Psychology Around the Net: November 17, 2018

Ever wonder if there’s an actual psychology behind our love of the taste of coffee? Why social media can increase loneliness, rather than combat it? If writing your own eulogy could help you sort out your life? Wonder no more — it’s all here in this week’s Psychology Around the Net! The Funny Psychology of Why We Love the Taste of Coffee: According to a new study from Northwestern University, those of us who love coffee aren’t less sensitive to its bitter taste (which, at first, would make sense); we’re actually more sensitive to it. Given our “inborn aversion towards bitterness, which is a defensive mechanism that prevents ingestion of poisonous food,” why would those of us who are more sensitive to the bitterness of coffee still love it? Hmm, ever heard of Pavlov’s dog? New Evidence That Social Media Increases Loneliness: You might think that having a quick way to engage with family and friends — and even meet and connect with new people — would combat loneliness. However, that might not be the case for many people. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Melissa G. Hunt and her research team conducted a study focusing on social media platforms Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram and found that study participants who reduced their social media use reported decreased feelings of depression and loneliness. Excessive Posting of Selfies Is Associated with Increase in Narcissism: In other social media news, a new s...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Habits Narcissism Psychology Around the Net Research Technology Depression Facebook instagram Loneliness Narcissistic Personality Disorder Psychology Research selfies Snapchat social media Source Type: blogs