SWAG: The American Choice Fixation

Yes. I Exist! ( source ) Every Wednesday afternoon, I gather with a bunch of faculty and graduate students at the University of Illinois to ...

Living Abroad and Thinking Outside of the Box

 source Two weeks ago, I had the exciting opportunity to visit my sister in London where she is studying for the year. As she showed me her...

For the Love of Humanity: The Psychology of Thinking Globally

Source When was the last time you thought about the fact that you are a member of the human species? For most of us, this aspect of our iden...

Status Hierarchies: Do We Need Them?

Emile Durkheim ( source ) I have been studying the topic of social status ever since I started my graduate training. That was in 2004 when G...

"She Asked For It": The Destructive Impact of Rape Mythology

Source A U.S. congressman and senate candidate recently made headlines for his comments about the link between rape and pregnancy. "If...

Don't stand so close to me: Why morality divides us.

Source Have you ever discovered that a friend has a dramatically different position than you on a moral matter? Perhaps you found yourself o...

How the Rich are Different from the Poor II: Empathy

In the many conversations that  F. Scott Fitzgerald  had with his friend  Ernest Hemingway , Fitzgerald was believed to have said  "The...

Honor Killings and the People Who Love Them

Source A husband shoots his wife in the back nine times with a rifle as neighbors watch and cheer. The first four shots shake her body as it...

Olympics Fun: National Personality Types: Fact or Figment?

source With the summer Olympics fast approaching, and our nation's birthday on Americans' minds, July seemed an apt month to dig a l...

Neighborly Love: The Psychology of Mr. Rogers

Source Mr. Rogers is undoubtedly one of the most beloved cultural icons in American history. His TV show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood , ran...

The Bachelor: A modern-day replication of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Bachelor Ben and his ladies. In 1971 a group of Stanford researchers led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted what became a famous stu...

SPSP 2012: How does culture change over time?

Today's "Cultural Change Over Time" symposium was a perfect example of why I enjoy SPSP so much: The talks involved (1) compel...

Go Tigers! The Southern Culture of Honor

source This weekend college football fans were treated to one of the most highly anticipated football games in the recent history of the spo...

Emotions: The Great Captains of Our Lives

Van Gogh ( source) "Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizin...

What does "good" feel like?

Which activity sounds better to you? a) canoeing on a peaceful lake       b) white-water rafting Source Source What is your new favorite son...