Sexual stimuli are among the strongest elicitors of disgust. So how do people succeed in having pleasurable sex? We tested the idea that perhaps sexual arousal can temporarily reduce the aversive properties of otherwise disgusting stimuli, thereby lowering the threshold for engaging in ‘‘disgusting sex.’’
Why do smoothly flowing conversations feel so good, whereas brief silences are often so awkward? On February 20, Namkje Koudenburg will defend her thesis “Conversational Flow”, in which she explains how conversational aspects such as brief silences, or small delays in computer-mediated communication influence our relationships, independently of what is being said.
You may know an irritable person. But if he becomes friendlier towards you, then you will become friendlier towards him, right? In other words, positive changes in how people interact with others are ultimately good for them, too. This idea underlies a new theory on how antidepressants work.
After a few months in the planning, Mindwise, the blog for the Psychology Department of the University of Groningen is online! Find out how Mindwise will serve to inform the world and members of the Department about everything that happens in Psychology in Groningen.