Is there a bright side to negative emotions?

I just read an article by Susan Cain in the NY Times about the advantages of being shy/introverted/socially anxious. Here are some correlates: Higher levels of knowledge, greater achievements, lower injury rates, more conscientious, higher in empathy. During my...

Why do famous quotes affect us?

In the back of my schedule book I have copied two famous quotes: Knowledge is power (Francis Bacon) All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke) I apply the “knowledge” quote by working as an educator. I apply...

Men want sex and women need love?

In recruiting participants for her romantic-relationships study, UNE student Kimberley Coulter has become a darling of the media, with descriptions of her as a Research Scholar, Miss Excitement, and Dr Feelgood. So I invited her to write a guest posting for my blog. I...

How can testing hypotheses help a person?

Harold Camping is in the news because he predicted the end of the world, beginning with earthquakes on May 26, 2011. I credit him for stating a testable hypothesis. Stating testable hypotheses is an important part of the scientific method, which has brought humanity a...

Renewing Romantic Relationships

Two UNE students and I have just started studies of interventions intended to improve romantic relationships. One study aims to increase caring behaviors. The other aims to increase the excitement of the relationship. Champagne tends to go flat after a period of time...