Illusions, Delusions, and Reality

Psychology

Why Researchers Should Consider Swiping as a Psychological Measure

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on June 29, 2021

Psychologists have largely relied on button presses to collect responses from study participants. New research shows why "touch-and-swipe" gestures can provide a more powerful measure.

Environment

Do You Experience Time Differently in VR?

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on May 31, 2021

Does virtual reality warp your experience of time? New research reveals a unique "time compression" effect of VR.

Personality

Does Your Personality Determine How You Perceive Illusions?

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on April 29, 2021

Why do different people experience illusions differently? A new study investigates whether personality and thinking style predict switch rates in ambiguous, bistable illusions.

Cognition

The Fork-and-Knife Illusion Makes Metal Appear Transparent

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on March 31, 2021

A newly discovered illusion you can recreate at the dinner table with simple a fork and knife.

Intelligence

The Effect of Real Wind on Virtual Self-Motion

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on February 28, 2021

To overcome feelings of motion sickness in virtual reality, a hot-air fan might help. New VR research shows how blowing wind in a user's face can increase the sense of self-motion.

Cognition

Do Your Eyes Reveal What You’re Thinking?

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on January 31, 2021

Are your internal thoughts really private? Research shows how changes in your pupil size may reveal the contents of your thoughts.

Neuroscience

The Best Illusions of 2020

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on December 29, 2020

A look at this year's winners of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest.

Environment

The Surprising Benefits of Blinking on Visual Perception

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on November 30, 2020

To blink or not to blink: new research reveals the benefits of blinking for subsequent visual processing.

Coronavirus Disease 2019

Psychological Research in the Age of COVID-19

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on October 30, 2020

There are challenges and opportunities for conducting psychological research today.

Intelligence

Who Controls the Soundtrack in Your Head?

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on September 30, 2020

Do you have a song stuck in your head right now? Research reveals the prevalence and dynamics of earworms, or involuntary musical imagery.

Neuroplasticity

The Illusion of a Sixth Finger

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on August 31, 2020

Can a simple mirror-box experiment give you the sensation of having a sixth finger?

Misophonia

Why Are Certain Sounds So Painful?

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on July 31, 2020

Why do certain sounds like nails on a chalkboard feel so awful? Research in multisensory integration suggests it's more than just the sound waves themselves.

Memory

Instant Amnesia

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on June 29, 2020

Have you ever had the experience of checking the time, only to forget what time it is just a few seconds later? This type of forgetting may be an example of "attribute amnesia."

Neuroscience

How the Brain Resolves Ambiguity

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on May 31, 2020

A new study sheds light on how the brain categorizes ambiguous visual images as faces or hands.

Coronavirus Disease 2019

Face Recognition Behind a Mask

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on April 30, 2020

Having trouble recognizing faces behind a mask? Psychological research explains why.

Body Language

How Virtual Reality Will Help Reduce Social Distance

Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D. on March 29, 2020

Is something missing from your Zoom chats? Virtual reality hopes to address the gaps in eye contact and body language that currently exist in teleconferencing technology.