Athena

Eldest Responsible, Middle Mediator, Youngest Coddled: Does Birth Order Really Influence Your Personality?

Are you the responsible, conscientious eldest sibling, the overlooked and quiet middle child, or the coddled and outgoing youngest?

Nicole HaverOctober 24, 2025

Athena Spiegeloog 438: Chaos

Athena: Is a Cluttered Desk really a Sign of a Cluttered Mind?

If there’s one thing my mother was strict about growing up, it was keeping my space organized. She would often repeat, "A messy desk is…

Nora KeloglanianApril 25, 2025

Athena Spiegeloog 437: Direction

Athena: A Scientific Approach to Divination

Imagine - you are visiting a medieval market and you discover a stall of tarot cards with an old, mysterious lady. Spontaneously, you decide to…

Paula BohmerMarch 10, 2025

Athena Spiegeloog 433: Control

Athena: Is ‘The Marshmallow Test’ Really A Crystal Ball?

Few psychological experiments have garnered as much attention and impact as the Marshmallow Test. A child seated in front of a tantalising marshmallow is presented…

Shriya BangMay 3, 2024

Athena Spiegeloog 432: Fragile

Athena: Fragile Egos

The phrase ‘fragile ego’ is one you hear often on social media or in pop psychology, often linked to narcissists. Although, the clinical disorder itself…

Júlia TarApril 4, 2024

Athena Society Spiegeloog 429: Explore

Athena: Does Power Inevitably Corrupt?

1974, Naples. Marina Abramović performs Rhythm 0, a six hour performance art piece in which she hands control over her body to the audience. Instructions:…

Evita EgertDecember 8, 2023

Athena Society Spiegeloog 422: Solace

Athena: ‘Reachers’ and ‘Settlers

Maybe you’ve heard of the ‘Reacher-Settler’ theory before. Since its initial mention in the tv series How I Met Your Mother (Malins, G. & Harris,…

Evita EgertDecember 7, 2022

Athena Spiegeloog 421: Reflections

Athena: We Make Our Choices Based on Free Will, Right?

Imagine you come out of a store in which you just bought yourself a book. If I would ask you who chose the book you…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloOctober 19, 2022

Athena Spiegeloog 419: Harmony

Athena: Can We Reach Harmony Through Aggression?

The catharsis hypothesis claims that suppressed emotions, such as anger and frustrations, can be alleviated by expressing them through aggression. Traditionally, the concept of catharsis…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloMay 19, 2022

Athena Spiegeloog 418: Time

Athena: Does Time Fly When You Are Having Fun?

Sometimes it is strange how much the feeling of time changes depending on our circumstances. Most people feel like their weekends go by a lot…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloApril 8, 2022

Athena Spiegeloog 415: Home

Athena: Do We Choose Partners Who Are Similar to Our Parents?

'We choose romantic partners who are similar to our parents.' According to psychologist John Gottman, the attraction to and selection of a partner could…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloNovember 29, 2021

Athena Society Spiegeloog 414: Rise

Athena: Do Opposites Attract?

'Opposites attract.' People who differ from us are often perceived as interesting, which might be caused by the ‘mystery’ that comes with just not…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloOctober 20, 2021