2 months ago
- Most people overestimate their own awkwardness and underestimate how well conversations go; studies show people generally like others more than they think they are liked.
- Awkwardness has three layers: social clumsiness (outer), excessive self-awareness (middle), and people-phobia (inner), each requiring a different approach.
- For social clumsiness, the key is to own mistakes openly rather than trying to cover them up, which often makes things worse and can actually appear confident.
- Excessive self-awareness can be mitigated by shifting attention outward to others, treating them as fascinating and engaging, which reduces self-focus and improves interactions.
- People-phobia, or fear of rejection, can be addressed through exposure therapy: facing social situations, noting that most interactions are pleasant, and reflecting on positive outcomes to update expectations.
- A practical step is to avoid passing on awkwardness to others through cruelty, as this increases the overall level of social discomfort.
I swear the UFO is coming any minute
2 months ago
- Classic psychology studies are being debunked: the UFO cult study from 'When Prophecy Fails' had undercover researchers and did not show the predicted cognitive dissonance effect.
- Oliver Sacks' case studies, including 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,' were embellished or invented, similar to other debunked experiments like the Stanford Prison Experiment.
- A replication of the 1974 car crash study (using 'smashed' vs 'hit') with 10 times more participants failed to replicate the original effect, questioning the robustness of memory suggestibility.
- The 'choice overload' effect in physicians was not replicated; a 2025 study found the opposite trend, suggesting the effect is context-dependent.
- The author's own research on public opinion change was reanalyzed with different conclusions, but the author defends their approach, arguing that people are not good at estimating actual magnitudes of change.
- The post includes various links: a pseudonymous piece in THE LOOP magazine, an interview with blogger Gwern, practical advice for artists, the debunking of the 'spiders in sleep' myth, and a case of a single household generating 78% of airport noise complaints.
- The author also discusses a compact packing of 11 squares, a microwave cookbook review, and personal updates including awards and podcast appearances.
Nothing ever dies. It merely becomes embarrassing.
2 months ago
- Psychological phenomena like power posing, ego depletion, and growth mindset persist in research despite being debunked, often rebranded under new names.
- The replication crisis has not settled disputes; theories continue to be studied because they are difficult to definitively falsify, leading to endless debates.
- The author proposes a 'Halo theory' of science: scientific theories never truly die, they only become embarrassing, and instead of trying to kill them, we should recognize when they are no longer worth pursuing.
- Historical examples (e.g., continental drift, germ theory) show that initially cringe-worthy ideas can later become accepted, but old theories that remain cringe likely have no merit.
- The author criticizes over-reliance on meta-analyses and statistical corrections, arguing that these methods do not resolve fundamental disputes about a theory's existence.
- A call to move on from endlessly debating whether a theory is alive or dead and instead focus on more productive scientific questions.
Portals are Undertheorized
2 months ago
- Threshold portals, like gates and doors, divide and frame spaces, inducing movement and pulling viewers through.
- Path portals, such as hallways and bridges, build anticipation for a destination and enhance episodic memory.
- Passenger portals, like planes and ferries, allow passive movement in liminal spaces, promoting meditation and decompression.
- Psychological portals, including rituals and meditation, transform mental states without physical travel, often using elements like ritual washing.
- The Oracle of Delphi integrates all portal types—passenger, path, psychological, and threshold—for a transformative experience.
- Contrasting environments show portals shape experiences; well-designed portals create beauty, while poor ones like strip malls feel soulless.
You can try to like stuff
2 months ago
- The hobby of trying to like things is a tool for probing human nature, not just for enjoyment.
- Disliking something often stems from a self-concept of not liking it, as seen with spinach, white wine, and other examples.
- We can successfully change our likes by reframing our perspective, but deep cultural programming can make some changes hard.
- Having an incorrect concept of self can lead to believing we like things we actually don't, like raisins or Oasis.
- Some things are difficult to change, such as snobbery toward TV or an inability to enjoy country music.
- The invitation to 'enjoy the ride' on flights illustrates the power we have over how we experience situations.
Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and the people who lean hardest on AI
2 months ago
- Freud borrowed the Narcissus myth from Ovid in 1914, coining a key psychological term for inward-directed love.
- The term became a psychiatric diagnosis (narcissistic personality disorder) by 1980 and later broadened in everyday use.
- Modern psychology views narcissism as a continuum, part of the Dark Tetrad alongside Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism.
- AI chatbots now serve as perfect mirrors for narcissistic traits, offering flattery and non-stop engagement.
- A 2024 study linked narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism to problematic chatbot use, with narcissism as the strongest predictor.
- Key mediators include vertical individualism (status-seeking) and intolerance of uncertainty (fear of ambiguity).
- Chatbots provide instant certainty, which can reinforce anxiety loops rather than encourage emotional growth.
- Unlike humans, chatbots never tire, enabling unchecked dependency and potential worsening of problematic traits.
- Evidence from an MIT study suggests heavy AI use may increase loneliness and emotional reliance.
- It remains unknown if prolonged AI use amplifies narcissism or leaves it unchanged.
The Psychology of Software Teams
2 months ago
- The book presents an evidence-based analysis of developer productivity and team dynamics, grounded in psychological science.
- It debunks the 'Brains-in-Jars' myth, arguing that innovation is a social, not solitary, process driven by collaboration and learning.
- Culture is framed as critical infrastructure—psychological safety, learning, and collaboration are essential for system reliability and organizational success.
- The author provides practical guidance to avoid common traps in software development, such as misaligned productivity metrics and burnout.
- The book connects organizational design with individual human experience, emphasizing cognitive scaffolding and thriving ecosystems for high performance without burnout.
You Can Discover the Drives
2 months ago
- Human psychological drives, such as hunger, thirst, and safety, are distinct motivations that guide behavior, but their full extent and categorization remain largely undiscovered and informal.
- Drives may be more numerous and complex than commonly assumed; for example, hunger likely consists of multiple sub-drives for specific nutrients like salt or iodine, rather than a single drive for calories.
- The current understanding of drives is compared to early chemistry, where elements were poorly defined, suggesting a need for systematic discovery and classification through new research methods.
- Evidence from personal anecdotes, such as cravings for iodine-rich seaweed snacks diminishing after supplementation, points to the existence of specific nutrient drives, highlighting the potential for empirical study.
- Discovering and documenting all human drives is presented as a fundamental scientific challenge, with potential applications in psychology, nutrition, and self-care, offering a modern frontier for exploration.
How working memory could give rise to consciousness
3 months ago
- The doorway effect occurs when entering a new room causes forgetting, linked to working memory which holds immediate task information but has limited capacity.
- Working memory is rich in accessible information but poor in storage capacity, debated as having fixed 'slots' or a flexible resource, with a typical limit of about four items.
- Consciousness may arise from working memory, especially when combined with attention, as suggested by theories like the global neuronal workspace, though some argue consciousness overflows working memory or that working memory can store unconscious information.
- Experiments show walking through doorways triggers forgetting, and attention affects consciousness (e.g., phone users ignoring a clown), supporting the link between working memory, attention, and conscious experience.
- Working memory might exist on a spectrum rather than being all-or-nothing, with grey areas between fully stored and not stored information, potentially mirroring nuances in consciousness.

psychology

Four Types of Thinker

Why do we think we understand the world more than we actually do?

Psychology Research Is Mostly Fine

You say potato, I say leprosy

How to be less awkward

I swear the UFO is coming any minute

Nothing ever dies. It merely becomes embarrassing.

Portals are Undertheorized

You can try to like stuff

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and the people who lean hardest on AI

The Psychology of Software Teams

You Can Discover the Drives

How working memory could give rise to consciousness