Quick bits

If your entry for the bake-off fails to wow judges, tell yourself, “I’ll do better next time.” Research in the journal Frontiers in Psychology shows that a brief, personal pep talk can do wonders for your performance on the next attempt. After analyzing results from more than 44,000 participants who competed in an online game, study authors found that people who cheered themselves on after a letdown had higher scores than those who focused on what they would do differently next time. It seems the extra vote of confidence spurs us to draw on our inner strengths.