Blinking, kicking, working, and taking drugs… what could possibly go wrong? [Cognitive Daily]

In case you missed them, here are my picks this week for psychology/neuroscience posts from ResearchBlogging.org.

Viewers of videos synchronize their blinking. It’s true. When people watch videos in a group, they tend to blink at the same time. Steve Genco explains why.
The goal really does seem bigger when you’re kicking well. Mo explains the research, which involves an extremely cute miniature adjustable field goal.
People work harder when they believe their work is “meaningful.” A cool experiment involving Legos explains why adult video store clerks are the surliest people in the world (or so I’ve heard).
Placebos have “side effects.” Neuroskeptic shows why this may mean that side-effects of real drugs are exaggerated.