Voters punish politicians who apologize for sex scandals and reward those who deny
In survey experiments with more than 10,000 Americans, a congressman who denied sexual misconduct drew less support for resignation than one who apologized, by 5.5 points for an affair and 18.6 points for rape. Apologies did not help even when evidence proved the charges.
Curt replies feel like being shut out, even from a close friend, three studies find
In three experiments (N = 441, 444 and 740), unexpectedly short replies lowered people’s sense that their basic psychological needs were met, even when warm, from a close other, or given an excuse, because recipients felt devalued.
Americans spend 99 more minutes a day at home than in 2003, and it started before COVID
Time-use diaries show U.S. adults’ daily time at home rose by 1 hour 39 minutes from 2003 to 2022, with 71% of the rise explained by work, school, meals, leisure, exercise and worship moving indoors; activities at home were rated less happy and less meaningful.
Asking a question just to share your own answer makes people like you less
“Boomerasking”, asking someone a question only to answer it yourself, makes people seem less sincere and less likable than simply sharing. In a first-date study, willingness to accept a second date fell from 70.9 to 55.9 out of 100.
Copying a stranger’s smile makes you trust them more, three experiments show
In three experiments with about 170 usable participants, people who mirrored a smiling face more strongly rated that person as more trustworthy and sent them more points in a trust game, and forcing smile-like muscle activity raised trust ratings.
Muted colors make luxury brands look higher status, and shoppers pay more for them
Across seven studies, low-saturation products made luxury brands seem older and more prestigious. In a boutique bidding test, shoppers offered about 3,160 yuan for a muted handbag versus about 2,540 yuan for a vivid one.
Baseball hitters with long contracts run slower to first base, Statcast data shows
Tracking 325 veteran MLB hitters from 2016 to 2024, researchers found that more years left on a contract meant weaker hitting and slower running, while players in a contract year ran faster to first base. Luck measures showed no link to job security.
People think failure leads to success far more often than it does
Across 11 studies, people overestimated success after failure: they guessed 58% of lawyers pass the bar on retest (true rate 35%) and 51% of overdose survivors enter treatment (true rate 16.6%). Learning the real rates raised support for rehabilitation.
Fund managers with hidden Facebook ties to executives earn 16% a year extra
Concealed Facebook friendships between mutual fund managers and company officers were linked to abnormal returns of 135 basis points a month, over 16% a year, concentrated around earnings and merger news.