Let’s Tour the Brain Of the Undecided Voter

The Minds of Those Who Will Pick Our Next President May Not Be Informed—But Neither Are They Simple

This year’s election is about undecided voters, but how do such voters decide?

Conventional wisdom (and a large body of research) holds that undecided voters have a distinct profile. They know less about politics, pay less attention to political news, and vote less reliably than partisans. When and if they make up their minds, they often (according to numerous studies) make decisions for reasons they themselves do not understand. But we can still deduce and predict a few things about how they’ll behave on Election Day.

Before we look more closely at …

by Abraham M. Rutchick | November 5, 2012

Even Malcontents Can Achieve Happiness

It Just Takes Some Practice, Say Panelists

October 16, 2012

Studies show that happier, more optimistic people live longer, perform better in work and school, and lead healthier lives than their unhappy, pessimistic counterparts. But what can we do in …

If You’re Happy and You Know It, Take A Survey

How Can We Most Effectively Measure Happiness?

October 16, 2012

John Stuart Mill famously wrote, “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.” Ask yourself to put a metric on it, and it’s even worse. And …

When Killers Target Kids

The Science of Empathy Grapples with the Unthinkable

by Simon Baron-Cohen | April 30, 2012

As shock gives way to mourning and to attempts to make sense of an unthinkable act of violence in Newtown, Connecticut–an event that’s sadly less isolated than we would hope–we …

Oliver Twist Would Have Had Heart Problems

Can We Undo Some of the Harm Of Childhood Trauma?

February 1, 2012

The United States has been trying to prevent childhood trauma and treat its victims for decades. But new research has shown that the stakes are even higher than was previously …

Are You Traumatized?

Not Necessarily, Thanks to the Magic Of Human Resilience

by Anthony Mancini | January 31, 2012

When I was nine years old, living in Los Angeles, my twin brother and I were whisked away from our mother. We suddenly found ourselves in Park Slope, Brooklyn, living …

psychology

Let’s Tour the Brain Of the Undecided Voter

The Minds of Those Who Will Pick Our Next President May Not Be Informed—But Neither Are They Simple

Even Malcontents Can Achieve Happiness

It Just Takes Some Practice, Say Panelists

If You’re Happy and You Know It, Take A Survey

How Can We Most Effectively Measure Happiness?

When Killers Target Kids

The Science of Empathy Grapples with the Unthinkable

Oliver Twist Would Have Had Heart Problems

Can We Undo Some of the Harm Of Childhood Trauma?

Are You Traumatized?

Not Necessarily, Thanks to the Magic Of Human Resilience

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Here Are Two Voting Reforms That Could Counter America’s Hyperpolarization

When Used Together, ‘Ranked Choice’ and ‘Top Two’ Elections Would Strengthen Major Parties and Favor Moderate Politicians

Are California Elections a Triumph of Democracy—or a Defeat?

The Golden State Keeps Making It Easier to Vote, and Harder to Understand What to Vote For

To Make California a True Democracy, Give Non-Citizens the Right to Vote

If You Root for the Dodgers, Pay Taxes, and Battle Traffic, Are You Any Less Californian Than Me?

See You at the Polls … Or Else

We Aussies Have Found Compulsory Voting Binds Our Country Together. It Would Work in America, Too.

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