Humans and Chimps Follow the Crowd [Study]

April 16, 2012 coms 0

A new study suggests that chimpanzees and human toddlers are inclined to follow majority rule. The study showed that chimpanzees and 2-year old toddlers were both more likely to repeat a peer group’s actions than a single peer’s actions.

3 Nonverbal Hacks to Improve Your Credibility

March 19, 2012 coms 0

Credibility is everything. Newspapers that get the facts wrong are torn to shreds and politicians lacking experience don’t get elected, while people in lab coats command our respect immediately. Communication scholars define credibility as being the perception of one’s competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill. But as you probably know, perceptions can be hacked.

Confirmation Bias Is False, Says Study

February 10, 2012 coms 0

A study suggests the thought that political partisans only immerse themselves in media which reinforce their beliefs may be unfounded. They discovered that even the most partisan readers visit mainstream news sites, as well as partisan sites that express views that oppose their own.

Physical Attraction More Important than Many Realize [Study]

February 8, 2012 coms 0

Most people will tell you what they prefer in a car or a house or a career, and for the most part, these preferences will predict which car or house or career they will choose. However, when people claim that physical attractiveness does not factor into their search for a partner, their claim may be less accurate in predicting who they will be attracted to.

Trusted Sources Lend Credibility to Online Portals [Study]

February 3, 2012 coms 0

Just as retail stores are often judged by the brand names they stock, online news portals tend to be judged by the sources of the articles they post. According to a new study by researchers at Penn State and published in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, people who access news articles from credible sources through online portals such as Yahoo News or Google News tend to view the portals themselves as more credible.