Tom Jacobs

New research finds listeners judge symphonic music differently when they’re told the conductor is a woman.

New research suggests less-creative people do more innovative thinking when they are told individualism is the norm, and instructed to conform.

A survey of award-winning children’s picture books from 1938 to 2008 suggests our increasing estrangement from the natural environment.

How to spot thrill-seeking men on the dance floor, “sweet” personalities in public, and bidding fever on eBay.

New research finds problems that require a flash of illumination to solve are best approached during the time of day when you’re not at your peak.

The documentary “More Than a Month” asks: Does Black History Month still inspire reflection, or just Nike sales?

Politicians take note: Research shows the fine line between claiming regret and taking responsibility.

Spouses who blame the economy for their woes, rather than pointing the finger at their partner, are more likely to be satisfied with their marriages.

New research suggests the mere idea of an encounter with a woman can impair men’s cognitive performance.

New research suggests heavy Facebook users are more likely to believe other people have happier lives.

For many consumers, the label “fair trade” promotes the inaccurate assumption that a chocolate bar is lower in calories than its competitors.

New research finds we’re better able to identify genuinely creative ideas when they’ve emerged from the unconscious mind.

New research from France finds students learned more when a videotaped lecture was underscored with classical music.

The gap in grade point averages between male and female students widens when their college football team is winning.

New research finds predictions made in the late 1990s that women were nearing equality in pop music have failed to materialize.

New research from Germany finds honing one’s music or sports skills enhances at least one important mental ability.

New research finds middle-aged men are most willing to engage in competitive risk-taking.

New research from Norway finds a steep drop in interest in art, literature and classical music among college students between 1998 and 2008.

Research finds child sex-abuse victims discuss their experiences in greater detail after drawing a picture of the traumatic events.

New research finds atheists are widely perceived as untrustworthy, which may be a major factor in why they’re disliked more than other minorities.

A PBS documentary follows a group of friends before, during, and after their time in Afghanistan.

New research finds financial scandals hurt politicians more than moral ones, and the public particularly frowns on abuses of power.

University of Missouri economist Harvey James finds a relationship between life satisfaction and low tolerance for unethical conduct.

New research finds an increase in same-sex couples can nudge home prices either up or down depending on the political orientation of the neighborhood.

A new National Endowment for the Arts report finds jobs for artists are concentrated in specific states, including New York, California, Oregon, and Vermont.

Researchers find that food products sell better when they’re labeled with descriptive phrases that elicit warm family memories.

The Stars and Stripes are subliminal, class cleavages are overrated, and other academic analyses we should consider from the last election.

New research finds golfers who believed they were using a club once used by Ben Curtis sank more putts.

Psychologists tie the reluctance to protest Wall Street bailouts to a deep-seated need to justify the status quo.

College freshmen whose Facebook profile pictures featured intense smiles were more likely to feel satisfied with their lives 3½ years later.

New research suggests details of decisive games fade more quickly from the memories of the losing team’s fans.

A Chinese-American pianist and scholar argues China’s embrace of Western classical music is rooted in Confucian values.

New research finds we’re more likely to believe a piece of false information conveyed in a television drama after two weeks have passed.

Canadian researchers report the verbal intelligence of 4- to 6-year-olds rises after only one month of musical training.

Data from major soccer tournaments suggest a sports team’s history of failure can impact the performance of players — even those who didn’t participate in the futile earlier effort.

When signs prohibiting certain behaviors are blatantly ignored, it inspires others to act in antisocial ways.

New research from Britain finds music lovers are increasingly crossing genres, but they remain divided in their tastes.

A look at 25 NHL seasons finds players wearing black jerseys receive more penalty minutes than those wearing white.

Canadian researchers find playing a musical instrument delays the onset of age-related hearing decline.

New research finds we tend to perceive negative emotions in the partially covered face of a veiled woman.

A large-scale study suggests 9/11-related stress led to a major increase in health problems across the U.S.

PBS looks at the radical environmentalists whose turn to terrorism discredited their quixotic campaign in “If a Tree Falls.”

Researchers report that reading literature depicting aggression can impact how those readers respond to provocation.

New research links parental drunkenness at college football tailgating parties with alcohol abuse by their kids.

Newly published research suggests lactation increases aggression.

When it comes to classical pianists like Yuja Wang, what you see influences what you hear.

A Central California community has added a fourth “R” to the core curriculum in its public schools: Religion. Sociologist Emile Lester answers our questions about the experiment.

Researchers argue the much-decried homogenization of America is, in part, a product of our residential mobility.

As the fall semester begins, we look at some of the ways community colleges are meeting — or failing to meet — the needs of their students.

Is your co-worker gay — or are you unsure? The answer could impact your job performance.