Psychological traits: There’s more than what doesn’t meet the eye

Psychological traits such as self-esteem explain how people differ from each other, but what explains the psychological traits and their development? Psychologists tend to explain individual differences and developmental trajectories of traits based on variables that are separate from the traits themselves. I argue that individual differences and developmental changes can also be explained by looking at the changes in the observable traits, looking within the trait and not outside of the trait.

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It has been smooth talking to you

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.

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