Mental Floss

PSYCHOLOGY

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The Psychology Behind Kids' L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Obsession

How one toymaker cracked the code to make your kid beg for a pooping unicorn.

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12 Facts About the Sense of Taste

It goes way beyond your taste buds.

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Yes, You Have Too Many Tabs Open on Your Computer—and Your Brain is Probably to Blame

You're likely suffering from a case of "Internet FOMO."

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Nomophobia Is Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year For 2018—And You Might Have It

It's something many of us have experienced.

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11 Secrets of Life Coaches

Business is booming for life coaches—but what exactly do they do?

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Forget Therapy Puppies—Michigan State Students Brush Cows to De-Stress for Finals

The event was called "Finals Stress mooove on out!"

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8 Tips for Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder

You can do this.

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9 Revealing Facts About the Rorschach Test

Tell us what you see.

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Laughter in the Workplace Can Boost Productivity—and Make You Seem More Competent

It's also good for your health, in more ways than one.

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Here's How Retailers Are Manipulating You on Black Friday

There's a science to making your money disappear.

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Feeling Stressed? Playing Tetris Could Help Relieve Your Anxiety

The tile-shuffling game might be able to reduce negative emotions in players.

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8 Facts About Carl Jung

The Swiss psychologist's most intriguing work was kept from the public for decades.

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The 10 Most Stressed-Out States in America

Take a deep breath and read on.

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Does Hearing Christmas Music in Early November Enrage You? You're Not Alone

It's normal to get annoyed when radio stations play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Over a third of shoppers admit to having left a store to avoid holiday songs.

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Alone in the Dark: An Oral History of MTV's Fear

The horror reality show gave contestants their own cameras and set them loose in purportedly haunted locations. The crew still can't explain what happened next.

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Study Finds Hot Baths May Be as Effective as Exercise in Helping Depression

A good soak might actually be an effective treatment for clinically diagnosed mood disorders.

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Some Scientists Suggest Chronic Anxiety Is a Learning Disorder

One study suggests an inability to adapt to volatile situations is partly to blame.

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The Science of Tearjerkers: Why We Love It When Movies Make Us Cry

And why we pay good money to watch them.

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A New London Art Installation Is Designed to Make You Cry

The artist calls it "forced empathy."

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PTSD Might Be Contagious

A survivor's spouse—or even their therapist—could be at risk.

Are you being haunted, or just dealing with a mold problem?

6 Scientific Explanations for Ghosts

A surprising number of people believe in ghosts—but there may be a more scientific basis to things that go bump in the night than a restless afterlife.

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All of Your Nemeses Probably Share This 'Dark' Personality Type

Researchers have summed up everything you can't stand about certain people in one sentence.

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People Really Do Feel For Dogs More Than Humans

In one study, puppies in peril drew more empathy than stories of human suffering.

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A Simple Trick for Becoming a Better Listener

Hint: You're probably doing it anyway.