motivation | SPSP

What Motives Do People Most Want to Know About When Meeting Another Person?

People are motivated by many things. Other people seem to care about one particular motive most of all.

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Friend or Foe: The Widespread Costs of Getting It Wrong

illustration of man with angel shadow walking towards devil shadow

Beware of good people. They might undermine your whole worldview.

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Finding Your Flow

Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that everything else in your life dissolves away and hours go by in what feels like minutes?

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Can Feeling Good About Recycling Make Us More Wasteful?

image of a young person holding aluminum cans

We all know that recycling can be good for the environment, but could recycling schemes actually make you throw more stuff away and even feel good about it?

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A New Rock in College Students’ Shoes: Poor Program Design

Students enter college hoping it will be a positive and life-changing experience. But some end up experiencing acute psychological distress. Why?

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When Congress Speaks (and Posts and Tweets)

Male Politician Texting On Smart Phone in front of American Flag

Political ideology affects the language that we—and they—use.

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Group Favors Can Lower Gratitude

illustration of large gift bag with many people surrounding it

People may feel less grateful when they are helped as a part of a group, compared to when they are the only ones helped.

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You Can’t Tell Me What to Do! Or Maybe You Can

People generally do not like being told what to do, but that might change when they feel uncertain about themselves or the world around them.

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Showing White People What It Means to Black People

Black man and white man talking casually in office

If White people want to have good interactions with Black people they should stop worrying so much about appearing prejudiced and instead focus on showing Black people respect by trying to get to know them.

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The More You Have, the More You Want?

multi ethnic man being showered with money

The more that wealthy people use wealth to define themselves, the more wealth they want.

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