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"We are on the same wavelength!" The creation of a shared reality and its relationship with uncertainty reduction and connection with others

Shared reality theory suggests that seeking validation from others dissipate uncertainty and strengthens interpersonal relationships through the creation of a shared worldview.

People seek connection by finding that they share the same understanding of things in the world. This creates a shared reality that builds connection and confidence, reinforcing... / more

How body language helps us understand other people’s emotions

Social interaction is a complex phenomenon. When we want to know what our fellow human beings are feeling, we have various sources of information at our disposal. One major source is the human body and body language. By observing another person’s body language, we can infer not only what they are doing but also why they are doing it and even what they are feeling at... / more

The psychology of digital disconnection: Why we want to use digital media less and if we should even try to

Digital detox, digital minimalism, and smartphone free schools reveal a desire to reduce or change how we use technologies. However, disconnecting from digital communication like smartphones and... / more

Bug or feature? Boredom feels aversive, and this is why it matters

In class, during exercise, at work: boredom is an everyday experience that is generally regarded as an annoying and rather useless nuisance. In keeping with this attested uselessness, boredom had not gathered much research interest for a long time. Fortunately, this has changed and new and exciting research paints a different picture of boredom, highlighting its... / more

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The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has been called a lot of things, from a “game changer” and “a breath of fresh air”, to “hypocritical”, “sexist”, and “sneaky”. So why has the campaign, whose major innovation was to use ads that featured real women rather than airbrushed models or celebrity spokespersons, sparked so much controversy? Taking... / more

That human touch that means so much: Exploring the tactile dimension of social life

Interpersonal touch is a fundamental but undervalued aspect of human nature. In the present article, the authors review psychological research showing that even fleeting forms of touch may have a powerful impact on our emotional and social functioning. Given its... / more

Intergroup Contact Theory: Past, Present, and Future

"Colored" drinking fountain (Oklahoma, 1939) - Wikimedia Commons

In the midst of racial segregation in the U.S.A and the ‘Jim Crow Laws’, Gordon Allport (1954) proposed one of the most important social psychological events of... / more

No strings attached: Are “friends with benefits” as complicated in real life as they are in the movies?

Many people become “friends with benefits” to avoid drama and to have sex without getting tied up in emotions; however, the reality is that having a friend with benefits often becomes complicated. Why is that, and is there anything you can do to avoid these complexities? In... / more

InMind blog

Phubbing: When love slips through the screen

We all know this situation: we want to tell the other person something, but they only have eyes for their smartphone. This behavior has a name: Phubbing.... / more

Bedtime procrastination: I know I should go to bed but …

Perhaps, most people are aware that sleep is important and know the consequences of cutting nights short. However, many people delay their bedtimes from... / more

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