Europe is saved so it’s risk on, right? I feel safe enough now that I’m headed on vacation for a few weeks. Seriously though, I’m going on the annual summer family trip so look forward to pics and tweets from New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Enjoy the links and your weekend!

• The psychology of competition [The Psychologist]
• Tie my shoes, please: How persuasion works [NPR]
• Cool! The cognitive science movie index [Indiana University]
• Keep a diary, tell your story, write to your future self [MyFutureSelf]
• Neglect hinders brain growth in kids [PsychCentral]
• Mouse brain sniffs out smell of fear [Futurity]
• Why we love Lego – leading psychologist reveals the ‘builder instinct’ is the key to the popularity of the toy [Mail Online]
• What’s behind the Rorschach inkblot test? [BBC]
• Stress hormones switch off areas of the brain for goal-directed behavior [RUB]
• How to win the Tour de France [BPS]
• America has a Culture of Learned Helplessness [The Creativity Post]
• The psychology of storytelling: 10 proven ways to create better stories (and why stories sell) [Sparing Mind]