Psychology
Discover facts about psychology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Psychology
Hedonic treadmill is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes.
Hedonic treadmill is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or…
Discover more
Pareidolia is the psychological tendency to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually seeing faces in inanimate objects.
Pareidolia is the psychological tendency to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually seeing faces in inanimate objects. This…
Discover more
Sugar pills can actually reduce physical pain even when the doctor explicitly tells you that the pill is completely fake and contains zero medicine.
Sugar pills can actually reduce physical pain even when the doctor explicitly tells you that the pill is completely fake and contains zero medicine.…
Discover more
Evolutionary psychologists argue that human language evolved primarily not to coordinate hunting or build tools, but to gossip about other members of our social group.
Evolutionary psychologists argue that human language evolved primarily not to coordinate hunting or build tools, but to gossip about other members of our…
Discover more
Humans will irrationally continue to invest time, money, and effort into a failing endeavor simply because they have already invested resources into it.
Humans will irrationally continue to invest time, money, and effort into a failing endeavor simply because they have already invested resources into it. This…
Discover more
Physical attractiveness causes an unconscious cognitive bias where people automatically assume that good-looking individuals possess other positive traits like intelligence, kindness, and competence.
Physical attractiveness causes an unconscious cognitive bias where people automatically assume that good-looking individuals possess other positive traits…
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed, completely ruining the validity of many behavioral studies.
Individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed, completely ruining the validity of many behavioral studies.…
Discover more
Having an abundance of options requires more cognitive effort and leads to increased anxiety and buyer's remorse.
Having an abundance of options requires more cognitive effort and leads to increased anxiety and buyer's remorse. Barry Schwartz coined this the paradox of…
Discover more
Higher expectations placed upon individuals lead directly to an increase in their performance, while low expectations result in worse outcomes.
Higher expectations placed upon individuals lead directly to an increase in their performance, while low expectations result in worse outcomes. Teachers who…
Discover more
Tetris effect occurs when people devote so much time and attention to an activity that it begins to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams.
Tetris effect occurs when people devote so much time and attention to an activity that it begins to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams.…
Discover more
Spotlight effect is the psychological phenomenon by which people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are.
Spotlight effect is the psychological phenomenon by which people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are. Coined in 1999 by Thomas…
Discover more
Frequency illusion, commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, is a cognitive bias where, after noticing something for the first time, there is a tendency to notice it more…
Frequency illusion, commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, is a cognitive bias where, after noticing something for the first time, there is a…
Discover more
Why disgust is so hard to fake
You can easily fake a smile or feign surprise, but generating authentic revulsion on command is nearly impossible. True disgust requires the involuntary…
Discover more
Why frowning can make a shot hurt more
Scowling while getting a shot makes the needle hurt significantly worse. Holding negative facial expressions primes your physical sensors to expect incoming…
Discover more
How a weighted blanket can help you sleep
Throwing twenty pounds of glass beads over yourself sounds suffocating, but it activates deep pressure stimulation. This physical weight mimics the sensation…
Discover more
Why portraits often show the left side of the face
Walk through any classic portrait gallery, and nearly everyone is showing their left side. Because physical expressions are typically more intense and dynamic…
Discover more
Female anatomy possesses superior olfaction
When it comes to sniffing out odors, male hardware is functionally inferior. Female anatomy consistently features a significantly higher density of sensory…
Discover more
Why average faces look more beautiful
Stand out from the crowd? Actually, you want to blend in. The averageness effect reveals that when thousands of faces are digitally blended together, the…
Discover more
When friendly dogs trigger panic
To most, a golden retriever is pure joy. To someone with cynophobia, it is a terrifying predator. Often stemming from a single negative childhood encounter,…
Discover more
Why orange juice tastes awful after brushing
Mint toothpaste and orange juice create a famously wretched cocktail. The sodium laureth sulfate in the paste temporarily suppresses your sweet receptors…
Discover more
Why some adults still sleep with the lights on
Nyctophobia does not vanish when you turn eighteen. A surprisingly high percentage of adults secretly sleep with a hall light on. Darkness strips away the…
Discover more
Why sadness can linger far longer than surprise
If a bad mood feels like it lasts an eternity, you are mathematically correct. Studies prove that sadness requires up to two hundred times longer to dissipate…
Discover more
Why sleeping on your left side may bring nightmares
If your nights are filled with horrors, blame your posture. Studies indicate that resting on your left side puts extra pressure on internal organs, subtly…
Discover more
Why older adults remember early adulthood most
If you peak in your twenties, your mind ensures you never forget it. The reminiscence bump is a quirk where older adults disproportionately recall events from…
Discover more