The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and 2010 World Cup are just around the corner and as spectators, we are reminded of the wide range of emotions we will be witnessing. From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, emotions in sport are often instantaneous, unconscious and at times uncontrollable. In the following…
Read MoreInfants Facial Recognition Could Help Detect Autism
Good Morning America featured a story on December 4, 2009 that was both interesting and fascinating. Researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston as well as scientists from Harvard University are hoping that the ability of infants to read facial expressions could prove to be an early indication of individuals with autism. This new research studies…
Read MoreFacial Expressions are Not Universal? The study and its flaws…
In a recent study entitled Cultural Confusions Show Facial Expressions Are Not Universal, Rachael Jack and her colleagues challenged 100s of studies documenting the universality of facial expressions. The conclusions of this article are highly flawed for many reasons and below I outline a few of them. 1. The fact of the matter is that…
Read MoreDo Emotions Affect Critical Thinking?
*Sayaka is a regular contributor to David Matsumoto’s blog. A 2008 Olympian in the sport of judo, Sayaka shares her thoughts regarding how emotions affect critical thinking. Emotions and critical thinking are a part of everyday life; it doesn’t matter who you are or your profession. It’s how you control and regulate your emotions that…
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