While we all think of “razors” as a tool for shaving, I learned that it also has a different definition. The term refers to a heuristic or shortcut (aka “rule of thumb” ) used by scientists to guide them in creating theoretical models. “The term “razor” refers to the “shaving [Read More]
I always thought that empathy was empathy. That is “…the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else's position and feeling what they are feeling” (“What is Empathy” by [Read More]
Many years ago, I learned about Albert Mehrabian's rule of 55-38-7 in communication. This rule states that 55% of our communication is through body language, 38% through tone of voice, and only 7% through actual words (Project Management). Professor Mehrabian, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Los [Read More]
I stumbled upon a study entitled “Settlementality” by Jessica Bregant, Jennifer K. Robbennolt & Verity Winship which surveyed over 1,000 U. S. adults on their basic knowledge of settlements and what. If any, role the courts and contract law play in settlement. (Id. at 1.) Although their results were mixed [Read More]
Recently, the Harvard Program on Negotiation posted a blog about “Emotional Intelligence as a Negotiating Skill” (By Katie Shonk- February 12, 2024). It noted that experts predicted that those scoring high on emotional intelligence would have better negotiated outcomes and discusses a 2015 study by researchers Kihwan Kim of Buena [Read More]
The Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions- Instruction 5009 on Pre-deliberations- admonishes jurors who are about to retire to decide the verdict that while the judge knows that the jurors will not do so, he/she is “required to advise you that you must not base your decisions on chance, [Read More]
Every day we read and/or see news of how climate change has affected or is impacting our daily lives. Well- an article in Live Science suggests that heat may cause us to be more aggressive (if not sleepy!) In an article published in early September 2023 entitled “Hot Weather could [Read More]
In social psychology, there is a cognitive bias known as “naïve realism” which “is the human tendency to believe that we see the world around us objectively, and that people who disagree with us must be uninformed, irrational, or biased.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%C3%AFve_realism_(psychology) That is, they are idiots. Which brings me to the book I [Read More]
