Decoding Human Behavior and Perception
Published: March 8, 2026
Trust learning in the repeated trust game: A meta‐analytic study
A meta-analysis of 68 studies on the repeated Trust Game reveals that actual partner behavior, specifically their reciprocation rate, is the most powerful predictor of trust learning. This factor significantly outweighs initial biases or social group membership, indicating that trust is primarily calibrated by direct empirical evidence of past actions. The findings suggest that social bonds are built on deeds rather than declarations or group affiliations.
Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Review and Avenues for Further Research
This article reviews and extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), highlighting that human actions are driven by more than just conscious intent. It identifies six additional variables—habits, moral norms, self-efficacy, self-identity, belief salience, and affective beliefs—that significantly improve the prediction of behavior. These factors offer a more comprehensive understanding of why intentions often fail and how to better influence human action.
Effects of emotional variability on social evaluations of faces: An advantage of low variability
Research indicates that faces displaying low emotional variability are perceived as significantly warmer and more competent than those with high variability. This "low-variability advantage" suggests that a consistent emotional presentation signals predictability, reliability, and stability, profoundly influencing social evaluations. The findings highlight how emotional steadiness can be unconsciously interpreted as a valuable trait in social interactions.
The past, present, and future of adaptive selling: Toward an integrative framework
A systematic review of 188 articles defines adaptive selling as the deliberate alteration of sales behaviors based on perceived information about the selling situation. The research highlights that while adaptive selling is widely acknowledged, its impact on sales performance is rarely measured, revealing a significant conceptual ambiguity. This new framework provides a precise lens for understanding and quantifying effective human interaction in sales.
Enhancing Subordinate Job Performance Through Coaching Behaviors: A Lay Epistemic Approach
Effective coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach; its success depends on an individual's "need for cognitive closure" (NFC). High-NFC individuals, who seek quick certainty, benefit most from direct "guidance coaching," while low-NFC individuals, who enjoy exploration, thrive under "facilitation coaching." Tailoring coaching styles to this cognitive imperative significantly enhances subordinate job performance.
Honestly, I'm a research paper obsessive, but sorting through nearly 300 journals in the space is beyond my ability, let alone surfacing what's going to be most interesting over the sort of mischief I'm up to. So I built Conversation Chronicles to scan each week for the studies that challenge assumptions, introduce new methods, or reveal something genuinely surprising about how humans communicate.
I'm an avid follower of Two Minute Papers, Journal Club, and Kurzgesagt, so this is our small attempt to build a custom version of that just around the topics we're most keen on. It's made a huge difference in how well I'm able to keep up with what's going on and so we're sharing it here with you.
We scan 286 academic journals weekly, scoring each paper on novelty, impact, and methodological rigor. We're not able to get everything because of paywalls, but more and more is becoming available via open access these days.
Top-scoring papers are reviewed by our conversation architects to ensure quality and relevance. This is a fancy way of saying Joshua likes reading lots of articles and choosing ones he thinks are the best.
Receive our weekly digest of groundbreaking papers once a week with clear, jargon-free explainers, and short video overviews.