Developmental Psychology

Lying: Not the Best Parenting Strategy

Lying: Not the Best Parenting Strategy

Sometimes it’s temping just to tell children whatever they want to hear. Even for parents who preach the value of honesty, a little lie here or there can seem acceptable if it ...
Read More
/ / Developmental Psychology, Honesty, Parenting
When Do Children Learn to Influence Others With Gifts?

When Do Children Learn to Influence Others With Gifts?

Adults give gifts for different reasons, some of which are altruistic, and some of which are less so. One of the less altruistic reasons adults give gifts is when they want something ...
Read More
/ / Altruism, Children, Developmental Psychology, learning, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Social Psychology
Who Plans to Retire Early?

Who Plans to Retire Early?

Given the option to retire, people will make different decisions about how long to keep working. In order to learn more about how people make retirement decisions, a recent study decided to ...
Read More
/ / Developmental Psychology, Money, Older Adults, Performance Psychology, Retirement, Work
Praising Hard Work Can Make Infants More Persistent

Praising Hard Work Can Make Infants More Persistent

When you were a kid, maybe you read The Little Engine That Could, a story about a modest train locomotive whose persistence pays off. One possible reason for this story’s popularity is ...
Read More
/ / Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Grit, Infants, Parenting, Positive Psychology
Phubbing Destroys Relationships

Phubbing Destroys Relationships

Consider this your annual AllPsych public health announcement about the negative effects of phubbing. In early 2018, I wrote about the dangers of phubbing – that is, of snubbing people by going ...
Read More
/ / Developmental Psychology, Media Psychology & Technology, Relationships, Teens
Where Do Pointing Gestures Come From?

Where Do Pointing Gestures Come From?

Pointing is a basic type of human communication. Before they start talking, babies start pointing. A pointing gesture can mean different things, such as "look at that?" or "what is that?" or ...
Read More
/ / Behavioral Psychology, Communication, Developmental Psychology, Relationships
Parents' Warm Encouragement Can Help Shy Toddlers

Parents’ Warm Encouragement Can Help Shy Toddlers

How can parents help shy toddlers become more at ease in social situations? A new study suggests that a combination of warmth and gentle prompting to engage socially might be the answer ...
Read More
/ / Developmental Psychology, Encouragement, Parenting, Performance Psychology, Positive Psychology
A Lunchtime Nap Can Boost Children's Academic Performance

A Lunchtime Nap Can Boost Children’s Academic Performance

We typically think of it as a bad thing to "fall asleep on the job." But when your job is learning, a midday nap might be just what the psychologist ordered. A ...
Read More
/ / Children, Developmental Psychology, Health Psychology, Nap, Performance Psychology, School, Sleep
Millennials Don't Like Being Called Narcissists

Millennials Don’t Like Being Called Narcissists

Here’s a loaded question for you: how do you feel about being a narcissist? Like the classic example of "when did you stop beating your wife?", this is a question without a ...
Read More
/ / Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Narcissism
What Do Loneliness and Living Alone Mean for Health Later in Life?

What Do Loneliness and Living Alone Mean for Health Later in Life?

We all know what "loneliness" means, but defining it in a precise way gets a little tricky. For starters, being lonely isn’t exactly the same as being alone. And loneliness isn’t quite ...
Read More
/ / Clinical Psychology, Depression, Developmental Psychology, Loneliness, Older Adults