The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

mathiness instills confidence

bad cattitude • 165 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🔬 Science Mathematics Psychology Cognitive Science Research Climate Science
  1. Mathiness can make people feel more confident, especially if they aren't familiar with math.
  2. Adding complex math or 'mathiness' to information can influence how people perceive its quality, especially if they lack knowledge in math and models.
  3. It's important to be cautious of trusting information just because it includes numbers or complex equations; don't assume accuracy or rigor without verifying.

Interracial Dating Paper FAQ

sebjenseb • 196 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research Genetics Data Analysis Psychology Relationships
  1. Assortative mating occurs between races, with individuals who date outside their race being more similar to each other in terms of intelligence, height, and risk-taking behaviors.
  2. Current literature suggests that interracial relationships may have a higher likelihood of ending or experiencing domestic violence issues, and mixed-race children might be more prone to mental/behavioral problems, possibly due to self-selection rather than social factors.
  3. Attractiveness was a weak predictor of interracial dating across all races, indicating that mate value or race exchanges based on mate value were not significant factors in interracial dating.
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Evolution and Our Obsession with True Crime

The Garden of Forking Paths • 2004 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution True Crime Psychology History Sociology
  1. True crime has been a longstanding part of human culture, dating back centuries.
  2. Our obsession with true crime may stem from our evolutionary history and the way our minds are wired for survival.
  3. Engaging with true crime stories allows us to simulate dangerous situations and hone our ability to detect and avoid threats.

If You Didn't Comply During COVID You're a Psychopath

Break Free with Karen Hunt • 1454 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Mental health Medication Influence History
  1. Psychologists can label non-compliance during COVID as psychopathy, justifying 'fixing' individuals as they see fit.
  2. The power dynamics post-COVID have allowed for the manipulation and control of citizens, using psychology as a weapon.
  3. Psychiatry and psychology have a history of coercion, drugging, and inhumane treatments towards those deemed non-compliant or ill.

From Intentions to Actions: Achieving Goals with Implementation Intentions

UX Psychology • 297 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Goal setting Research Habits Self-Improvement
  1. Form implementation intentions to bridge the gap between intentions and actions by creating specific if-then plans linking cues to goal-directed behaviors.
  2. Research shows that forming if-then plans can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving goals in various areas such as health, consumer choices, and personal goals.
  3. To apply implementation intentions, choose specific goals, identify situational cues, specify goal-directed responses, form if-then plan statements, and commit to following through.

The Unreasonable Ineffectiveness of Effective Altruism in thinking about AI

Ulysses • 179 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Logic Epistemology Ontology Psychology
  1. Knowledge systems using symbolic logic in natural language are heuristic and capture reality imperfectly.
  2. Validity of heuristics depends on the similarity between the original context and current application.
  3. Rigid deontological symbolic morality may fail in reasoning about new events like AI, leading to ineffective discussions and decision-making.

People desperately want to believe lockdown was for the greater good - even when the evidence of manipulation is clear.

The Free Mind • 1611 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology Behavior Perception
  1. People want to believe lockdown was for the greater good, even when evidence of manipulation is clear.
  2. Cognitive dissonance can make us deny, minimize, or rationalize uncomfortable truths.
  3. Lockdown may have influenced how people perceived the severity of Covid risk, based on government actions.

There are Complex-Number One-Norm Square-Root of Probability Amplitudes of 0.006 in Which Sam Bankman-Fried Is Happy

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 676 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💰 Finance Investing Risk management Probability Psychology Trading
  1. Amplitudes in quantum-mechanical superposition relate to philosophy-of-probability vs. psychology.
  2. Understanding the Kelly Criterion for betting based on win-loss odds and maximizing returns.
  3. Traders use the Kelly Criterion for survival, making positive-value bets, and psychological factors.

July Readings

Brain Pizza • 1191 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
🔬 Science Neuroscience Psychology Research
  1. The post discusses various July readings on topics like anger, self-promotion, sleep, loneliness, and more.
  2. The author, Shane O'Mara, is a neuroscientist, psychologist, and writer who provides regular content on Brain Pizza.
  3. Readers can sign up for a 7-day free trial to access more content from Shane O'Mara.

The Luddite Kids saying NO to Smartphones

Break Free with Karen Hunt • 1415 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🎭️ Culture Youth Tech Media Wellness Psychology
  1. Young people are starting to reject smartphones and social media for improved mental health and real-life connections.
  2. The increasing use of technology has led to a mental health crisis among students, with many struggling to attend school.
  3. Children are influenced by social media influencers and marketing to buy things, alter their appearance, and follow trends, leading to dissatisfaction and body dysphoria.

Playing pretend

Erifili • 159 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Human connection Social media Psychology
  1. There is a rise in 'TikTok psychology' that promotes disingenuity and calculated behavior for human connections, especially among Gen Z.
  2. Being genuine and open in human connections leads to more fulfilling and rewarding experiences, contrary to what is often portrayed in quick psychology tips on social media.
  3. Embracing openness and authenticity in communication saves time and energy, fostering real connections and personal growth.

Why The Sky Smells Great

Everything Is Amazing • 1255 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🔬 Science Nature Health Biology Psychology Weather
  1. The smell of fresh air can impact our mood and health, like boosting immune cells when exposed to aromatic forest scents.
  2. Weather changes can create distinct smells, like the pre-storm smell of ozone or the earthy petrichor after rain.
  3. Our sense of smell may have deeper cultural and biological connections that we are still exploring.

A Confession and an Announcement

rebelwisdom • 1277 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Spirituality Science Psychology Research
  1. The book discusses a personal experience with a powerful psychedelic drug and its impact on the individual and collective wisdom.
  2. The book reflects on the integration of psychedelic science and spirituality in understanding and navigating the challenges of the present time.
  3. The author aims to prompt inquiry and critical thinking around the potential of psychedelics in transforming society and addressing current crises.

Linkpost for February

Thing of Things • 137 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🔬 Science Psychology Economics Politics Short Stories Fun
  1. Long-term monthly payments and lump sum cash transfers are both effective ways of helping people, but short-term monthly payments are less effective.
  2. The Copenhagen Consensus Center has identified twelve programs that are more cost-effective than unconditional cash transfers for addressing global poverty.
  3. Malaria vaccines may be less cost-effective than bednets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention due to logistical challenges and similar efficacy.

Group Narcissism

Erik Torenberg's Thoughts • 429 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Sociology Psychology Ethnicity Religion Ethics
  1. The concept of group narcissism can explain conflicts within society where groups exaggerate their own virtues and respond disproportionately when threatened.
  2. Vicarious group narcissism occurs when a group cannot exhibit its own narcissism, so it projects this onto another group, creating additional issues.
  3. Maintaining civility in a diverse society requires allowing old ethnic and religious bonds to fade, but current conflicts globally suggest these bonds are being strengthened, leading to rising group narcissism and vicarious group narcissism.

If I Can’t Dance to It, It’s Not My Revolution

Deep Fix • 943 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Politics Psychology Activism Podcasts History
  1. Be mindful of the news media consumption as it can lead to addictive and negative thinking patterns.
  2. Progressive politics can sometimes push individuals into a victim identity, causing feelings of depression and shame.
  3. Consider moving away from psychology-centered discourse and towards more inspiring, poetic, and collective movements in progressive politics.

Microaggressions: A Chapter from The Mean Girl Handbook

Unsafe Science • 122 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Gender Psychology Communication Society Education
  1. Microaggressions are everyday verbal or nonverbal behaviors that can communicate negative messages to marginalized groups.
  2. Microaggression training sessions focus on self-reflection and awareness of subtle behaviors in workplace interactions.
  3. Women are more likely to engage in relational aggression, which involves gossiping and social exclusion.