The Oscars' "Meta-Film" Bias
For the third time in four years, the Oscar for Best Picture has gone to a film about film – a “meta-film” if you will. In 2011, The Artist examined film and art from behind the scenes and last year, Birdman did…
Tag:
Troy Campbell
Why Super Bowl Commercials Are So Much Better
On Sunday, the Super Bowl once again served up a batch of funny, cool, and even moving commercials. For decades now, Super Bowl commercials have continued to impress and touch us with a car starting Darth Vader kid, a horse-befriending dog, a 1984…
2014 In Review: The Psychology Behind Protests, Ice Buckets, Taylor Swift, and More
From the silly to the serious, Troy Campbell, a Ph.D candidate at the center, explains the psychology behind five highlights of 2014 in no particular order. #1 The Birth of Modern Charity It dominated Facebook feeds for weeks—everyone from your high school girlfriend…
The Psychology of a California Christmas
Our local California native Troy Campbell discusses the reason, rational or not, Californians come to love their sunny type of holidays. As a Southern Californian native, nonnatives always assume I must be sad every time Christmas rolls around and it’s not white….
The 7 Irrational Behaviors of Black Friday
Every day of the year, American shoppers act irrationally. On Black Friday, however, shoppers’ irrationality and wildness climb to dangerously high levels. Why does Black Friday lead shoppers to grab and fight, especially when the stakes are often as low as fifty…
Why we love to hate Michael Bay
Transformers 4 grossed $1 billion dollars worldwide. Now, it’s out on Blu-Ray to add to that total. This has left many wondering what South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone once famously pondered: “Why does Michael Bay get to keep on…
The Meaning of Happiness Changes Over Your Lifetime
The following is a scientific and personal article written by CAH member Troy Campbell about happiness. One lovely afternoon, I began chatting to my grandpa. I was completely unaware he was about to say something that would change my view of happiness…
Why People Crave Both Freedom and Constraint
The following is an article Troy Campbell and features research by CAH members, non CAH members, and Troy’s dissertation. Today, consumers desire to interact rather than to just mindlessly consume. Consumers don’t want to just read; they want to comment. They don’t…
Hindsights: Why Do Tourists Abroad Eat at Subway?
At the port in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico there are wonderful Mexican restaurants and authentic tasty taco trucks. But where might you find the Americans eating? Mostly at the Starbucks, the Subway, and the Johnny Rockets. This seems puzzling: Why do Americans…
Making More from Mother's Day
Every year for one day in May, we shower our mothers in praise. We might promise to show mothers more appreciation in the future, but a few days later, everything gets back to normal. And so the Post-Mother’s Day Cycle begins again,…