I used to think I was overthinking it until I interviewed a longtime cashier who told me something fascinating: "I can tell you everything about a person just by watching them unload their cart for thirty seconds." That conversation sent me down a research rabbit hole about what our everyday behaviors reveal about us. Turns out, psychologists have been studying these micro-behaviors for years, and the way we organize our groceries at checkout is surprisingly revealing.
Last week at a dinner party, I watched two of my friends get into a heated discussion about, of all things, whether dishes should be rinsed before going in the dishwasher. What started as playful teasing quickly escalated into accusations about control issues and wasted water. It got me thinking about all those tiny household habits that reveal so much more about us than we realize.
Between 2000 and 2021, the top five most mentioned keyword-topics in personality psychology research were "B5 Constructs," " Emotion," "Internalizing," "Health/Well-being," and " Dark Tetrad." Psychologists, it seems, are no longer just mapping out the traits that help us thrive, but also probing the darker impulses that can unravel relationships, communities, and even societies. You may be familiar with the " Dark Triad," a cluster of three socially aversive traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
Holland's (1985) hexagonal model is the most widely used system for vocational counseling in the world. But its use transcends vocational counseling. In previous PT posts, I have described how Holland's model can be used to understand personality type theories in general, different ways of serving other people, gender norming on personality tests, and core values that underlie life goals. After describing the Holland hexagon, I will then explain how the hexagon can be used to understand the psychology of journalism.
As '70s-ish as the term seems to be, "cool" never seems to go out of style as a desirable attribute. If you have kids or work with them, it's likely you'll still hear them put their friends into the two distinct groups of the cool vs. uncool. You might be drawn to one pair of sneakers vs. another just because one screams "coolness" while the other could condemn you to the fuddy-duddy corner of the gym.