Americans Need More Downtime—Seriously

Staff / Truthdig Oct 17, 2013 Napping, meditating, anything that gives your mind a bit of respite from the ever-quickening rat race of modern day life are essential to allow your brain to recover. And here's the kicker (which we all pretty much already know but haven't quite put into practice): Downtime increases productivity. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Poverty Damages the Mind

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2013 There is a strong connection between scarce resources and cognition: The more a person struggles financially, the less he or she can channel brain processes to completing other tasks. When you can't make ends meet, the weight of worry occupies a large portion of the mind. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

How Wealth Breeds Narcissism

Staff / Truthdig Aug 26, 2013 Though it may already seem obvious that richer people are generally more entitled than poorer ones, a new study reveals there’s psychological evidence to support this assessment. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

British Psychologists Find Fault With DSM-V

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 16, 2013 England's Division of Clinical Psychology, which represents more than 10,000 practitioners, has criticized the latest edition of the field's leading diagnostic manual for its categorizing of normal behaviors -- such as shyness in children and depression after the death of a loved one -- as medical problems treatable with drugs. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Republicans Trying to Change

Bob Englehart, Cagle Cartoons, The Hartford Courant Dec 14, 2012 Dig deeper

Psychopaths Are Loose on Wall Street (Updated)

Staff / Truthdig May 14, 2012 One percent of the adult human population qualifies as clinically psychopathic, exhibiting a lack of empathy and a knack for telling lies and getting away with it. That compares with 10 percent of wheeler-dealers on Wall Street, according to a recent study. American critic William Deresiewicz is not surprised. Update: The 1-in-10 figure is unsupported. See here. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Psychological Problems

Luojie, Cagle Cartoons, China Daily, China Apr 1, 2012 Dig deeper

Why They Won’t Listen

Staff / Truthdig Mar 24, 2012 Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia, believes intuition -- not reason -- guides people’s behavior, and with his new book, "The Righteous Mind," he wants to teach you how to better sell your politics. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Long Arc of Obama’s Presidency

Staff / Truthdig Aug 7, 2011 There are plenty of reasons to shout about Barack Obama's performance as president, and sharp, strident indictments of his White House failures are in abundant supply But for those whose ears are ringing, Emory University psychology professor Drew Westen's gentle dismantling (more)Emory University psychology professor Drew Westen delivers a gentle but devastating critique of Obama's presidency in the Sunday New York Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Another Failed War

Staff / Truthdig Jun 6, 2011 The "war on drugs" is failing; a teen in China sells his kidney for an iPad 2; and "Sesame Street" admits to spreading propaganda. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

On Revenge and Jubilation

Staff / Truthdig May 6, 2011 President Barack Obama's gesture of closure at Ground Zero on Thursday was a formal and serious show of mourning -- quite a contrast from the gleeful outbursts and street parties around the country earlier in the week. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Studies in Self-Compassion

Staff / Truthdig Mar 3, 2011 "No pain, no gain" may have its limits as a personal mantra, according to researchers exploring the idea of self-compassion as a motivating attitude for everything from mood regulation to fitness and weight control -- in other words, less stick, more carrot. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )