Magda Matetovici, Author at Spiegeloog

Spiegeloog 432: Fragile

Less Achievement Pressure, More School Involvement

Parents want their children to do well in school, with some feeling that they must compete against each other or against the clock to become…

Magda MatetoviciApril 2, 2024

Spiegeloog 430: Love Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa: We are Family

On the cover of the version I have, Andrew Solomon calls “We are family” by Susan Golombok a book about love. Reaching the end of…

Magda MatetoviciJanuary 31, 2024

Spiegeloog 428: Alive

Sharing About Your Children’s Lives Online is Called Sharenting

You might not have heard of the word “sharenting”, but chances are you have seen it. Many parents post regularly on social media about their…

Magda MatetoviciOctober 30, 2023

Spiegeloog 422: Solace

What Can We Do to Reduce Children’s Anxiety?

Growing up is not easy, and children can experience anxiety during the many challenges they face. Making friends, going to school or participating in household…

Magda MatetoviciNovember 29, 2022

Spiegeloog 422: Solace

Cuddly Toys: Why do we like them so much?

Many of us remember cuddling with stuffed animals as children. Some of us could not say goodbye to our favorite teddy bear (or to an…

Nicole Haver and Magda MatetoviciNovember 22, 2022

Spiegeloog 421: Reflections

Trusting Science Doesn’t Make You Less of a Critical Thinker

Most of us trust science in one way or the other. We follow our doctor’s advice or agree with the school’s methods of teaching us…

Magda MatetoviciOctober 31, 2022

Camera Obscura Spiegeloog 419: Harmony

Camera Obscura: Turning Red

Turning Red is the newest animation released by Pixar. It features the story of Mei Lee, a Chinese-Canadian teenager who enters puberty and struggles to…

Magda MatetoviciJune 1, 2022

Spiegeloog 419: Harmony

Not Another Group Assignment!

Group projects can be frustrating. But they are often used to assess students and are argued to be good preparation for professional work. In this…

Magda Matetovici and Emanuela ZhechevaMay 16, 2022

Bacchus News & opinion Spiegeloog 418: Time

Bacchus: Another round

There are many reasons why people do a (second) study or start studying at an older age than is usual. Maybe they decided to take…

Magda Matetovici and Anne Sophie GiacobelloMay 3, 2022

Spiegeloog 418: Time

The Best Time to Learn

Are there things you can only learn as a baby? Was your adolescent self a faster learner than you are now? This article will give…

Magda MatetoviciApril 18, 2022

Spiegeloog 418: Time

Is Time-Out a Good Idea?

Time-out is a very popular method for disciplining children. It has both advocates for and against it and this article will explore the possibility that…

Magda MatetoviciApril 4, 2022

Spiegeloog 417: Science

Metaphors and Science: Are Brains like Computers?

Brains process information and no one knows exactly how. They solve problems, keep our memories and they are quite complex. Is it useful to say…

Magda Matetovici and Sjoerd TerpstraMarch 10, 2022

Spiegeloog 415: Home

Tabula Rasa: Rationality

Most people think of themselves as rational. However, it turns out that it is a good idea to be skeptical about our own rationality because…

Magda MatetoviciDecember 3, 2021

Office Hours Spiegeloog 415: Home

Office Hours: Academic Friendships

My experience reading the often-touching acknowledgment section in science books made me suspect that friendships between researchers are a great source of inspiration and contagious…

Magda MatetoviciNovember 19, 2021

Spiegeloog 414: Rise

Shy and Successful: What Empowers Timid Children

Parents of shy children might worry that they will have trouble making new friends, that they will fail to stand for themselves in unfair situations,…

Magda MatetoviciNovember 8, 2021

Spiegeloog 413: Nature

Is the Sun Alive and are the Clouds Made of Sugar?

What do children know about the world before coming into contact with formal scientific education? In this article we will look at three aspects involved…

Magda MatetoviciSeptember 8, 2021

Bacchus News & opinion Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Bacchus: Uninterested in Happiness

Here is a story we all know about: a teacher asks the class to write on a piece of paper what they want to become…

Magda MatetoviciJune 25, 2021

PSYCHsources Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

PSYCHsources: Developmental Psychology

PSYCHsources introduces a different topic from psychology every month. It offers a list of resources that are useful to anyone who wants to learn more…

Magda MatetoviciJune 16, 2021

Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Paradoxical Pleasures

Do you find yourself seeking angst-filled poetry or sad songs? Do you ever find yourself chomping down spicy food while your mouth is burning and…

Nitya Shah and Magda MatetoviciJune 7, 2021

PSYCHsources Spiegeloog 411: Power

PSYCHsources: Evolutionary Psychology

PSYCHsources introduces a different topic from psychology every month. It offers a list of resources that are useful to anyone who wants to learn more…

Magda MatetoviciMay 5, 2021

Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

Red apples vs. blue potatoes. Why does the colour of our food matter?

Pictures of unusually coloured food receive a lot of attention on social media, take rainbow bagels, black ice-cream or red velvet cakes. This is not…

Magda MatetoviciMarch 10, 2021

PSYCHsources Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

PSYCHsources: Positive Psychology

PSYCHsources introduces a different topic from psychology every month. It offers a list of resources that are useful to anyone who wants to learn more…

Magda MatetoviciMarch 5, 2021

Spiegeloog 409: Conflict

War play and the use of toy guns. Does it influence children’s behavior?

It is very likely that many of us at some point will have to shop for children's presents, for example for a birthday or holiday.…

Magda MatetoviciFebruary 8, 2021

Spiegeloog 408: Consequences

Intention and Consequence in Children’s Moral Judgements

As human beings, we spend a great deal of time observing what others do. We do that to learn how certain things must be done…

Magda MatetoviciNovember 16, 2020

Camera Obscura Spiegeloog 408: Consequences

Camera Obscura: Babies

Are you curious about how a human being develops starting from birth? The time you studied the world most intensively, was when you were a…

Bianca Moraru and Magda MatetoviciNovember 9, 2020