Geoff G Cole

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This study looked at how we understand each other's perspectives and found that our own views can cloud our judgment, a problem known as egocentric bias. Researchers performed four experiments and discovered that with practice, it's possible to remove this bias in how we perform physical actions, making it just as easy to act based on someone else’s perspective as it is to act based on our own. This is important because it shows that we can train ourselves to be more objective in our interactions and improve teamwork and communication. Who this helps: This benefits patients, doctors, and anyone needing improved perspective-taking in collaborative situations.

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This study focused on how much self-directed speech, or talking to oneself, is present in adults who show traits of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The researchers found that individuals exhibiting ADHD behaviors reported significantly more self-directed speech than those who did not, with over 198 participants involved in each of the three experiments. This matters because understanding self-talk in relation to ADHD can help identify coping mechanisms for those with the condition and promote better awareness of their experiences. Who this helps: Patients with ADHD and their healthcare providers.

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Researchers studied trypophobia, a feeling of discomfort triggered by seeing clusters of small holes. They reviewed various explanations for this response, finding that the most convincing reason is that these images make people instinctively fearful of disease. This understanding helps explain why many people feel this way when they encounter such patterns. Who this helps: This helps patients experiencing trypophobia and their mental health professionals.

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This study looked at the effectiveness of a procedure called endoscopic resection for treating small tumors in the duodenum, specifically duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (D-NETs), in a group of patients in the U.S. Researchers treated 58 patients and found that the tumors were mostly small (averaging 6.6 mm) and generally not aggressive. The procedure was mostly successful, with 78% achieving clear margins, and most patients did not experience serious complications, suggesting that this method is a safe and effective option for patients dealing with these tumors. Who this helps: This benefits patients who have localized duodenal neuroendocrine tumors.

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Researchers studied different types of tumors found in the salivary glands, specifically looking at certain benign and early-stage cancerous lesions linked to a condition called pleomorphic adenoma. They found that many of these lesions, even with some unusual cell features, do not lead to recurrence or spread of cancer if they remain contained within the tumor. This is important because it suggests that some terms used to describe these lesions might cause unnecessary worry and treatment, and simpler names that reflect their generally harmless nature could be more appropriate.

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This study looked at trypophobia, which is the fear or discomfort caused by seeing clusters of small holes. Researchers found that about 10% of people experience this reaction, and younger individuals, especially women, are more likely to be sensitive to these images likely because they are more active on social media. Interestingly, 24% of those who reported trypophobia had never even heard of the condition before. Who this helps: This helps patients who experience trypophobia by providing insight into what may influence their feelings and reactions.

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This study looks at a fear known as trypophobia, where 10-18% of adults feel anxiety when they see clusters of small holes. The author argues that some people dismiss trypophobia as just an internet trend, but evidence shows it is a real phobia that existed long before the internet and meets the criteria for phobias even though it isn’t officially recognized by major psychiatric guidelines. Understanding trypophobia matters because it acknowledges a real experience for many people and can influence how anxiety disorders are treated. Who this helps: This helps patients who experience trypophobia and health professionals who treat anxiety disorders.

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This study looked at how people understand the visual relationship between themselves and what they are observing, which is called visuospatial perspective taking (VSPT). The researchers found that performance in these tasks varies greatly among individuals and is influenced by different strategies and contexts. They identified several factors that affect VSPT results, highlighting the need for more research to develop a better understanding of why people differ in their abilities. Who this helps: This information assists researchers and psychologists in improving communication and navigation skills in patients.

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This study looked at four cases of acinic cell carcinoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the salivary glands in children, diagnosed between 2000 and 2021. Researchers found that these tumors often had features like lymphoid tissue around them and did not show signs of being more aggressive, meaning the tumors were not transforming into a more dangerous form. Understanding these characteristics and using specific staining techniques can help doctors differentiate this cancer from normal tissue, which is important for accurate diagnosis. Who this helps: This benefits doctors and pediatric patients by improving diagnosis and understanding of this rare cancer.

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This study looked at why women tend to do better than men in the Stroop task, a test that measures how people handle conflicting information. The researchers found that when it comes to the ability to ignore distractions, men and women performed similarly, regardless of how they responded (either verbally or with a gesture). Instead, the results point to women being better at naming colors as the reason for their stronger performance. Who this helps: This benefits researchers and psychologists studying cognitive differences between genders.

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This study looked at how people can understand others' viewpoints, even when those viewpoints are in places that aren't physically possible, like behind a wall. The researchers found that participants responded equally well whether the perspective they were imagining was possible or not; they performed the same in both cases. This matters because it shows that our ability to take the perspective of others isn't limited by the physical world around us. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers understand human perception and social interaction better.

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This study explored whether magicians have special insights into how people perceive things, particularly focusing on a popular magic trick. Researchers conducted experiments where they changed various factors while participants watched a magician perform a trick. The results showed that these changes did not affect how well the trick was perceived, indicating that the assumptions about magicians' understanding of visual cognition might be incorrect. Who this helps: This benefits researchers and psychologists studying human perception and cognition.

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In this study, researchers wanted to find out if adults are quicker at understanding other people's false beliefs compared to similar information that isn’t about thoughts or beliefs, like misleading photos. They found that adults processed false beliefs a bit faster, showing a small but consistent difference — specifically, they were quicker by a few hundred milliseconds. This matters because it supports the idea that our brains might have a special way of handling other people's beliefs, which can be important for social interactions. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers better understand how people perceive and interpret others' thoughts.

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This study examined how well adults can understand what someone else sees in a particular visual situation. Participants looked at a number (69) that appeared upside down for them because of the angle and were asked what the agent could see. The results showed that 12-21% of participants incorrectly answered "96," indicating they relied on their own perspective instead of considering the agent's viewpoint. This matters because it sheds light on how people represent and understand perspectives that differ from their own. Who this helps: This research benefits psychologists and educators by enhancing our understanding of perspective-taking skills in adults.

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This study looked at how people imagine what others see, specifically examining a theory that claims this mental imagery reflects real visual perspectives. The researchers found that the evidence does not support the idea that when we picture someone else's view, we accurately represent the distances in the scene as if we're looking from their perspective. This matters because it challenges the belief that mental images work the same way as actual perceptions. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand the limitations of mental imagery in social interactions.

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This study looked at how well adults can understand what someone else sees compared to their own perspective. The researchers found that people often incorrectly judged which of two lines appeared longer from another person’s viewpoint, with about the same number thinking the closer line looked shorter as those who thought it looked longer. This matters because it shows that adults struggle to accurately put themselves in someone else’s shoes visually, leading to misunderstandings in situations where perspective matters. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists better understand perception and communication difficulties in patients.

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The study looked at how people perceive length in their vision when comparing objects at different distances. Researchers found that about half of the adults did not recognize that a line closer to them appeared longer, even when told to judge based on appearance. However, when viewing a photo, they noticed the difference, showing that people struggle to think about their own vision like a flat image, which helps us understand how our brains fix visual distortions. Who this helps: This benefits psychologists and educators interested in human perception and teaching visual awareness.

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Researchers studied how people interpret what others can see and understand in social situations. They found that people still make judgments based on the presumed viewpoint of another person, even when that person cannot actually see what they are judging. Specifically, in their experiments, the presence of an agent affected decisions about ambiguous information, but this effect happened regardless of whether the agent could see it. This matters because it challenges the idea that our understanding of others' thoughts and perspectives is what drives these judgments, suggesting that we may rely on the position of others as a simple cue instead. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers in understanding social cognition.

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This paper explores the concept of perspective-taking, which is how we understand someone else's point of view. The authors highlight that there's a lack of a clear definition for what this process involves, noting that a solid theory is needed to explain it properly. They suggest nine key points that any new theory should address to improve our understanding of how we share perspectives with others. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers studying social behaviors and child development.

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This study examined maternity waiting homes (MWHs) in Liberia, which are designed to help pregnant women from remote areas get the care they need during childbirth. Researchers found that since 2010, the number of these homes increased from five to 119, and women staying at community-funded MWHs had 2.5 times more monthly stays than those at NGO-funded homes. This is important because it shows that strong community involvement and government support are crucial for ensuring safe deliveries for women living far from healthcare facilities. Who this helps: This benefits pregnant women in remote areas and healthcare providers involved in maternal health.

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This study focused on trypophobia, which is the fear of images featuring clusters of small holes. Researchers discovered that looking at these images raised both heart rates and heart rate variability in individuals who strongly identified with trypophobia. Additionally, there was a notable increase in blood flow in certain brain areas related to the fear response, indicating that both the autonomic nervous system and brain activity are involved in trypophobia. Who this helps: This helps patients with trypophobia by increasing understanding of their condition.

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This research studied how people understand what others see or know, focusing on tasks that require ignoring one's own viewpoint. The findings showed that there are two main reasons people struggle with these tasks: they must disregard what they personally believe is correct and also choose an answer that seems wrong from their own view. In one experiment, these two factors were found to contribute equally to the challenges people face when understanding different perspectives. Who this helps: This helps researchers and educators identify ways to improve teaching and support for individuals who may struggle with perspective-taking, such as those with autism.

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This study looked at the way stage magicians influence audience decisions, known as "forcing." The researcher found that most of what magicians do in these situations doesn't involve manipulating choices in the way it's often claimed—only a small number of cases actually show any real psychological influence. Understanding this distinction is important because it helps clarify what magicians can really achieve and prevents misconceptions in psychology research. Who this helps: This benefits psychologists and researchers studying decision-making and influence.

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This study looked at how people recognize their own names in stressful situations where they might miss other details, like during a quick series of name presentations. Researchers found that people were better at spotting their own names, even when the names were slightly changed, especially when they were close in time to another target name. This is important because it shows that our brains might use different processes to recognize familiar names under distraction than when simply noticing similar words. Who this helps: This helps patients who struggle with attention issues, as well as doctors and caregivers looking to improve communication.

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This study looked at maternity waiting homes (MWHs) in rural Liberia to see how effective they are at saving lives and reducing the number of mothers who die during childbirth. It found that over three years, MWHs saved 6.25 women's lives at a low cost per life saved, suggesting that after initial investments, these homes can be a cost-effective way to improve maternal health over time. This is significant because it means that providing more MWHs could lead to fewer deaths during childbirth in Liberia and similar countries. Who this helps: This benefits mothers in rural areas, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

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This research looked at how watching someone move affects our ability to prepare for our own movements. It found that in a specific situation called "social inhibition of return," noticing quick changes, like movement and sound, plays a significant role in how we react, more than previously thought. Understanding this helps improve how we connect observing actions to our own movements, which is important for activities like sports training and rehabilitation. Who this helps: This helps patients and athletes who need to improve their motor skills and coordination.

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This study examined the idea of "theory of mind," which is our ability to understand what others are thinking and feeling, particularly through perspective-taking. The authors argue that previous claims about how we quickly and automatically take others' perspectives lack solid evidence, suggesting that we cannot truly experience what someone else sees. They propose new experiments to better investigate whether we can really represent another person's visual experience. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists improve their understanding of social cognition.

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Researchers studied how watching someone else perform actions impacts our own movements, particularly when both people have different goals in a task. They found that while one person's reaching action slows down the other person's action at the same spot, this slowdown does not change based on the goals of the actions being performed. This matters because it suggests that when we imitate movements, we don’t necessarily consider the purpose behind those movements. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand how we learn and mimic actions.

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This study looked at how men and women perform on a test that measures their ability to control their responses, specifically in situations that didn't involve social interaction. The researchers found that out of 66 participants, women were better at stopping themselves from responding when required, succeeding on 85% of these tests compared to 75% for men. This matters because it suggests that women generally have stronger self-control skills in certain situations, which could be linked to their roles in parenting and mate selection. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers studying behavior differences between genders.

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This paper explores how watching someone else perform an action affects where we focus our attention. The researchers found that observing another person's goal-directed action directs our visual attention as effectively as, or even more than, simply looking at where they are gazing. Understanding this can help improve how we study attention and social interactions, especially in situations where people are working together. Who this helps: This benefits psychologists and researchers studying social behaviors and attention.

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This study looked at how people follow another person’s gaze to understand what they are looking at, and whether this process happens automatically. Researchers found that when people had time to look around, they quickly focused on objects that the person could see, but this was not the case when they had to make quick judgments about the objects. This shows that while we do consider someone else's perspective, it requires conscious thought and isn’t automatic. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand how we perceive others' attention, which can improve communication strategies.

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This research looked at how watching someone else act affects our own attention, specifically focusing on a phenomenon called "social inhibition of return." The study found that unlike other social interactions, the impact on attention was not influenced by whether people were competing or cooperating, or if the interaction was live or recorded; however, it did require participants to take turns for the effect to happen. This research is important because it sheds light on how social dynamics influence our responses, even in simple tasks. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand social interactions in various settings.

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This study looked at how people react when they take turns reaching for targets, particularly focusing on why their reaction times slow down when responding to areas where their partner just acted. The researchers found that this slowdown happens even if people can't see their partner's movements, and it seems to depend more on where their attention is rather than their actions. This matters because it helps us better understand how our attention influences cooperative tasks, which could improve teamwork strategies in various settings. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers studying team dynamics and cooperation.

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This study looked at how watching another person perform an action affects how quickly you respond in a social setting. Researchers found that when participants could see both what someone was doing and the object they were interacting with, they took longer to respond to the same area (this is called social inhibition of return, or sIOR). However, when they only saw the other person's action without knowing what they were interacting with, this delay didn’t happen. This matters because it helps us understand how attention and actions are connected in social situations, potentially improving cooperation in group tasks. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists studying social interactions and cooperation.

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This study looked at how people understand what others can see and how it affects their reactions in specific tasks. The researchers tested if knowing whether a person is looking at something influences how quickly or slowly someone responds. They found no evidence that a person's gaze impacts these responses, which challenges the idea that people naturally take others' perspectives into account during such tasks. Who this helps: This helps researchers understand social interactions better.

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This study looked at how people pay attention to different emotional expressions on faces, particularly focusing on rare displays of fear versus happiness. Researchers found that when participants saw two fearful faces among mostly happy faces, they paid more attention to where those fearful faces were looking, compared to when the situation was reversed. This matters because it shows that rare emotional signals, especially fear, grab our attention more effectively, which could help us understand how we react to potential threats in our environment. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and other researchers studying human attention and emotional responses.

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This study looked at whether people automatically try to understand how others see things. Researchers had participants judge the number of dots on a screen while using avatars that either could or could not see the same dots. They found that participants still aligned their responses to the avatars even when the avatars couldn't see the dots, indicating that people do not spontaneously take the perspective of others as previously thought. Who this helps: This helps researchers understand human thought processes better.

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This study created and tested a questionnaire to identify people who feel uneasy when looking at groups of circular objects, a condition known as trypophobia. Researchers found that those who scored high on the questionnaire reported discomfort specifically from trypophobic images, while the discomfort didn't arise from neutral or randomly unpleasant images. They also discovered that filtering these images made them less disturbing, indicating that it’s the arrangement of shapes rather than the specific characteristics of the objects that matters for discomfort. Who this helps: This helps patients who struggle with trypophobia by offering a way to measure their discomfort and potentially reduce it.

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This study looked at how people understand others' thoughts and feelings, specifically whether knowing what someone can see affects how their gaze directs our attention. Researchers found that people still shifted their focus based on where someone was looking, even if that person couldn't see the object they were looking at; attention shifted 60% of the time regardless of visibility. This is important because it shows that our responses to others' gazes aren't always influenced by their perspective, which could change how we think about social interactions and attention in various situations. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers studying social behavior and attention.

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This study looked at how watching someone else make a choice affects our own decisions. The researchers found that when two people were asked to pick between two options, like products or faces, the observer was less likely to choose the same option that their partner had just reached for. This matters because it shows that our choices can be subtly swayed by those around us, even if we think we're making independent decisions. Who this helps: This helps patients and consumers by highlighting how social influences can shape our preferences.

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Researchers studied how people respond to moving objects, specifically those coming towards them (looming) versus those moving away or staying still. They found that people react faster to looming objects compared to receding or static ones, with the reaction times showing a clear pattern: racing from looming to receding to static. Importantly, this advantage in reacting to looming motion comes from our motor system rather than just our attention system, meaning our bodies are primed to respond more readily to things approaching us. Who this helps: This helps patients with mobility challenges and doctors working in rehabilitation.

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This study looked at how people respond to movements made by others, particularly when they are not directly interacting with them. Researchers found that certain effects, like the movement congruency effect, still happened even when participants were focused on bright lights instead of another person's actions. This means that our responses may rely more on attention than on directly sharing actions with others. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand how attention influences our interactions with others.

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This study looked at how people respond when working together on a task that involves reaching for visual targets. Researchers found that when one person reaches for a target, the other person tends to be slower to respond to that same target later, and this slowdown happens even if they perform different actions. Specifically, the results showed that the way visual targets are arranged and the attention required by the task influences this slowdown, indicating it’s more about social cues related to location rather than just shared actions. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists understand teamwork and cooperation in tasks.

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This study focused on a specific phobia known as trypophobia, which is the fear of images containing clusters of holes. Researchers found that images that trigger this fear share a certain visual pattern associated with discomfort, specifically having high-contrast areas at midrange frequencies. This is important because it suggests that the fear might be linked to an instinctive response to potentially dangerous animals that have similar visual patterns. Who this helps: This information can benefit patients who suffer from trypophobia by helping them understand their fear.

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This study looked at social inhibition of return, which is when people take longer to respond to an object that someone else has just interacted with. Researchers had pairs of participants either perform the same or different actions with the same object. They found that while social inhibition of return occurred, it didn't depend on whether the participants had the same goal, meaning the way we respond to others doesn't focus on their final intention. Who this helps: This benefits researchers studying social interactions and human behavior.

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This research paper looks at how people pay attention to faces and interact with each other in real-life social situations, rather than just with computer-generated avatars. The study found that when people are engaged in genuine interactions, they experience unique attention patterns, including something called "social inhibition of return," which affects how we track our attention toward others. Understanding these natural social behaviors is important because it can improve our knowledge of how people connect and communicate with each other. Who this helps: This helps patients with social communication difficulties, such as those with autism.

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This study looked at how changes in brightness (luminance) of objects grab our attention. Researchers conducted six experiments and found that attention was only drawn to these brightness changes when they were visible, even with large changes in brightness. This means that changes in brightness only matter for capturing attention at a basic sensory level, not at a deeper cognitive level. Who this helps: This helps researchers understand visual attention, which can inform designs for everything from screens to safety warnings.

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This study looked at how our attention works when we see multiple objects at once. Researchers discovered that we can keep track of at least twelve different objects simultaneously, which is much more than the typical limit of four shown in other studies. This finding is important because it shows that our brains can handle complex visual scenes with many elements better than previously thought. Who this helps: This helps researchers and psychologists better understand visual attention, which can improve techniques in education, therapy, and user interface design.

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This study looked at how quick, unnoticed cues (called "primes") can affect how we respond to an arrow that appears shortly after. Researchers found that if the prime and the arrow point in the same direction, people are slower to respond, taking an average of 500 milliseconds compared to 450 milliseconds if they point in opposite directions. This matters because it shows that even invisible cues can change how we think about and react to visual information, which has implications for understanding attention and decision-making. Who this helps: This helps psychologists and researchers studying attention and perception.