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Now hear this, those of you who believe the media pushes " fake news " (probably no one, if you're reading me!). But a new study says those who rely on 'gut' feelings, or trust their intuition,  tend to think  that the facts they hear are politically biased, and therefore, are likely to stand behind inaccurate beliefs, according to newswise.com.  And those who rely on concrete evidence to form their beliefs are less likely to have misperceptions about high-profile scientific and political issues, says  Kelly Garrett , the lead researcher and a professor of communication at The Ohio State University.  “Scientific and political misperceptions are dangerously common in the U.S. today. The willingness of large minorities of Americans to embrace falsehoods and conspiracy theories poses a threat to society’s ability to make well-informed decisions about pressing matters,” Garrett notes. “A lot of attention is paid to our political motivations, and while politi...

OK.  So your nose is a little big.  And your chin's a little too soft.  You may feel self-conscious about these things.  You know your beauty is deep inside.  But there's a reason that that self-consciousness may persist. Children are less likely to trust ugly people. According to newswise.com, children think the uglier you are, the less trustworthy you are. In a study recently published in Frontiers in Psychology , researchers have found that as children, how we perceive someone's trustworthiness is linked to how attractive we find them. Our ability to make this trustworthiness judgment develops as we grow, becoming more consistent as we approach adulthood, and, girls are better at it than boys. Many psychology studies have proven the existence of the so-called "beauty stereotype". This describes the phenomenon whereby more attractive people are also considered to be smarter, more sociable and more successful. To be attractive is to be treated bet...

There was a bomb scare at my son's high school yesterday.  Fortunately it turned out to be false but the anxiety and panic and sheer terror are still with me (and I suspect, my son, too) today. The kids, all 2,000 of them, were immediately told to evacuate to the large field behind the school.  The principal left parents a message last night saying they all filed out well and followed directions but I'm learning on Facebook that it was mass pandemonium instead. A new study says, however, that we all have a social hormone that promotes cooperation in risky situations. I couldn't reach my son because he was told to leave everything behind, including his phone (wonder if it's still there?  it's just stuff, I keep reminding myself).  Finally a friend loaned him his phone and he was able to text me that he was fine.  The friend's mother came and got them both. I threw my arms around him and burst into tears when he came through the door. Now we have a plan...

My son shocked me the other day when he said I don't trust most people.  I suppose he's right.  And maybe that means I'm not very intelligent. A new study has shown that intelligent people are more likely to trust, according to medicalnewstoday.com (MNT). They are also better judges of character. As the Web site reports, if you often put your trust in other people, that means you're, well, really smart. In the study,  participants' intelligence levels were measured through a 10-word vocabulary test and an assessment that determined how well participants understood the survey questions. "The researchers found that participants who scored highly on measures of intelligence were more likely to trust others, compared with those who had low scores on intelligence levels," according to MNT. Why? Since s marter individuals are better judges of character, "they tend to develop relationships with people who are less likely to betray them," says...