Shankar Vedantam appears in the following:
Smoking Pot Interferes With Math Skills, Study Finds
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Researchers studying the effects of marijuana faced an obstacle: they couldn't create an exact control group. But a change in drug laws in the Netherlands offered a perfect laboratory.
Many NFL Players Make Abysmal Financial Decisions, Research Shows
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
New research suggests many NFL players struggle with money over their lifetimes, and a staggering number of them go bankrupt. Making a lot of money as a player does not seem to offer much protection.
Researchers Link Feelings Of Disgust And Ethical Behavior
Monday, June 01, 2015
Research finds that people respond to feelings of disgust by trying to protect themselves from it — and this can quickly translate into self-interested behavior and cheating.
Attempt To Get More People On Board With Organ Donation Backfires
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
To increase the number of organ donors in the U.S., psychologists have advocated for changes to how we ask people to donate. In California, officials tried something new — but it may have backfired.
How Partitioned Grocery Carts Can Help Shoppers Buy Healthier Foods
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Eating healthy is easier said than done. Same with buying healthy food. Research finds that putting in partitions in grocery carts can increase the likelihood shoppers buy healthy fruits and veggies.
How TV Show Finales Affect The Stock Market
Monday, May 18, 2015
An economist in the United Kingdom looked at how 150 TV series finales affected the U.S. stock market. He observed a decrease in stock returns on the following trading day.
What Might Make Young People Practice Safe Sex? Lottery Tickets!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Researchers working in Lesotho found that offering lottery tickets to volunteers who test negative for sexually transmitted infections is a powerful motivator for safe sex.
Blame Cognitive Biases When Efforts To Conserve Water Aren't Effective
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
As California's drought draws national headlines, we look at what a psychology-minded engineer has discovered when it comes to conserving water at home.
Does Reading Harry Potter Have An Effect On Your Behavior?
Friday, May 01, 2015
New research suggests that school kids who read and identify with Harry Potter display more positive attitudes toward people from disadvantaged groups.
Why Handsome Men May Be At A Disadvantage When It Comes To Hiring
Monday, April 20, 2015
Researchers have known that beautiful people have advantages. But experiments find that in many hiring and evaluation decisions, being a good looking man can be a distinct disadvantage.
Students' Work Ethic Affected By Peer Groups, Desire To Be Popular
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Teachers can become frustrated when students don't seem to try hard when it comes to schoolwork. There's a surprising explanation of why some students might not be putting their best effort forward.
Why Is Condom-Use Suddenly Dropping Among College Sophomores?
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Research at multiple universities shows the decline in safe sex is concentrated among students from low-income families. But why are these students less likely to practice safe sex?
How Money Managers' Personal Lives Affect Your Investments
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
For some people who discover a sudden drop in their investments, social science research offers a surprising explanation. When a hedge fund manager gets divorced, they underperform by 7.4 percent.
The Dangerous Distractions Of Spring Break
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Does Spring Break cause an increase in traffic fatalities? There's new research that may give parents and students pause.
How Do You Get People To Work Harder? Keep The Reward A Secret
Monday, March 09, 2015
When we're asked to do something, we often ask, "What's in it for me?" or "What am I going to get out of it?" Research suggests not knowing what you will get can sometimes be a strong motivator.
Health Experts Don't Always Sanitize Their Hands, Data Show
Monday, March 02, 2015
A massive analysis of hospital data finds doctors and nurses are not following guidelines on washing their hands before and after they come into contact with patients.
How Peer Pressure May Encourage Tax Delinquents To Pay Up
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
A field experiment in Kentucky, Kansas and Wisconsin finds that shaming tax cheats is a more effective way to get scofflaws to pay up rather than threatening them with fines.
In What Do We Trust?
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
NPR's science correspondent Shankar Vedantam examines who or what we decide to trust - algorithms, humans or evidence?
Angry Tweets Predict Patterns Of Heart Disease, Researchers Say
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Can tweets be analyzed to predict heart disease? New research suggests the answer is yes.
Examining The Entourage Effect
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
New psychological research explores a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. We hear why people like to create their own entourages.
