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You Just Can't Help It!

Your Guide to the Wild and Wacky World of Human Behavior
Mar 01, 2012
Is human behavior truly “wild and wacky”? After reading this book, kids will probably agree that yes, some of our behavior is quite wacky. However, it’s not our fault! Science is at work behind it. There are scientific explanations for many of the ways we act. Why do we usually yawn a few seconds after hearing someone else yawn? Why do we “tear up” when we are exposed to onion vapours, but not when we smell other things like oranges or cinnamon? Is there a difference between these tears and the tears we shed when crying? Did you know that people laugh much less when they are alone than when they are with others? Why is that? Did you know that when people kiss, nearly twice as many people turn their heads to the right as to the left? Our senses influence how we act in many ways. For example, experiments have determined that people are more likely to help others when they are smelling something nice rather than something stinky. Smells influence what we dream, too. Experiments in stores have determined that slow background music (instead of music with a faster tempo) increases sales as much as 38% - because people stay longer in the store. And it’s been proven many times that colours influence the way we feel – for example, bright oranges and reds energize our bodies, while “cooler colours” such as green, tend to relax us. Why? How does our birth order affect our personality or predict some of the ways we act? Author Jeff Szpirglas has selected some very intriguing facts and studies about human behavior, and explained them in a clear, concise fashion for students. Many visuals and some do-it-yourself experiments are included in this fun science book, which is certain to keep the reader’s attention.