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Volume V, Issue 3
Winter 2009

Why Make Art?

New research suggests the arts may boost students’ academic performance, but many scientists aren’t convinced. So what are the arts good for these days? This issue considers therapeutic, emotional, cognitive, and other benefits of the arts.

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Volume V, Issue 2
Fall 2008

Who Do You Trust?

Trust is essential to families, friendships, governments, businesses, and even the global economy—and yet it has been declining for years. This issue of Greater Good explores why trust is so important, and how we can rebuild it.

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Volume V, Issue 1
Summer 2008

Are We Born Racist?

Do we really live in a “post-racial” society? Studies show that our prejudices have deep psychological roots; they may be wired into our brains. But research has also identified strategies for reducing and even overcoming prejudice. This issue of Greater Good explores how we can put this research into practice.

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Volume IV, Issue 4
Spring 2008

Let’s Play! Why We Need to Have More Fun

Research shows that play is essential to healthy social, emotional, and academic development, but kids today are doing less and less of it. This issue of Greater Good explores why play is so important—for kids and adults— and how we can bring it back.

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Volume IV, Issue 3
Winter 2007-08

The Psychology of Power

This issue of Greater Good investigates why good people abuse positions of power. Drawing on cutting edge scientific research, articles explore how we can promote responsible uses of power in the workplace, the classroom, at home, and even in U.S. foreign policy.

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Volume IV, Issue 2
Fall 2007

The 21st Century Family

This issue of Greater Good gets past overheated rhetoric to discover what recent research shows about how the American family is changing, and how this transformation has impacted all of our lives. Some of the contributors to this issue are famed scholars who have studied the family extensively; others are ordinary people who have seen their typically atypical families go through some extensive changes. What they have in common is a willingness to confront these changes head-on and seek real solutions to the problems they confront. Their essays offer suggestions for how contemporary families can still thrive during this period of intense change.

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Volume IV, Issue 1
Summer 2007

Building Gratitude

Groundbreaking research has revealed that practicing gratitude can lead to transformative life changes. More than a simple “thank you,” studies show gratitude can build physical health, personal happiness, and strong social bonds. This issue of Greater Good explores how this research can apply to everyday life, from romantic relationships to children s classrooms. This issue also marks the debut of a few new departments in Greater Good, including a column by co-editor Dacher Keltner in which he helps readers understand the emotions conveyed by their body language.

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Volume III, Issue 2
Fall/Winter 2006-07

The Bystander’s Dilemma

This issue takes a provocative look at “the psychology of the bystander”: What is it that induces some people to come to the aid of others in distress, while other people do nothing? Scientists have considered this question for years. Now Greater Good examines the fruits of their research and applies it to contemporary ethical issues concerning education, war, journalism, and more.

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Volume III, Issue 1
Spring/Summer 2006

Everyday Ethics

What to eat? Where to shop? When to lie? The essays in this issue of Greater Good consider the challenging questions of “everyday ethics.” The issue features two articles on the ethics of eating: an essay by philosopher Peter Singer and an interview with journalist Michael Pollan. Other articles discuss the ethics of employing illegal immigrants and the question of how we can teach children to make ethical decisions in their everyday lives. The issue also includes a profile of a new video game that’s trying to help bring peace to the Middle East.

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Volume II, Issue 2
Fall/Winter 2005-06

The Science and Practice of Empathy

Can we really feel someone else’s pain? Research and stories featured in this issue of Greater Good shed light on our deeply rooted ability to empathize with other people, enabling us to feel their emotions as our own. Authors explore the biological roots of empathy, explain ways to cultivate it, and consider how current social conditions inhibit the expression of empathy in the United States. The issue also features an interview with Robert Putnam, author of the book Bowling Alone, about what Hurricane Katrina revealed about Americans’ sense of community.

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Volume II, Issue 1
Spring/Summer 2005

Is Goodness Contagious?

Can witnessing acts of goodness compel people to act better themselves? It can, according to new research featured in this issue of Greater Good. Scientists discuss how this capacity for moral inspiration might improve our work and personal lives, and they explore the possibility that it is even a biologically based part of our behavior. The issue also features an interview with Jan Egeland, the U.N. official responsible for the emergency aid response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, and articles about how to raise levels of empathy among school children and jail inmates.

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Volume I, Issue 2
Fall 2004

Why to Forgive

This issue of Greater Good features a series of essays about forgiveness. Leading scientists present ground-breaking evidence of how forgiving can improve personal health and strengthen social bonds, Archbishop Desmond Tutu discusses the moral and political reasons for forgiving, and people from different walks of life share their stories of forgiveness. The issue also includes an interview with former United States Labor Secretary Robert Reich on the relationship between social justice and social empathy.

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Volume I, Issue 1
Spring 2004

Compassion in Action

The inaugural (Spring 2004) issue of Greater Good features a symposium on the subject of compassion. Contributors, ranging from psychology researchers to grade school teachers, present some of the latest research on compassionate people, marriages, and classrooms, and provide inspiring stories of compassion in action. The issue also includes an interview with former Illinois Governor George Ryan about how (and whether) compassion affects politicians’ attitudes toward the death penalty.