When we launched the Psychonomic Society’s featured content site back in 2014, we had a simple idea: take the remarkable work of cognitive scientists and make it approachable, inviting a broader community into the conversation. Over the years, we did just that. Through blog posts (over 800!), podcasts (6 seasons!), interviews, research highlights, and digital […]
Technology has changed dramatically since I started as a Digital Associate Editor for the Psychonomic Society digital team almost 10 years ago. According to Google AI Generator, “Since 2016, technology has advanced significantly, primarily driven by major breakthroughs and widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning. Other key areas of advancement include 5G […]
The bard, William Shakespeare, was a lover of symbolic imagery and flowers and often used flowers to convey meaning between characters and to the audience. Take Romeo & Juliet, for example. Shakespeare uses the imagery of roses (such as represented below) to represent Juliet’s passionate love for Romeo and to emphasize that their love is […]
My collaborators and I have been studying “creativity” in non-human animals, such as dolphins, killer whales, and dogs, using a training technique that promotes variable non-verbal behaviors. (Watch this short video to learn about our marine mammal research.) Using this training technique, dubbed “innovate” or “create”, trainers have taught a variety of animals to produce […]
Is your dog happy to see you when she wags her tail? Is your cat content because he is “making biscuits” or kneading your head? Is your bird annoyed because she just squawked? Like Charles Darwin, most people have no trouble believing that animals have emotions. Darwin believed that emotions were universal, inherited, and reflective […]
Driving is often considered an important rite of passage. In the United States and Canada, many states and provinces, respectively, allow learners’ permits to be obtained between 15 and 16 years, with an official license possible by age 16. Compared to most other countries worldwide, the minimum requirement for a provisional license is 18 years. […]
Whether you are an air traffic controller, a transportation security officer, a gamer, a student studying for finals, a writer trying to meet a deadline, or a parent, the ability to maintain attention for extended periods without getting distracted can be crucial. However, as many humans have experienced, sustaining attention to a task, especially one […]
What makes you happy? For me: The sun, the ocean, cute animals, musicals, and all things Wicked. But, how do you know you are happy? Glinda asks this of Elphaba at the beginning of “Defying Gravity” in the 2024 movie soundtrack by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Listening to this song produces goosebumps, smiles, and […]
For the last week and a half, I have traveled by plane, by car, by ferry, by kayak, by boat, and by foot, visiting many beautiful locations within the Pacific Northwest in the United States. Whether it is due to my middle-aged brain or the fact that there have just been so many places, I […]
It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to “outsmart” a system – whether it is homework, a test, an insurance claim, a speeding ticket, a secure file, or a survey. Because humans engage in “sub-optimal” behavior (aka careless, insufficient effort, or deception), survey research is especially vulnerable and must guard against […]