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Link Feast

Our editor’s pick of this week’s 10 best psychology and neuroscience links.

19 December 2015

By Christian Jarrett

The Psychologist Guide To… You and Your Baby

Simple evidence-based tips for those first few months, from Ella Rhodes at The Psychologist magazine (also check out our own “10 surprising things babies can do“).

Stop Being So Self-Conscious

Relax, people aren’t paying as much attention to you as you think they are. By Paul Bloom for The Atlantic

Down From the Trees, Humans Finally Got a Decent Night’s Sleep

Humans are more efficient sleepers than any other primate. By Carl Zimmer for New York Times

People Don’t Really Love the Charity-Donation Gift

Melissa Dahl at New York‘s Science of Us reports on one of the insights from the festive episode of our PsychCrunch podcast.  

Incubation in Creative Problem Solving (lecture video)

In this lecture for CogNovo, Psychologist Kenneth Gilhooly discusses the role of unconscious processing in creativity. 

The Science of Learning: Five Classic Studies

Want to know how to learn better? Here’s what psychologists have discovered about the mental processes involved. By Tom Stafford for The Guardian

The Strange Psychology of Pain Relief Medicine
How branding, descriptions of targeted effects, and tablet colours can all affect our beliefs about the effectiveness of drugs. 

When Does Gratitude Bring Better Health?

During the holiday season, gifts, cards, carols and donations constantly urge us to give thanks. But gratitude really can have beneficial psychological effects. Susan Pinker in the Wall Street Journal

Evidence of a Christmas Spirit Network In the Brain: Functional MRI Study

There is a “Christmas spirit network” in the human brain, according to this new research published in the BMJ as part of its festive collection of daft-but-real studies.

And finally … These Are the 13 Neuroscience Blogs and Podcasts You Need to Follow in 2016

“I recommend the following 13 science writers, bloggers and podcasters,” says neuroscientist and writer Sarah McKay. “They discuss with warmth, insight, wisdom and a solid foundation of knowledge the latest science and stories related to the mind, brain and behaviour. Follow them and your brain will thank you.”

 

Link feast will return in 2016.