A new book on the science of winning and losing explores the benefits of competition–and the dangers of pushing students too far
Psychology
How Friendship Makes You More Successful
If you really want to change an aspect of your life, finding like-minded friends will increase your chances of success
Sandy Hook Shooting: The Speculation About Adam Lanza Must Stop
A compelling narrative has emerged but we have few facts to back it up
The Backlash Against ‘I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother’
As Liza Long, author of “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” is critiqued, let’s take a look at our long tradition of blaming moms
Why the Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Are More Complicated than We Think
This isn’t just a two-party conflict. It’s an obstacle course with two fractious teams that requires complicated strategies
Why Banning Conversion Therapy May Do More Harm Than Good
Therapies promising to “cure” homosexuality are potentially harmful, but so are laws to ban them
The Denial of Mental Illness is Alive and Well
Thomas Szasz, the father of the anti-psychiatry movement, has died, but his legacy lives on
Why Gadgets Are Great for Introverts
Critics argue that wireless communication is a poor substitute for social interaction, but our wired world gives voice to the quieter half of the population
James Holmes Might Be Crazy but Not Legally Insane
New details point to someone in a state of serious mental decline, but not someone unaware of the wrongfulness of his actions
How to Get — and Keep — Someone’s Attention
Want to captivate an audience? Here’s how
Don’t Blame Batman for the Aurora Shooting
In a rush to make sense of this tragic event, we are focusing too much on superficial detail
Can We Trust Psychological Research?
A recent scandal suggests that data manipulation is all too common in psychology studies
Jerry Sandusky Verdict: What Makes a Pedophile Tick?
Researchers have begun to pinpoint brain differences in people who are sexually attracted to prepubescent children