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Middle Ground   Reconsidering ourselves and others
  • Middle Ground Ponder

Ponder

Dive into what makes us—and others—tick.

No matter where we live, we walk among others. We watch people, form opinions, follow the crowd or not. All day, we decide how to be with people. For decades, social scientists have studied and learned much about such human interactions. In the essays below, discover some of what shapes our social lives.

 


Thinking About People
Thinking About People

What runs through your mind as you're running around the city? The field of study called social cognition offers insights into how we think about other people. Explore some of the ways in which we size up those around us and make sense of our social world.

ESSAY

The Effect of Others

Other people affect us constantly, whether we are aware of it or not. Scientists call this social influence. Even just thinking about other people can affect us. Explore some of the ways in which others shape what we think, feel, or do.

ESSAY

Being Sociable
Being Sociable

The science is in: we’re happier, even healthier, when we make regular, positive connections with other people. How can we make the best of our social world?

ESSAY

 

 


National Science Foundation
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1713638. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

 

  • About the Exhibition
  • Play
    • Who Do You Think I Am?
    • Unseen Stories
    • My-Side Bias
    • Puzzling Public Behaviors
    • Making it in America
    • Don't Push This Button
    • Stand By or Step Up?
    • The Power of a (Bogus) Uniform
    • Share a Joke
  • Ponder
    • Thinking About People
    • The Effect of Others
    • Being Sociable
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