Psychology
Exploring "Why" questions about Psychology
480 articles
Why do Russians love Adidas so much?
Adidas was one of the very few Western brands (the other one was Pepsi) available in the Soviet Union due to some rare import contract. It was associated with "Western quality" and something that was
Why do I feel like I need to take a nap after I eat pizza?
It depends on how much you eat. But typically, after eating high calorie foods high in carbs at once, a large amount of blood has to go down into the stomach area causing less blood to be in the head,
Why do we often feel more sad when viewing or hearing about animal suffering/death, than we do about the equivalent in humans?
There's a thing called the [Just-World Hypothesis](_URL_0_). Humans want to think that the world is a fair place; so when we hear about something bad happening to someone, there's a tendency to think
Why do we take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for anxiety and depression, instead of just taking serotonin? ELI5ish.
A *very* ~~convoluted~~ ELI5ish explanation. Serotonin is a messenger molecule that causes many different reactions. Let say that cells are like machines with switches, messenger molecules switch them
Why do so many animals love to have their tummies rubbed?
The tummy is generally the one weak spot that you don't want anyone to reach for an animal learnt from instincts of combat through evolution. It is much less protected and it contains most of your vit
Why do we get the feeling that someone is watching us?
Couple of things. First our brain isn't 1 thing. It is multitude of processes that works together.
Why can perception of time vary so drastically? Like when you’re on drugs, or e.g. slow motion car crashes.
Your brain needs to process everything you see, hear, feel, think, etc. The faster it does this, the slower times goes for you. It's like an assembly line, and the fastest worker is pretty much waitin
Why does time feel so much longer when exercising compared to other activities?
The Theory of relativity. The same reason time seems to pass In a blink when you're enjoying a night with friends, yet seems to last an eternity during the last 10 minutes of work.
Why do I physically feel horrible immediately when seeing gory photos?
This is an evolutionary "trait" of sorts. Similar to how some people faint after seeing blood. My guess would be that humans subconsciously see blood and gore as 'something that's gone terribly wrong'
Why do some humans feel lonely, despite having people around them such as friends and family?
Having people around is not the same as connecting with them. Lonely is an emotional response; proximity is physical.