We often hear that “money can’t buy happiness.” Yet a growing body of research suggests something more nuanced: how we spend our money matters. According to new findings highlighted in Scientific American, spending on experiences—such as concerts, trips, meals, or classes—creates deeper feelings of connection, belonging, and well-being than spending on material goods. This research…
Read MoreDetecting Deception or Suspecting Deception?
In a previous blog, we discussed the latest scientific understanding about behavioral indicators of deception. As explained in that blog and the underlying article on which the blog was based, scientific research in the past two decades has made substantial advances in validating a set of behavioral indicators of veracity and deception. This work was…
Read MoreWhat Elephants Teach Us About Intentional Gestures
Humans often assume we’ve cornered the market on complex communication. But a new study suggests that another highly social species—the elephant—shares our ability to use intentional nonverbal gestures to influence others’ behavior. Researchers recently discovered that elephants can deliberately use trunk gestures to ask humans for food, passing behavioral tests typically reserved for primates. It’s…
Read MoreAutism and Facial Micromovements Explained
Autism and Facial Expressions: What We Often Miss Facial expressions are the universal language of emotion. But for many autistic individuals, their emotional signals can be so subtle they go unnoticed. A recent study from Rutgers University shows that tiny facial micromovements—invisible to the naked eye—carry rich emotional meaning. This discovery reshapes how we understand…
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