PSYCHOLOGY

Silly rabbit via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

15 Positively Reinforcing Facts About B.F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner is responsible for the term "positive reinforcement." He also taught pigeons to play ping pong—for science. Learn more about this pioneering psychologist.

11 Lesser-Known Animal Phobias

He’s dealt with elaborate booby traps, KGB agents, and a face-melting artifact, but to Indiana Jones, nothing’s more unsettling than snakes. Lots of people can relate.

Gail Oskin, Getty Images for Children's Hospital Boston

The Psychological Reason Kids Love Elmo

The excitable little monster uses clever psychological tricks to capture a child's attention.

The Psychology Behind Kids' L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Obsession

How one toymaker cracked the code to make your kid beg for a pooping unicorn.

12 Facts About the Sense of Taste

It goes way beyond your taste buds.

Yes, You Have Too Many Tabs Open on Your Computer—and Your Brain is Probably to Blame

You're likely suffering from a case of "Internet FOMO."

Nomophobia Is Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year For 2018—And You Might Have It

It's something many of us have experienced.

11 Secrets of Life Coaches

Business is booming for life coaches—but what exactly do they do?

Forget Therapy Puppies—Michigan State Students Brush Cows to De-Stress for Finals

The event was called "Finals Stress mooove on out!"

8 Tips for Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder

You can do this.

9 Revealing Facts About the Rorschach Test

Tell us what you see.

Laughter in the Workplace Can Boost Productivity—and Make You Seem More Competent

It's also good for your health, in more ways than one.

Here's How Retailers Are Manipulating You on Black Friday

There's a science to making your money disappear.

Feeling Stressed? Playing Tetris Could Help Relieve Your Anxiety

The tile-shuffling game might be able to reduce negative emotions in players.

8 Facts About Carl Jung

The Swiss psychologist's most intriguing work was kept from the public for decades.

The 10 Most Stressed-Out States in America

Take a deep breath and read on.

Does Hearing Christmas Music in Early November Enrage You? You're Not Alone

It's normal to get annoyed when radio stations play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Over a third of shoppers admit to having left a store to avoid holiday songs.

Alone in the Dark: An Oral History of MTV's Fear

The horror reality show gave contestants their own cameras and set them loose in purportedly haunted locations. The crew still can't explain what happened next.

Study Finds Hot Baths May Be as Effective as Exercise in Helping Depression

A good soak might actually be an effective treatment for clinically diagnosed mood disorders.

Some Scientists Suggest Chronic Anxiety Is a Learning Disorder

One study suggests an inability to adapt to volatile situations is partly to blame.

The Science of Tearjerkers: Why We Love It When Movies Make Us Cry

And why we pay good money to watch them.

A New London Art Installation Is Designed to Make You Cry

The artist calls it "forced empathy."

PTSD Might Be Contagious

A survivor's spouse—or even their therapist—could be at risk.

Are you being haunted, or just dealing with a mold problem?

6 Scientific Explanations for Ghosts

A surprising number of people believe in ghosts—but there may be a more scientific basis to things that go bump in the night than a restless afterlife.

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