Interesting slices of life
Bosses who boost business
For this meta-analysis, researchers examined
130 independent studies that had previously been
published on eff ective leadership styles and used
them to test a number of theories. They found that
a “servant leader” style of management which is
ethical, trustworthy and has a real interest in the
wellbeing and development of staff brings about real
positives within the workplace. When bosses put
their employees before themselves, those employees
are more positive about their work and therefore
also often feel empowered to become more creative.
The result is a rise in productivity. The conclusion is
that companies would do well to tailor training and
recruitment measures to encourage managers who
have empathy and integrity and are trustworthy. The
results also suggest that it would benefi t organisations
to create or reinforce a culture that positively promotes
trust, fairness, and high-quality working relationships
between managers and staff. Source: Journal of
Occupational and Organisational PsychologyMona Lisa’s smile
How did Leonardo da Vinci create Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile? To analyse
the smile, researchers asked 42 people to judge which of six basic emotions
were expressed by the left and right sides of Mona Lisa’s smile. Of the
subjects, 93 per cent indicated that the left half of the smile displayed
happiness while none indicated the right side showed happiness; 83 per
cent said the right side expression was neutral, 11 per cent said it was
disgust and 6 per cent thought it indicated sadness. There is also no upper
face-muscle activation in the Mona Lisa painting. A genuine smile causes
the cheeks to rise and muscles around the eyes to contract. It is unlikely that
a person who sits motionless for hours to be painted is able to constantly smile
in genuine happiness. Did Leonardo understand the meaning of an asymmetrical
smile centuries before others, or was Lisa just really bored? Source: CortexRomantic “types”
When you end a bad relationship
it’s common to think that you
need to change the “type” of
person you are attracted to.
According to new research,
though, that might not be so
easy to do. For this study, more
than 330 subjects plus a sample
of current and past partners
assessed their own personality
traits. The primary finding was
the existence of a significant
consistency in the personalities
of an individual’s romantic
partners. Interestingly, a person’s
partners tended to be similar
types but they did not necessarily
have a similar personality to
the person choosing them.
The researchers said that the
degree of consistency from one
relationship to the next suggests
that people may indeed have
a “type”. If you find you are having
the same relationship problems,
you might want to look at the
type you gravitate toward.
Source: Proceedings of the National
Academy of SciencesDownward dominance
People’s faces tell you a lot
about what they are feeling
but new research shows the
way the head is held can tell
you just as much. Researchers
generated variations of avatars
with neutral facial expressions
and one of three head positions:
tilted upward 10 degrees, neutral
(0 degrees) or tilted downward
10 degrees. Subjects rated the
avatars with downward head tilt
as more dominant than those
with neutral or upward-tilted
heads. This is due to the fact
that tilting one’s head downward
leads to the artificial appearance
of lowered and V-shaped
eyebrows, which in turn creates
perceptions of aggression,
intimidation and dominance.
Additionally, the portion of
the face around the eyes and
eyebrows is both necessary
and sufficient to produce the
dominance effect. Subjects rated
downward-tilted heads as more
dominant even when they could
only see the eyes and eyebrows.
As usual, the eyes have it.
Source: Psychological ScienceDID YOU KNOW? Sleep and job performance Sleep is vital and missing just quarter of an hour is enough
to affect your performance at work. Just 16 minutes less than usual has been shown to lead to experiencing
more cognitive issues at work the next day. That raises stress levels, especially regarding issues related
to work-life balance, resulting in people going to bed earlier and waking up earlier due to fatigue.
It’s a vicious cycle. Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Source: Sleep Health
Photography^ GettyImages16 | wellbeing.com.au
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