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NYMag.com
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MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:
Jesse Singal
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
political psychology
Jan. 27, 2017
This is a Great Psychological Framework for Understanding How Fake News Spreads
It’s way more complicated than “some people are dumb or ignorant.” We’re all capable of believing wacky stuff.
fake news
Jan. 26, 2017
Should We Call ‘Fake News’ ‘Folk News’ Instead?
A folklore researcher argues that we’re focusing way too much on what’s true and what’s false, rather than
why
people believe crazy things.
oh god we’re screwed
Jan. 25, 2017
A Therapist Attempts to Explain Donald Trump’s Rocky First Few Days in Office
No one has come up with a framework that can fully explain Trump, but narcissism is the best model we have at the moment.
Jan. 25, 2017
An Unusual Anti-Suicide Partnership Targeting Gun Shops Is Ramping Up
It will be a while before we have any data on its effectiveness, but this looks like a smart harm-reduction program.
implicit sexism
Jan. 24, 2017
Maybe Clinton Lost Because of Implicit Sexism, but the IAT Can’t Prove It
Some researchers are claiming that implicit association test scores can help explain gender-bias-driven voting behavior. They probably can’t.
social psychology
Jan. 23, 2017
Can Looking at Photos of Trans People Help Reduce Prejudice?
A new study offers mixed results, but helps researchers chip away at some key questions about how to improve intergroup relations.
health
Jan. 20, 2017
Many People Who Are Diagnosed With Asthma May Not Actually Have It
A new study out of Canada found that, in a surprising number of cases, the condition was misdiagnosed.
health
Jan. 19, 2017
Parents Are Confused About When to Keep Their Kids Home From Day Care
There’s a lot of confusion on the subject, and many parents and day-care centers are being overly cautious.
behavioral economics
Jan. 18, 2017
A Two-Word Psychological Concept Can Explain the Anger Over Obamacare Repeal
People are much more likely to get riled about the prospect of having something taken from them as opposed to given to them.
mindset theory
Jan. 18, 2017
Is Mindset Theory, a Wildly Popular Idea in Education, Really in Trouble?
A BuzzFeed story suggests that certain claims about “growth” and “fixed” mindsets are overblown. The truth is complicated.
microaggressions
Jan. 17, 2017
How Microaggression Training Could Be Harming Minority Students
Sometimes, a psychological idea moves from the drawing board to applied settings a bit too quickly. It might be time to slow down.
gender dysphoria
Jan. 13, 2017
You Should Watch the BBC’s Controversial Documentary on Gender Dysphoria
It offers one of the most nuanced, thoughtful examinations of a complicated subject yet, partly by speaking to people others have ignored.
Jan. 11, 2017
Psychology’s Favorite Tool for Measuring Racism Isn’t Up to the Job
Almost two decades after its introduction, the implicit association test has failed to deliver on its lofty promises.
not-so-blank slate
Jan. 9, 2017
Yes, Biology Helps Explain Why Boys and Girls Play Differently
Parents probably shouldn’t spend so much time worrying about ‘boy’ toys and ‘girl’ toys, especially given that there are innate forces at work here.
bad science
Jan. 6, 2017
Scientology Is Teaching British Schoolkids About Saying No to Drugs
Narcanon pops up everywhere, over and over and over, despite having little evidence behind it and being built on Scientological principles.
transgender rights
Jan. 5, 2017
Virginia Is Debating an Extremely Dangerous Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that this could be deadly for trans kids with unsupportive families.
replication crisis
Jan. 5, 2017
There’s a Problem With a Bunch of Psychology Textbooks
A trio of researchers evaluated a bunch of introductory-level material to see how rigorous it was, and the results weren’t great.
Jan. 4, 2017
Utah’s Anti-Porn Crusade Has Entered a Crazy New Phase
A newly proposed law ignores the fact that there’s a lot of scientific uncertainty around the idea of “porn addiction.”
war on science
Jan. 3, 2017
Republicans Successfully Eviscerated Gun-Violence Research
Two new graphs show just how under-studied gun violence is relative to how many people it kills every year.
moral psychology
Dec. 28, 2016
Why Empathy Is Bad
In his new book, the Yale psychologist Paul Bloom lays out a surprisingly convincing case against a beloved concept.
personality psychology
Dec. 21, 2016
Can You Predict Your Scores on an Important Personality Test?
The Big Five framework has been embraced by many personality psychologists as an important way to measure human personality.
sexuality
Dec. 18, 2016
The Phenomenon of ‘Bud Sex’ Between Straight Rural Men
“I don’t want the effeminate ones, I want the manly guys … If I wanted someone that acts girlish, I got a wife at home.”
evolutionary psychology
Dec. 16, 2016
Not All Critiques of Evolutionary Psychology Are Created Equal
It’s important to separate good-faith critics of specific arguments from those who deny evolution can explain any sex differences.
xenophobia
Dec. 15, 2016
Many People Are Overestimating How Many Muslims There Are in Their Country
Mix fear-mongering with a certain cognitive quirk, and this is the sort of thing that happens.
pizzagate
Dec. 14, 2016
To Understand Pizzagate, It Helps to Understand Cults
Just about anyone can, under the right circumstances, start believing some crazy and potentially dangerous stuff.
system 1 and system 2
Dec. 13, 2016
The ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ Is Brilliant Psychological Manipulation
If someone’s trying to get you to make a decision from a place of urgent fear, you should ask yourself why.
transgender rights
Dec. 12, 2016
Here’s a Huge New Survey of Transgender Americans
It reveals, unsurprisingly, that many trans people in the United States face all sorts of trauma and challenges every day.
mortality
Dec. 9, 2016
People Are Dying Younger Because America Keeps Failing the Bad-Break Test
In the richest country in the world, it shouldn’t be the case that one bad break can trigger a downward spiral to death.
gmos
Dec. 8, 2016
Millennials Have Bad Views on GMOs
Kids these days will fall for any bit of environmentally flavored fearmongering, and that’s too bad.
donald trump
Dec. 7, 2016
Michael Lewis on the Psychological Quirks Trump Exploited to Become President
Riffing off his new book, the author explains that he is extremely worried about Donald Trump’s personality and thirst for certainty.
Dec. 6, 2016
Reading Michael Lewis’s New Book Made Me More Worried About Donald Trump
Some leaders are really good at understanding that humans are flawed decision-makers. Others … well, you know.
drugs
Dec. 5, 2016
What Steve Kerr’s Marijuana Admission Means
Because marijuana is still stigmatized in a racialized way, it helps when “clean-cut” types like Kerr admit to having dabbled.
Dec. 5, 2016
Experts: Sex and Porn Addiction Probably Aren’t Real Mental Disorders
A new position statement from a major professional organization is a big win for skeptics of sex and porn addiction.
psilocybin
Dec. 2, 2016
Psilocybin Is Looking More and More Like a Potential Wonder Drug
Two new studies add to a growing body of research suggesting that hallucinogens may have profound psychiatric potential.
bad science
Dec. 1, 2016
Tom Price Belongs to a Really Scary Medical Organization
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons promotes anti-vaccine hysteria, fear of immigrants, and rejection of the concept of “evidence.”
Nov. 30, 2016
Psychotropic Medication Could Seriously Reduce Recidivism
If you deploy meds smartly, it appears they are an effective way to keep violent offenders from committing new crimes.
asexuality
Nov. 29, 2016
What Asexual People Sexually Fantasize About
It turns out that
asexual
may be a bit too broad of a label, given what a recent study uncovered about asexual people’s fantasies.
mindfulness
Nov. 28, 2016
Is the Mindfulness Craze Turning Us Into Suckers?
When people focus too much on psychological tricks, there’s a chance they can miss the bigger forces swirling around.
pedophilia
Nov. 23, 2016
Here’s a Weird New Discovery About Pedophiles
It turns out that their attraction to children isn’t always external — it can also involve some weird self-directed fantasies.
Nov. 22, 2016
Why It’s So Hard to Predict Suicide
A new meta-analysis shows that suicide researchers have a long way to go – and that suicide is a really complicated phenomenon.
donald trump
Nov. 20, 2016
Why Some Protests Succeed While Others Fail
History and academic research have some vital lessons for those who are hitting the streets to protest Donald Trump.
forecasting
Nov. 18, 2016
‘Shy Voters’ Can Help Explain Why Everyone Got the Election Wrong
According to one pollster, all over the country, there were voters who wouldn’t acknowledge that they were voting for Trump.
suicide
Nov. 17, 2016
Here’s an Encouraging Partnership to Reduce Gun Suicides
For a complicated public-health problem like gun suicides, it’s important to get everyone — including gun-shop owners — on the same page.
Nov. 16, 2016
How Barack Obama Can Psychologically Manipulate Donald Trump
When you’re dealing with a severe narcissist, you have to toss many of the normal rules of engagement out the window.
depression
Nov. 15, 2016
Depression Is on the Upswing for Young People
This appears to be part of a century-long trend of increasing anxiety and depression for the young.
Nov. 14, 2016
Telling People to Be Less Racist Online Works, Sometimes
A new study demonstrates, once again, the power of social norms to shape behavior for the better.
mortality
Nov. 11, 2016
Black People Are Now Living Almost As Long As White People, But There’s a Catch
There’s been a heartening reduction in the racial lifespan gap, but it’s hiding some bad news for public health.
animals
Nov. 10, 2016
Here Is a Man Tickling Rats for Science
It’s part of a study about how and why animals laugh, which can help explain the neurological roots of emotion.
president trump
Nov. 10, 2016
Why the Wait for President Trump Feels So Agonizing
On top of everything else, those worried about Trump are now dealing with a heaping dose of uncertainty.
catastrophe
Nov. 9, 2016
Sappy, Symbolic Gestures Matter a Lot Today
It’s an awful day for a lot of people, but it’s also a day to broadcast the social norms you care about.
More Articles