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Photo of a bookstore entrance at night with people walking by and a person reading among book trolleys on the pavement.

The self

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What makes some of us crave self-insight more than others?

Some people have a powerful desire to understand themselves, but their path to self-knowledge is rarely straightforward

by Christoph Heine

Photo of an aeroplane parked at Bologna Airport with the terminal and control tower in the background.

Communication and language

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Speaking a different language can change how you act and feel

For many multilinguals, switching between tongues can lead to shifts in personality, revealing the malleability of the self

by Antonella Gismundi

Photo of a smiling family sitting in a red convertible car parked in front of a suburban house.

Gender

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In more prosperous societies, are men and women more similar?

How much the sexes differ psychologically depends on how fair and wealthy a country is. But not in the way you’d think

by Kåre Hedebrant & Agneta Herlitz

Photo of climbers trekking on a snow-covered mountain ridge shrouded in mist and clouds.

Decision-making

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How a ‘dominance’ mindset encourages leaders to put others at risk

To find ways to deter this recklessness, we’ve studied the mindset of financiers and others who take ‘moral hazard’ decisions

by Hemant Kakkar & Garrett L Brady

Photo of a shop window display with various hats on stands, a blurred street view outside with a bicycle in the background.

Identity

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You have multiple ‘social identities’ – here’s how to manage them

As social beings, our identities are bound up with different groups – here’s how to juggle all the various hats you wear

by Anna K Zinn

Photo of a person sitting and holding a large map covering their face outdoors with people walking in the background.

Thinking and intelligence

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A love for thinking brings benefits way beyond school and work

Having a passion for mental effort – a trait that’s distinct from being intelligent – has some wide-ranging upsides

by Josephine Zerna

Photo of a child in green on a motorcycle with an adult’s tattooed arms holding the handlebars.

Personality

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How babies’ and children’s temperament varies around the world

International research reveals intriguing regional differences in temperament – the infant precursor to adult personality

by Matt Huston

Photo of two men outdoors laughing, one in a straw hat embracing the other from behind, with trees and garden in the background.

Emotion regulation

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Are emotionally resilient people also skilled at soothing others?

Research on the social side of emotion management is showing what’s distinctive about it – and its benefits for all involved

by Christian Jarrett

Photo of three older men in a pub, smiling and wearing caps. The background has pub mirrors and a red wall.

Friendship

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Is it better to have friends who are like you or different from you?

Studies of longterm friends offer surprising insights as to whether friends who are more or less alike tend to endure

by Christian Jarrett

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Decision-making

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Stereotypes might not be as powerful as psychologists assumed

Research on first impressions suggests that people’s behaviour can trump any biased assumptions we might make about them

by Shayla Love

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Personality

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To improve your life, consider changing your personality

New research supports the idea that intentionally developing certain traits is not only possible, but comes with benefits

by Christian Jarrett

Photo of an older woman in a purple jumper sitting alone in dimly lit theatre seats.

Mind-body interactions

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Can a perfectionist personality put you at risk of migraines?

The hunt for a ‘migraine personality’ dates back over a hundred years and still it goes on. Why is the idea so alluring?

by Shayla Love