Progress-focused

Human behavior is a puzzle that scientists are trying to understand. A group of researchers, led by Kaitlyn M. Werner of the University of Toronto, recently looked at a peculiar piece of this puzzle: perfectionism. They wondered whether frustration with our basic psychological needs – autonomy, competence and relatedness – influences the degree of perfectionism we display.

How important is autonomy support in the workplace? A favorable working environment can have a significant impact on employee well-being. But what factors contribute to these favorable conditions? Recent research by Mokgata et al. (2022) shows that the degree of autonomy employees experience in their workplace is essential for their work performance and engagement. This article discusses the results of this important study, explains how different forms of support contribute to perceived autonomy and illustrates how these factors influence work behavior.

In 2020, after meeting Donald Trump and five others, American politician Chris Christie ended up seriously ill with COVID-19 in the hospital's intensive care unit. He barely survived. During his stay, he received a call from Trump, also infected, who asked that Christie not tell the press that he contracted the disease from him. Christie agreed, ignorant of who had infected whom. Later, Christie learned confidentially from two reporters that Trump had told them that Christie had given him COVID. It later turned out that Trump had already tested positive for COVID before the meeting with Christie ( source ). An intriguing paradox of our time is the phenomenon where leaders who have been publicly exposed as chain liars still retain a significant following. Striking examples are Donald Trump and Boris Johnson . It's as if their dishonesty has some sort of attraction, even after their lies are exposed. This paradox raises a pressing question: why do people continue to support dish...

Growth mindset promotion through value alignment can lead to better school performance and less inequality. Education is constantly looking for ways to improve the school performance of students. Another important goal is to reduce inequality in education. The challenge is to discover how we can achieve this in the most effective way. Recent research by three American researchers offers a possible solution. They developed an intervention aimed at promoting a growth mindset in students.

We live in a world where technological progress is the order of the day. A remarkable book that explores this dynamic has recently begun to attract attention. Entitled ' Power and Progress ', the book explores the complex interaction between technological development, especially artificial intelligence (AI), and socio-economic change. Written by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, two economists from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the book is currently getting a lot of interest. Although I haven't read the book myself yet, the reviews I've seen make me curious.

Technological complexity and economic challenges are growing aspects of our time. Companies and governments are increasingly looking for help from consultants. These consultants provide strategic advice and operational expertise. However, economists Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington warn in their book " The Big Con ". They signal the dangers of this growing dependency. This article describes some implications of their analysis, additions from the review of the English version of the book, and some possible solutions.

Today, many people see stress mainly as something negative. But recent research by Alia Crum and her colleagues shows that our perception of stress can make a significant difference. Furthermore, it shows that training our metacognition – our thinking about thinking – can help us change our stress mindset from negative to positive. In this article, we first examine what a stress mindset entails and why it is important. We then describe Crum's research and delve into three recent experiments exploring the power of metacognition in stress management. The Importance of a Stress Mindset Research by David Yeager and colleagues has already shown that our perception of stress matters a great deal ( read more ). How we look at our own stress response in challenging circumstances plays a crucial role. A negative stress mindset interprets your own stress as an indication that you are going to fail. This mindset amplifies your stress, undermines your motivation and performance, and can inc...

A growth mindset intervention can increase interest in math and science. A new study by O'Keefe et al. (2023) examines how students' perceptions of their interests can influence how they perform in certain subjects. The research is specifically about exact subjects and mathematics. It's common for students to label themselves as "not a math or science person." This can limit their academic performance and development. But what if we can change this mindset?