BRAIN WAVES
Doggone it! How well do you really know your dog? A new study suggests that when people interpret a dog’s emotions, they tend to rely more on context than on the dog’s actual behavior, which might lead them, dare we say it, astray. Researchers showed people videos of a dog reacting to various stimuli (i.e., a leash, a vacuum cleaner, praise, scolding) and asked them to assess the dog’s emotions. But there was a twist: some of the footage had been altered to remove context or create misleading scenarios. For example, in one video, they made it look like a dog was reacting to the sight of a leash, but in reality, the dog had actually been shown a vacuum cleaner. The results? Even when the dog’s behavior contradicted the situation, viewers still based their assessments on what they thought was happening, rather than on what the dog was actually expressing. “There’s no evidence at all that people actually see the dog,” study co-author Clive Wynne told the New York Times. “They seem to have a sort of a big blind spot around the dog himself.”
That’s debatable. Love a good debate? Maybe not. But it turns out, there might be an unexpected upside to debating. A new study looked at how debate training might help people learn leadership skills. In one experiment, employees at a Fortune 100 company who completed a nine-week debate training were more likely to advance in leadership positions after 18 months. In another experiment, debate training made people more likely to take on leadership roles during group activities, too. The researchers suggest that the training helped people become more assertive, an important skill for leadership roles. “Our experiments suggest that debate training can help individuals attain leadership roles by developing their assertiveness,” the study concluded.
Who are you? Have you ever downplayed some aspect of your identity? Maybe you don’t hide it, but you don’t bring it up with certain people, either. It turns out that these subtle disguises can have powerful effects on how we view ourselves. Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
Did I Really Do That? Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Many of us think there’s only one way we’d act in such a situation: we’d defend ourselves. We’d do whatever it takes to clear our name — and above all else, we’d never, ever confess to something we didn’t do. But psychologist Saul Kassin says that’s a myth. This week, why we sometimes act against our own self-interest — even when the stakes are at their highest.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Eleanor Heginbotham’s Story: On New Year's Eve in 2022, Eleanor's car broke down at the post office. Over the next 40 minutes, five different people came over to lend a hand. One woman followed Eleanor home for tea, and they remain friends today.
Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
MIND GAMES
What common mathematical symbol can you place between the numerals 4 and 5 which results in a number greater than four but less than six?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
Answer: Four sisters and three brothers
A MOMENT OF JOY
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