Why Kids Lose Interest in Reading as They Get Older

How much of their leisure time do teenagers devote to reading? Not much. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teens read for pleasure, on average, just six minutes each day. Why? Attitudes toward reading are one factor, but not the only factor. (Consider that, because we’re talking about reading the child freely chooses, she must not only like reading, she must like it more than the…

Why Memory Fails Us and How We Can Make Better Use Of It

Our recollections are often less detailed and less reliable than we would like. New research helps explain why memory fails us—and how we can make better use of it. Savor the Moment When taking a picture, we outsource our memory to the camera. “New technology lends itself to just collecting lots of photos,” says Fairfield University psychologist Linda Henkel, “not taking the time to look…

Tweeners Trust Peers More Than Adults When Judging Risks

If you are the parent of a preteen, you are all too aware that they suddenly seem to value the opinions of their peers far more than yours. The good news, if there is any, is that you’re not alone. Young teenagers ages 12 to 14 are more influenced by their peers’ opinions than they are by adults’, a study finds. That’s true only for…

Children Need Chores to Teach Mastery and Responsibility

TODAY’s demands for measurable childhood success — from a spelling bee to university placement — have chased household chores from the to-do lists of many young people. In a survey of 1001 US adults released last fall by Braun Research, 82 per cent reported having regular chores growing up, but only 28 per cent said that they require their own children to do them. With…

Walking at Lunchtime Buffers Against Workplace Stress

Taking a lunchtime walk provides employees with a much-needed afternoon mood boost. A team of researchers led by psychological scientist Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani of Curtin University in Australia made use of a specially designed cell phone app to gauge the changes in people’s mood in the moment, in an attempt to get a more accurate picture of how exercise influences mood throughout the workday. Analysis of…