An open-access digital library of research-based information and reflections on psychology, wellness, and culture

Category: Fact

  • Our Own Labor Makes It Worthier Than It Actually Is
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    Our Own Labor Makes It Worthier Than It Actually Is

    Have you ever looked at a slightly crooked, self-assembled coffee table and felt a wave of profound pride? If so, you have experienced the IKEA effect. This psychological phenomenon explains why we place a disproportionately high value on products we helped create, regardless of the end result’s objective quality. The Origin Although it sounds corporate, the…

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  • 6 Non-English Words Express Emotions Better
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    6 Non-English Words Express Emotions Better

    While how a language expresses emotions is largely culture-specific, some words express specific emotions that we all understand. And they don’t exist in English. Gigil (Tagalog) This word captures a visceral, present-moment reaction to something overwhelmingly adorable. It describes that intense, almost aggressive urge to squeeze, pinch, or bite something adorable. The chubby-cheeked baby, a…

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  • Why Focus on the “Why” Doesn’t Really Help Healing?
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    Why Focus on the “Why” Doesn’t Really Help Healing?

    This is from a survivor for fellow survivors. It is not wrong to intellectualize trauma, but the real cost is our endless rumination. Instinctively, when something catastrophic happens, our immediate instinct is to ask why. We dissect the past, looking for a logical explanation that can make the pain make sense. However, fixation on the “why”…

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  • Making Small Mistakes May Make People Like You More
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    Making Small Mistakes May Make People Like You More

    Have you watched your secret-admiring person spill their coffee and found you just loved them even more? Not because of schadenfreude, of course (hopefully). But they suddenly feel more like a real human than fitting into some ideal. Is It True or Just Illusional? You’re not imagining this; it’s actually a well-documented phenomenon. In 1966,…

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  • Cognitive Flexibility Can Lead to Better Emotional Regulation
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    Cognitive Flexibility Can Lead to Better Emotional Regulation

    Have you noticed that negative emotions often arise when we think things *should* happen a certain way? For many millennials who grew up being taught that emotional strength means having grit, it’s easy to imagine that managing negative emotions is about standing firm like an oak tree in a storm. But research suggests that cognitive…

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