Why your future self will be more different than you think
Every minute of every day, we make decisions that will affect our future selves�a truth that would be too obvious to mention except for the fact that as it turns…
Heritability: What it does and doesn�t mean
When psychologists talk about personality traits, they often talk about the �heritability� of those traits. But what does this mean? The term heritability can be confusing to the uninitiated. When…
Person x Situation = Behavior
Most of us are used to thinking of people in terms of their personality traits: �David�s a pretty quiet guy.� �Mia�s a bit of a drama queen.� �Adrien is a…
Signing commitment contracts to stay on track
Suppose you have a goal of exercising every day. One way to help ensure you meet your goal would be to recruit a friend to help you and give that…
Avoid procrastination
At first glance, it might seem as if the impulse to procrastinate a difficult or onerous activity makes perfect sense. Let�s say there�s a necessary task you�re not looking forward…
Why you make better decisions in the morning
Studies suggest that the more decisions you make over the course of a day, the worse your decisions become�a phenomenon known as �decision fatigue.� In a now-famous study(1), researchers examined…
How to prevent bad events from dragging you down in other areas of life
Let�s say that tomorrow morning at breakfast, you have a major disagreement with your significant other. Suddenly you�re no longer certain about the future of your relationship. You�re desperate to…
Can resilience be taught?
In 2008, the United States Army was in crisis. It wasn�t just that American soldiers were in harm�s way overseas, battling insurgents and dodging improvised explosive devices in a distant…