We’ve all allowed others to influence our decisions, whether consciously or subconsciously. But what underlying psychological factors are at play? How do social forces change the way we think, feel, and behave?

Let’s talk about how social interaction can cause people to change their behaviors.

“The influence that our environment and other people have on us has an important impact on our lives,” Ryne Sherman said. “How do people influence us? And how do we impact others?”

What unique transition challenges do new CEOs face? How can they optimize high performance in the crucial first few months?

Recently on The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with Ty Wiggins, PhD, who is the lead for the CEO and executive transition practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. He is the author of The New CEO: Lessons from CEOs on How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes).

As we try to go about the workday facing new challenges in an abruptly virtual world, the way that we manage our stress might not be at the forefront of our minds. Nevertheless, strategic self-awareness is a critical concept when facing daily uncertainty.

In recent years, interns have taken on increasingly strategic roles within companies. Internships not only support HR succession planning but also offer a mutually beneficial exchange. While companies gain new talent and technologies, interns gain practical experience, build professional networks, and develop their portfolios. Internships can also help secure a full-time job.

Do personality characteristics relate to nightmares? If so, which?

Recently on The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with returning podcast guest Zlatan Krizan, PhD, professor of psychology at Iowa State University, about the psychology of nightmares.

As a child, Zlatan had a recurring nightmare of a gorilla coming down a hallway toward his bedroom. Within one of these nightmares, he eventually realized he was dreaming and decided to flee the gorilla by jumping out of his bedroom window. He woke up before he landed and never had the dream again.

This article covers what causes nightmares, what happens in the brain during dreams, the difference between nightmares and night terrors, and the impact of personality.

A personality test isn’t quite like other job-related tests. There’s no such thing as passing or failing, for one. And it’s not even truly a test—it’s an assessment, which is more like a measurement. Because of that, we have a few important tips for how to take a personality test.

This article, signed by  Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp, covers what a personality assessment measures, how to take a personality assessment, and how not to.

Teamwork has changed significantly in recent years, as many of us have transitioned to hybrid or remote working models. But teams haven’t disappeared; they just operate differently now. Modern team development is the key to building high-performing teams in this new landscape of work.

Niceness isn’t always as nice as it seems. As many organizations with a nice corporate culture are finding out, having a reputation for niceness can carry some challenges. A nice culture sometimes focuses on getting along to the detriment of delivering results.

Organizations tend to assume that high employee engagement is always positive and low engagement is always negative. But in truth, an employee engagement strategy that is based on data and communicated with clarity is much better than one that mandates high engagement at any cost.

Nobody’s perfect. Everyone has failed at some point throughout life. But while many of us try to avoid failure, some of us learn from it instead. Learning from failure involves a willingness to take risks, reflect on performance, and change.