Psychology - Page 29 of 55

Malcolm Gladwell on Why More Choice Means More Profit

Most industries have long since adopted the mantra that increasing choice means increasing profits.

For this diverting TED talk Malcolm Gladwell of ‘The Tipping Point’ and ‘Blink’ fame, is asked to discuss the pursuit of happiness. So he talks about the development of spaghetti sauce, quite naturally. This pean is particularly interesting as it shows exactly why consumer markets are incentivised to offer us more choice. The polar opposite of what Barry Schwartz explains in his TED talk: why too much choice is bad for us. The best balance probably lies somewhere in between.

Continue reading “Malcolm Gladwell on Why More Choice Means More Profit”

Expressing Negative Experience is Both Symptom and Cure

Some of my favourite research in psychology finds that expressive writing can benefit both physical and mental health.

[Photo by scribex]

Here’s a puzzle. Some of my favourite research in psychology finds that expressive writing can benefit both physical and mental health. And yet research on the social sharing of negative experience tells us that it doesn’t change the original memory and fails to bring relief. How come benefits are seen from expressive writing – which is often about sharing negative experience – and yet social sharing of emotions doesn’t bring relief? Let’s take a closer look.

Continue reading “Expressing Negative Experience is Both Symptom and Cure”

‘thanks!’ by Robert A. Emmons (Book Review)

‘thanks!’, argues that practising gratitude benefits our happiness, satisfaction with life and physical health.

Dr. Robert A. Emmons’ new positive psychology book, ‘thanks!‘, argues that practising gratitude benefits our happiness, satisfaction with life and physical health.

“Gratitude is the secret to life” – Albert Schweitzer

“Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing.” – Bart Simpson

Invoking the words of the great philosopher Bart Simpson, along with other mere mortals, Dr Robert Emmons makes a great case for the importance of gratitude in life. Thankfully it’s not just the words of Bart Simpson and a few nicely chosen anecdotes on which Emmons is relying, he has scientific evidence. Emmons opens the book with experimental evidence showing how gratefulness can increase happiness by 25%.

Continue reading “‘thanks!’ by Robert A. Emmons (Book Review)”

Thinking of a Psychology Degree? Free Lectures from University of California at Berkeley

Psychology is now the third most popular subject at degree level in the UK.

[Photo by kitsu]

Psychology is now the third most popular subject at degree level in the UK. If you’re thinking of studying for a psychology degree and you’re not sure whether it’s for you, then these free Psych 101 lectures from Berkeley are just the thing.

The course covers some basic areas of psychology: learning, sensation, perception, personality and development. The instructor on this course, Professor John Kihlstrom, is a highly respected psychologist at Berkeley, so well worth listening to. You can download the courses to your computer or mp3 player to listen to on the move.

Continue reading “Thinking of a Psychology Degree? Free Lectures from University of California at Berkeley”

Barry Schwartz on Why Too Much Choice is Bad for Us

Too many choices cause paralysis rather than liberation.

Thanks to Olenka who pointed me to this great talk by Barry Schwartz on why too much choice is bad for us.

Continue reading “Barry Schwartz on Why Too Much Choice is Bad for Us”

The Impact Bias: Why We Are Poor at Simulating the Impact of Future Events

Time and time again research on gaining or losing romantic partners, passing or failing exams, winning or losing elections has found they have little effect on our long-term happiness.

Here’s a really fun lecture by psychologist Dan Gilbert of Stumbling on Happiness fame. He explains why we’re poor at simulating the effect future events will have on us.

Time and time again research on gaining or losing romantic partners, passing or failing exams, winning or losing elections has found they have little effect on our long-term happiness. In fact, Gilbert quotes a recent study finding that almost anything that happened more than three months ago has no effect on our current levels of happiness.

Continue reading “The Impact Bias: Why We Are Poor at Simulating the Impact of Future Events”

Instruction Manual for Psychological Torture Now Online

The Manipulation of Human Behavior, published in 1961, contains techniques for interrogation and brainwashing.

The Manipulation of Human Behavior, published in 1961, contains techniques for interrogation and brainwashing. The book’s publication was sponsored by the US Air Force who were worried about what psychological techniques prisoners-of-war might face behind enemy lines. It contains chapters on:

The Use of Drugs in Interrogation
The Potential Uses of Hypnosis in Interrogation
Countermanipulation through Malingering

…and plenty of other fun subjects.

The book itself actually only contains reviews of the publicly available psychological literature on each of these gruesome techniques. The authors do point out, however, that it is likely that parallel, secret investigations have been carried out by police and intelligence agencies.

Continue reading “Instruction Manual for Psychological Torture Now Online”

Nominate Your Favourite Social Psychology Studies

In my countdown of the of all time, the clear front runner is former Yale and Harvard social psychologist, Stanley Milgram.

[Photo by striatic]

In my countdown of the top ten psychology studies of all time, in which 588 votes have been cast, the clear front runner is former Yale and Harvard social psychologist, Stanley Milgram. His series of experiments on obedience to authority are amongst the best known in psychology. They have such clear implications for our view of human nature that they are impossible to ignore. The very idea that we so readily obey others is at once both a powerful insight and deeply disturbing.

Continue reading “Nominate Your Favourite Social Psychology Studies”

Why Attempt Suicide? Evidence from the Poetry of Suicidal Poets

Hollywood actor Owen Wilson’s recent suicide attempt once more raises the question of what leads people to take their own life.

[Photo by acme]

Hollywood actor Owen Wilson’s recent suicide attempt once more raises the question of what leads people to take their own life. Research into suicidal poets provides some clues.

This week it was confirmed that Owen Wilson, the Hollywood actor, attempted suicide. The question ‘why?’ naturally arises in these circumstances. While people’s specific reasons vary greatly, psychologists are, of course, interested in the general factors that lead to suicidal behaviour. Some fascinating evidence about what these general factors are comes from a study on poets, who appear particularly prone to suicide.

Continue reading “Why Attempt Suicide? Evidence from the Poetry of Suicidal Poets”

Men and Women Are Psychologically Very Similar

That’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m fed up with endless bogus stories claiming substantial differences between men and women in the popular press.

…despite appearances:

[Photo by Mr November]
That’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m fed up with endless bogus stories claiming substantial differences between men and women which pass for news in the popular press. With the help of Janet Shibley Hyde of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and literally thousands of psychology studies, this myth can be banished forever (Hyde, 2005).

Continue reading “Men and Women Are Psychologically Very Similar”