Welcome to the Weekly Medius PsychNews. Every week, we select five thought-provoking Psychology articles from hundreds published in journals and other media. Psychology Drives Everything.

The Most Dangerous Word in the World:
If I were to put you into an fMRI scanner—a huge donut-shaped magnet that can take a video of the neural changes in your brain—and flash the word “NO” for less than one second, you’d see a sudden release of dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters. These chemicals immediately interrupt the normal functioning of your brain, impairing logic, reason, language processing, and communication. In fact, just seeing a list of negative words for a few seconds will make a highly anxious or depressed person feel worse, and the more you ruminate on them, the more you can actually damage key structures that regulate your memory, feelings, and emotions. You’ll disrupt your sleep, your appetite, and your ability to experience long-term happiness and satisfaction. Full article.

Are You Resilient?
Resilience has become the hot topic of today. You can barely enter a parenting, business, or school conversation without hearing about it. Some resilience researchers worry that we’re asking narrow questions about individual behavior and overlooking social context. They’re working to elevate the conversation to include systems analysis so we can foster collective resilience. Using social network analysis theory, an interdisciplinary research team comprised of Jessica Shaw, Kate McLean, Bruce Taylor, Kevin Swartout, and Katie Querna point out that most of our stories of resilience are conjured up through the lens of highly romanticized, individualistic, against-the-odds ideals. We can’t get enough of rags-to-riches and setback-to-comeback stories, but we rarely stop and look at why they were necessary at all. Full article.

Mistreatment By Customers Strongly Tied to Employee Quit Rates:
Research has shown that dealing with problematic customers can lead to emotional exhaustion, negative moods, poorer physical health, reduced performance and lower job satisfaction. But does it also lead to higher employee turnover? A new study led by the University of British Columbia -Sauder School of Business discovered that, yes, it does — in a big way. “It starts accumulating, and eventually you hit the wall and say, ‘I’ve got to look for another job.’ Because if you don’t find a way to replenish those emotional resources, they deplete and you’ve got nothing left,” says study co-author and UBC Sauder School of Business professor Daniel Skarlicki, Ph.D. The study found a significant link between customer conflict and high employee turnover, but it is how supervisors manage these conflicts that helps decide whether employees stay or go. Full article.

10 Harmless Mind Tricks That Make People Like You:
When you’re working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success. Mind tricks won’t make you a Jedi, but using the brain’s natural quirks to your advantage can have a positive impact on everyone you encounter. As soon as you become aware of these 10 tricks, they start popping up wherever you look. With minimal effort on your part, their unconscious influence on behavior can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life. Full article.

Personality Traits Affect Retirement Spending:
How quickly you spend your savings in retirement may have as much or more to do with your personality than whether you have a lot of debt or want to leave an inheritance. A new study published by the American Psychological Association found that people who are more agreeable or more open to new experiences — or those who are more neurotic or negative — might spend their retirement savings at a faster rate than those who are more extroverted or have a positive attitude. The research was published in the journal Psychology and Aging®. “Little is known about what personally motivates retirees to withdraw money from their investment portfolios as most studies on portfolio withdrawal rates address technical issues, such as minimizing risk of financial shortfall or making spending adjustments based on perceived life expectancy,” said Sarah Asebedo, PhD, of Texas Tech University and lead author on the study. “The purpose of this study was to investigate how personality traits are related to portfolio withdrawal decisions of retirees.” Full article.