Lev Semionovich Vygotsky was a Jewish-Russian psychologist who developed the Cultural-Historical Theory (also known as the Sociocultural Theory or the Social Development Theory). He believed community, culture, and social interaction play key roles in how children think and learn. Vygotsky also held the view that learning may differ from one culture to another. However, many of his theories are incomplete as he died when he was only 37 years old....

How does this happen so often? You can’t imagine any of the individuals involved in the hazing to cause someone’s death, or for any of the victims to drink so much alcohol on their own. Individuals don’t haze themselves. But being in a group, especially a fraternity or sorority, can seriously change a person’s behavior. In order to allow many hazing activities to happen, there has to be some level of deindividualization....

The facial expressions of seven common emotions, also known as “microexpressions,” tell others how we are feeling inside. Use this as a rough guide for reading people’s true feelings. You can also use it as a way to assess what messages your facial expressions may be sending out and how you communicate with others. What Do Our Facial Expressions Mean?Research on Facial Expressions and MicroexpressionsAre Microexpressions Real?What Triggers Microexpressions?Types of Microexpressions...

Start The Test Perhaps you’ve encountered an IQ test online, like the free one mentioned earlier, or you underwent one during school. IQ tests are a staple in many educational environments, with over a million schoolchildren being evaluated using these tools annually. However, their application is not restricted to academic settings. Does the wide application of IQ tests imply that they are the definitive measure of one’s potential for success? Not necessarily....

There are a lot of different reasons why people lash out or perform bizarre behaviors. Maybe behavior stems from a person’s personality. Or maybe outside influences had a more important role in how a person behaves. It’s normal, however, for your mind to automatically jump to the first conclusion. It’s a common error all of our minds make, called the Fundamental Attribution Error. What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?Examples of Fundamental Attribution ErrorWho Discovered Fundamental Attribution Error?...

What do an amusement park, a scary movie, and a rock climbing wall have in common? Well, they all get your heart pumping. They all give you a rush of excitement at one point. And they make great first dates. Part of the reason that these three date ideasareso successful is that they get you and your date’s heart pounding. By the end of the date, you might find yourself looking at the other person with butterflies in your stomach....

“Keep me from judging a man until I have walked a mile in his moccasins.” This is a Sioux saying. You’ve probably heard different versions of it. This is the phrase that inspired one of the most well-known “experiments” in education. The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise is now known as the inspiration for diversity training in the workplace, making Jane Elliott one of the most influential educators in recent American history....

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Common sense is not so common?” It’s a reminder that sometimes, everyone doesn’t think the same way as you. That even though one solution seems to be the obvious answer, people won’t see it or acknowledge it as the right way to go. This can be extremely frustrating, but it shouldn’t be so surprising. A cognitive bias has been telling us that what we think is “common sense” is “common....

If you’ve seen any of my videos about affirmations and body language, you might have heard this piece of advice: Before you walk into a room, look in the mirror and smile. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fake smile. Smile for long enough and your mood will start to improve. It sounds silly, but it works! In the 1970s, James Laird conducted a series of experiments on participants in which he asked them to tense their facial muscles in a way that would make them smile or frown....

How do you identify? What groups do you belong to? I’m not just talking about Facebook groups. I’m talking about the groups that you interact with every day - the groups that you feel you belong to. You may identify as a student of Temple University. Or you may identify as a member of your immediate family. Or as a Catholic. The Social Identity Theory looks closer into how we come to belong to these groups and how it affects the way we socialize with others....

Psychologists and scientists often go into their line of work for the betterment of mankind. Through their experiments and tireless work, they hope to discover information that will cure diseases, uncover the root of certain disorders, and improve the general health of the population. That being said, it has not always been approached in the best way. Experiments on humans, especially those in marginalized groups, often cross ethical lines. One of the most well-known, line-crossing experiments is The Monster Study....

Life imitates art, and art imitates life. Many say, for example, that the Robbers Cave Experiment andLord of the Fliesare an example of art imitating life. Did you readLord of the Fliesin middle school or high school? Even if you skimmed over the book, you might remember what it’s about. A group of boys finds themselves stranded on a desert island without adult supervision. As they try to establish a society, they turn on each other in desperation, and things get brutal....

In 2015,The Stanford Prison Experimentwas released in theaters. The movie detailed an infamous 1971 experiment in which 24 college students were “put in prison.” While the “experiment” was supposed to last for two weeks, it was terminated after just six days due to the psychological effects it was having on both the “guards” and “prisoners.” So what actually happened during the Stanford Prison Experiment? Why is it so infamous? Does the movie get everything right, or is it just a dramatization?...