Apr 272012
 
How Thinking in Another Language Improves Your Decision-Making

The title of the recent study, published in the journal Psychological Science summarizes why mastering foreign languages is good for you and the world: "The Foreign-Language Effect: Thinking in a Foreign Tongue Reduces Decision Biases." Only the abstract is accessible as of now, but even that reveals plenty (emphasis mine): Using a foreign language reduces decision-making biases. Four experiments show that the framing effect disappears when choices are presented in a foreign tongue. Whereas people were risk averse for gains and risk seeking for losses when choices were presented in their native tongue, they were not […] Continue reading >

Mar 112012
 
Through Other Lenses: American Robotnik's Readings for March 2012

Articles and Blog Posts "How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy" by Kathleen McAuliffe, The Atlantic Monthly, March 2012 – If you’ve ever wondered about Americans’ love for pets and their odd behavior, a Czech scientist has found there may be a connection. "A Brief History of the American Pawn Shop" by Wendy Woloson, Bloomberg, February 9, 2012 – They’re a world unto itself. "Quitting the Paint Factory" by Mark Slouka, Harper’s Magazine, November 2004 – "There’s something un-American about singing the virtues of idleness." He sings it well. "How […] Continue reading >