Learning styles has become a popular term to use when we talk about the idea that people have different ways of learning. The concept of learning styles has a lot of personal and political appeal. It comes in handy when we want to explain why we didn’t learn much from a class. “The teacher just … [Read more...] about Learning Styles Are Appealing But Misleading
Confirmation Bias: 3 Effective (and 3 Ineffective) Cures
Confirmation bias is a fancy way of describing our human inclination to see what we want to see. In other words, we like to look for and interpret information in ways that confirm our expectations. The language makes it sound like confirmation bias is something only scientists can be afflicted … [Read more...] about Confirmation Bias: 3 Effective (and 3 Ineffective) Cures
Gain Cognitive Flexibility By Seeking Experiences that Test Your Morals
A family eats their dog after it has been run over by a car. Is this behavior right or wrong? Our lives are filled with moral questions. Some of them we don’t have to deliberate over very long. Most Americans say it’s “wrong” to eat dogs without much deliberation. That’s because there’s agreement … [Read more...] about Gain Cognitive Flexibility By Seeking Experiences that Test Your Morals
What if Pigs Really Could Fly? Get Creative to Predict Future Events
Thinking through incredible scenarios can be productive if you’re writing a fiction story. But, surely it won't help you predict future events? Or, will it? Research has shown that thinking about outcomes you believe to be unlikely, yet possible can help you anticipate things to come. When we … [Read more...] about What if Pigs Really Could Fly? Get Creative to Predict Future Events
Seasoned Globetrotters Know What They Need to Know About New Cultures
Seasoned globetrotters are able to adapt to new cultures efficiently. It's not easy to do so. Learning to function within a new culture can be hard. Given the mass of potentially relevant information to try to digest, you might be tempted to give up before getting started. Yet, you can build your … [Read more...] about Seasoned Globetrotters Know What They Need to Know About New Cultures
Cross-Cultural Perspective Taking
Can we really ‘put ourselves in the shoes’ of someone who has a different cultural background? Can we truly take a cultural perspective? The success of so many of our daily interactions depends on our ability to make sense of other people’s point of view—figuring out why they do the things they do … [Read more...] about Cross-Cultural Perspective Taking