Category Archives: Cognitive Psychology

Articles on the acquisition, processing, and storing of information, and the exploration of internal mental states

The Psychology of Color and Its Influence in Marketing

Color, Psychology and MarketingColors are everywhere. They play a large part in how individuals present themselves through their wardrobe, their homes, and their belongings. Studies have demonstrated how colors can grab and retain attention, provoke emotional responses, and influence a person’s attitude (Sable & Akcay, 2001). As a result, companies carefully select the colors they use on brands, logos, mascots, retail stores, advertisements, packaging, and even products themselves to influence their target market. Ultimately, marketers want you to create positive associations with their companies, and do so in part by acting on your strong psychological reactions to different colors. Continue reading

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Bilingualism Could Help Protect Against Dementia in Later Life

study a new language

It has been revealed that being able to speak a second language could have a significant impact on your future mental health.  A recent study has indicated that bilingualism not only has the capacity to boost cognitive abilities in your youth but might also improve brain functionality in later life and could even help protect against diseases such as dementia (Bates, 2012). Continue reading

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Split Brain Behavioral Experiments

Meet Joe. After suffering from years of epilepsy, Joe underwent brain surgery to have his corpus callosum severed. The corpus callosum, also referred to as the colossal commissure, is a thick band of 200-250 million nerve fibers at the longitudinal fissure that facilitates  interhemispheric communication in the brain. By having this band severed, Joe prevented the spread of epileptic seizure from one hemisphere to the other.

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10 Ingenious Anti-Smoking Campaigns

no smoking signIt’s tough to quit smoking. Indeed, it’s a battle that millions of persons face each day as they attempt to take their first steps toward a longer, healthier lifestyle. Recent research has shown that not only is smoking dangerous, but nicotine can also potentially increase the likelihood of a person becoming addicted to other drugs (such as cocaine). In a landmark study reported at Neuroscience 2011, researchers at Columbia University demonstrated “the molecular mechanisms of nicotine as a gateway drug” able to affect gene expression and prime the body for further addiction (Sukel, 2012). Continue reading

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Deferred Gratification – The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EjJsPylEOY

What’s so fascinating about eating a marshmallow? Quite a lot as it turns out. In 1972, Stanford University’s Walter Mischel conducted one of psychology’s classic behavioral experiments on deferred gratification. Deferred gratification refers to an individual’s ability to wait in order to achieve a desired object or outcome. Continue reading

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