Chummy Chimps And Linguistic Legends: The Week ’s Best Psychology Links

Our weekly round-up of the best psychology coverage from elsewhere on the web You’ve probably heard tales of people who are suddenly able to speak a language they didn’t know while hypnotised. It goes without saying that the evidence doesn’t really support these claims — but it’s interesting that linguistics seems to attract this sort of pseudoscientific idea. At Knowable Magazine, Charles Q. Choi discusses “fantastic linguistics” with historical linguist Sarah Thomason.   Neuroscientists are increasingly recognising the influence of our internal states, such as heart rate, on our mental processes. Researchers studying “interoception” hope that a better awareness of what’s going on in the body could help people manage symptoms of anxiety and other mental health conditions. João Medeiros has more at Wired. We tend to place too much value on the ending of an experience, which can bias our view of the experience as a whole, reports Ali Pattillo at Inverse. A recent study found that the brain encodes the overall value of an experience in the amygdala, while dislike of a disappointing ending is represented in the insula. Whether we make good choices or are unduly influenced by the ending of an experience seems to be related to the pattern of activity in those two areas.   In the internet age, pornography is more accessible than ever — and many people have voiced concern about its harmful effects. But what does the research act...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Weekly links Source Type: blogs