psychology

Primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term “alpha male.” Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an “alpha male” really is — empathetic and protective.

Are people are more likely to act less emotionally and more rationally when speaking their second language?

“Human connection is as threatened by unhealthy peace as it is by unhealthy conflict.” —Priya Parker

A new online religion is spreading misinformation and phony products.

A series of charts shows how prevalent different mental illnesses are across the globe — but how we define them matters.

You’ll be able to sleep through a war.

“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent of everything you think, and of everything you do, is for yourself — and there isn’t one.”

Impossible standards and poor self-understanding are making us miserable.

“Uitwaaien” is a popular activity around Amsterdam—one believed to have important psychological benefits.

One of Apple’s key innovations serves as a psychological breakthrough, as its technology eliminates the isolating feel of headset use.

A team of scientists has warned that marketers seek to advertise in our dreams. Will our sleep be commercialized against our wishes?

The existential philosopher argued that an authentic and meaningful life is measured by choice.

Philosophers Massimo Pigliucci and Greg Lopez discuss how Stoicism can help us gain perspective on our emotions and act with intention in the world.

You’ve heard about your “lizard brain.” But what about the other two?

A part of human nature needs to be challenged and feel strong. Today, we fulfill that need with “surrogate activities.”

Would you confess your crimes to a skeleton with “an unnatural ghastly glow”? One inventor thought you would.

It’s the paradoxical observation that the more we try to process, the less we actually can.

“Groupthink” gets a bad rap. In reality, we need groups to focus our thinking and to build on the ideas of others.

We commonly stereotype psychopaths as criminals, but there are probably more in upper management.

Memory, responsibility, and mental maturity have long been difficult to describe objectively, but neuroscientists are starting to detect patterns. Coming soon to a courtroom near you?

Emotion dysregulation has been linked to unhealthy risk-taking, relationship challenges, and negative physical health outcomes.

A recently identified stage of sleep common to narcoleptics is a fertile source of creativity.

Meditation can put you in a wiser relationship with life.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The replication crisis has debunked many of psychology’s fair-haired hypotheses, but for the marshmallow test, things have only become more interesting.

George Orwell got it right: “Never use a long word where a short one will do.”

Neuroscience is beginning to provide clues about the emergence of human consciousness.

If you think everyone around you is terrible, the joke may be on you.

Claims of a “loneliness epidemic” aren’t based on robust data. Loneliness might be a problem, but it’s not worse than it was in the past.

Take a hint from Einstein and Mozart — unplug and make peace with some degree of failure.