In the last few years, several laboratory studies have shown that, to some extent, we can tell whether someone is gay or straight, just by glimpsing their face.
When asked to categorise male and female…
Breastfeeding generally falls under the jurisdiction of mothers, so I decided to ask a group of mothers I see regularly on Saturday morning what they thought of the recent Time magazine cover portraying…
Is aversion and/or attraction to red a biological or cultural construct?
Yogurinha Borova
Colour is an extraordinary motivator. We sensibly caution against waving a red rag to a bull to avoid provocation – worthy but curious advice, since bulls cannot distinguish red from other colours.
We…
Society as we know it may depend on lies more than we realise.
ireland :)
Recent research in residential aged care by Anthony Tuckett from the University of Queensland has illustrated that, in some instances, lying is not only necessary, it’s actually virtuous. It is a complex…
Australians think they know what other Australians are thinking, but they're often wrong.
Callum Alden
The ABC recently ran the documentary I Can Change Your Mind About … Climate Change, exposing Nick Minchin, former conservative politician, and youth activist Anna Rose, to science and argument in favour…
You know that guy in the pub that goes on and on and on? You wouldn't believe how happy he is.
Jaysun
Have you ever been at a party where someone has talked about themselves without pause? You may have thought this a case of “too much information”, but science is begging to differ.
According to new research…
Different people can interpret facial expressions differently.
Rishi S
You can tell a lot about a person’s emotional state by looking at their face. A quick glance can give you an idea of whether a person is, say, happy or angry, allowing you to modify your behaviour accordingly…
People put up all kinds of psychological barriers to changing their minds.
Thomas Galvez
By Ullrich Ecker, University of Western Australia and John Cook, University of Queensland
Last night’s ABC documentary I Can Change Your Mind About Climate was about two people — conservative former politician Nick Minchin and youth activist Anna Rose — exposing themselves to information that…
A simple step towards saving the environment may lead to more environment action … or not.
Department of Energy Solar Decathalon
Many environmental organisations, governments and businesses rely on “positive spillover strategies” to drive pro-environmental behaviour change. These strategies rest on the assumption once someone has…
A successful gamble on climate will require more than a lucky guess.
kfergos/Flickr
Imagine a six-sided die with four red faces, one green face and one blue face.
I am going to roll the die, and before rolling I will ask you to predict which colour it will land on: red, green or blue…
He may not fit with modern terminology, but were Freud's concepts of the mind right on the money?
tnarik
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychology, has recently suffered some serious knocks. His theories have been dismissed as unscientific and his achievements are now considered to be equal parts myth and…
One does not simply jump from a building … extensive preparation is essential.
Channel 7/Colby Swandale
By Eric Brymer, Queensland University of Technology
Late last week four men entered a restaurant on the 55th floor of the Rialto tower in Melbourne, had a couple of quiet drinks then leapt from the balcony.
Much of the commentary of this event described…
Men who are circumcised before they have sex for the first time may be less likely to develop prostate cancer, a study has found.
Researchers who analysed medical information from 3,399 men (1,754 with…
Why do we care so much about the origin of brutalised cows?
librarianidol/Flickr
New footage recently aired on ABC has again brought to our attention the plight of cattle in Indonesian abattoirs. Scenes of cattle being poked, stabbed, and slaughtered without appropriate equipment has…
Going for a new job? For many employers, it's crucial that your personality passes the test.
The Tuxic
Personality testing is big business. In 2009, personality testing was a $500-million industry. In the UK, the Association of Graduate Recruiters reported that 92% of employers surveyed considered psychometric…
It's the quality, not quantity, of the time spent with children that counts most.
Sean drillinger
Conservative commentary often attempts to reinstate the primacy of stay-at-home motherhood, prompting feelings of guilt among working mothers. But a recent study might help to finally lay this issue to…
It can be hard to sort fact from fiction in the modern media environment.
Mike Bailey-Gates
A growing cohort of commentators has bemoaned the descent of contemporary political “debate” into a largely fact-free zone.
People used to be entitled to their own opinions, but not their own set of facts…
Nothing sucks like breaking a promise to yourself.
faberzeus
For many of us, the start of a new year heralds a new beginning, and an important opportunity to commit to significant personal changes. But why does this single moment in the year hold almost superstitious…
You may want to start hoarding supplies and making your end of world plans now – before it's too late.
Flickr/Necromundo
If you believe the doomsayers, the human race is not long for this earth. By the end of this year, our number will be up: the four horseman of the apocalypse will be upon us, fire will rain from the skies…
You can't believe everything you read in the papers … but you probably will.
EPA/Ian Nicholson
So The Guardian has now retracted its earlier reports that News of the World journalists had deleted Milly Dowler’s voicemails. Those journalists hacked the dead girl’s phone but they may not have deleted…
South Australian communities know what it's like to live without water.
AAP
When the Murray Darling Basin Authority commissioned me in 2011 to examine the social impacts on the Lower Murray and Lakes communities of low flows and drought, I was confronted with irrigation farmers…
Success stories like the recovery of the Southern White Rhino give cause for hope, and impetus to act.
AAP
A recent article in Nature Neuroscience contends that optimism is hard-wired – that we are more likely to update our knowledge with positive than negative news.
So what happens if all the news seems bad…
Creativity requires communication between both hemispheres of your brain.
Flickr/lacta
Are you suffering a creativity problem? Well, pop psychology claims your “right brain” holds the key.
Whether you want to drop a few kilos, improve your profits, spice up your sex life, or take over the…
The emerging field of neuromarketing exploits the gap between what we say and what we think.
Flickr/DierkSchaefer
How do we choose? Consumers imagine themselves as rational decision-makers, able to weigh up the relative costs and benefits of decisions to arrive at reasoned choices.
Yet, a growing body of research…
Job seekers always want to show their best side, so personality testing can be complicated.
Vermin Inc
Most people have taken an online or magazine quiz promising to reveal information about their true personality, interests, or attitudes. These tests can be harmless fun.
But there is a serious side to…
Media reports of crime and grief often refer to a family's need for "closure".
AAP
Media stories about crime and grief often centre on the concept of “closure”. It’s assumed families affected by crime or loss need to achieve closure and can’t begin the grieving process until the perpetrator…
False recollections can lead to wrongful convictions.
Justin Gaurav Murgai
A recent series of articles on The Conversation focused on the value of forensic science in criminal cases.
Many specialities were covered. But what about forensic psychology?
Professionals in this field…
The media does the public a disservice when it misrepresents climate change.
danny birchall
MEDIA & DEMOCRACY – Today, The Conversation launches a week-long series, looking at how the media influences the way our representatives develop policy. To kick off, Stephan Lewandowsky asks how media…
Facing up to our carbon responsibilities might make Australians happier.
the waving cat/Flickr
Let’s face it; we just don’t like the word “tax”, do we? Such a brouhaha, such a fuss. But let’s just take a break from the group hysteria to look at the carbon tax from a few different points of view…
Problems come when bodies change and brain development doesn't keep up.
Flickr/zebra404
You just have to turn on the television or catch a glimpse of a magazine newsstand to see how girls are being thrust into adulthood earlier and earlier. But does biology match societal change? Are girls…
All riots are different, but they all share similar characteristics.
Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA
Three days of rioting across London since Saturday have once again raised the question of “why?”. Do riots “just happen” or is there a science, an underlying formula, that can be employed to predict and…
Go on, give us a smile. It'll make the country a better place to be.
Flickr/ToniVC
Be happy for the good of your country. Happy people save more and consume less because they are concerned with the future rather than today. Their savings will be transferred into investment which is a…
Norwegians respond with love, not war, to Anders Breivik's murderous actions.
marcinlachowicz.com
The Conversation asked Professor James Jupp to read through the infamous 1,500 page manifesto of Anders Breivik.
This is his analysis of the document, giving an insight into the mind of the mass murderer…
You don't have to believe what everyone tells you.
jovike/Flickr
Welcome to “One small thing …”. We asked our authors what one small thing they, or you, could do for the environment. We’ll bring their answers to you on Friday afternoons.
Today’s one small thing comes…
The lawyer for the self-confessed Norway killer, Anders Breivik will enter a plea of insanity AFP photo/Facebook - Youtube
Societies, if we are to take the Freudian line, prefer to subordinate chaotic urges in favour of dull order. Civilization implies stability. By the nineteenth century, human society was digesting a range…
Looks the same to me… our personal experiences are not the best indicators of change.
P León/flickr
We see it in the media all the time.
Regular beachgoers who see no evidence for sea-level rise, farmers trusting long-term experience over Bureau of Meteorology forecasting, Antarctic sea-captains whose…
The problematic messages in romance novels can also be found in other pop culture products.
Mediafury/Flickr
Among the many criticisms of porn regurgitated ad nauseum is its supposed educative function. Coaching men on how to dominate, oppress and objectify women. Training women on how much hair to shave and…
Can respondents make an informed response in an unexpected telephone poll?
Esparta/Flickr
I, along with many Australians, listened to the news coverage on Monday morning of the Lowy Institute’s annual survey, with reasonable disappointment and initial surprise.
This is a respected polling…
Sadly, there's no magic button to stop excessive gambling.
Mick Tsikas/AAPimage
GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA – Why do some people develop gambling addictions while others can dabble for years at the pokies or the track without issue?
The Productivity Commission’s 2010 report on gambling…
We'd like someone to do something about climate change, but we'd rather it didn't cost too much.
shell belle/Flickr
Current discussion in the news media highlights how polarised the issue of climate change has become. However, recent scientific research has shown that most Australians are sure about climate change and…
Ever had that needling feeling other people just don't get you?
Mick Tsikas/AAPimage
The quest for physical beauty holds powerful sway, driving us to spend billions annually on a dizzying array of cosmetic procedures to improve on the hand that nature dealt us. But could it affect our…
US psychiatrist Allen Frances is confusing the issues.
Julie70/Flickr
A controversy is brewing on the website Psychology Today and subsequently in The Australian newspaper. At the heart of the issue is US psychiatrist Dr Allen Frances' comments on the Australian Federal…
Their voices may be loud, but climate change sceptics are in the minority.
AAP
Do you believe in climate change? It’s seemingly a simple question.
But there are many reasons why it is not. Who is asking, why, and who is being asked?
This is why we read such widely varying reports…
We must look to our past emissions to understand our true carbon footprint.
Ross Garnaut was unequivocal yesterday in responding to industry claims that Australia’s emission reductions would be irrelevant in an international context.
“I do not accept that Australia is a pissant…
Feeling cheery? Set up a recycling bin!
dunkr/Flickr
Australians worry about the environment but they do little to protect it. Psychological research offers one possible solution: stop worrying! Feeling happy is in fact the best way to encourage environmentally…
People won't change their behaviour unless they have a mental model of a problem.
ARM Climate Research Facility on Flickr
By Ben Newell, University of New South Wales and Andy Pitman, University of New South Wales
Most of us don’t really understand climate change, and for some of us that means we can’t accept it. Sure, the evidence is compelling, but sadly humans aren’t always interested in evidence when it comes…
Sometimes it's not easy to forget the link between meat and animals.
Ariel Dovas
Why do we feel sick at the thought of eating dog, but hungry at the thought of eating pig (bacon) with our eggs?
Or how we can feel so outraged about whaling while continuing to enjoy fish and chips…
