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Recent Posts
- Lost in the Click: Exploring the Browser Doorway Effect
The Blank Tab Effect: A Modern Doorway Phenomenon Have you ever switched to a new browser tab, only to find yourself staring at a blank page and wondering why you opened it in the first place? This common experience is strikingly similar to what psychologists call the doorway effect and it’s one of quirks of… Read more: Lost in the Click: Exploring the Browser Doorway Effect - Beck’s Cognitive Distortions: An AI-Powered Learning Activity
In my recent exploration of artificial intelligence, I stumbled upon a fascinating article entitled, “Instructors as Innovators: a Future-focused Approach to New AI Learning Opportunities, With Prompts” which introduced the concept of goal-play interaction between students and AI. The authors provided a prompt for this interaction, which I found to be an intriguing application of… Read more: Beck’s Cognitive Distortions: An AI-Powered Learning Activity - Paralyzed by Fear: Exploring Tonic Immobility in Sexual Assault
In this episode I mention an organization I do work with and which I think is doing such wonderful work. If you are a mental health professional I strong encourage you to visit Safer Society. In this episode of “The Psych Files,” I delve into the complex and sensitive topic of sexual assault, focusing particularly… Read more: Paralyzed by Fear: Exploring Tonic Immobility in Sexual Assault - Cloning Voices: Scary Maybe, But Also Therapeutic?
I’ve been exploring the technology of voice cloning, and it’s raised some important questions. While I’m concerned about the potential misuse of AI voice therapy, I’ve also seen its therapeutic benefits firsthand. I used ElevenLabs to recreate my father’s voice, which was a unique and emotional experience. It made me think about the possibilities of… Read more: Cloning Voices: Scary Maybe, But Also Therapeutic? - Psych Insights: From Musical Alarms to Dreaming Pets and Personality Tests: My 3 Favorite Psych Articles This Week – March 8, 2024
In this episode of The Psych Files, host Michael Britt explores three fascinating new psychology studies. First, research found that making hospital alarms more musical could help prevent dangerous mistakes caused by alarm fatigue. Next, studies on cats and dogs suggest they likely dream about their waking experiences, just like humans do. The brain activity… Read more: Psych Insights: From Musical Alarms to Dreaming Pets and Personality Tests: My 3 Favorite Psych Articles This Week – March 8, 2024 - Part 2: How Do Actors Memorize All Those Lines?
Part 2: How Do Actors Memorize All Those Lines? Here is part 2 of my interview with author and actor Jared Kelner. In this episode he tells how he uses the DSM (Diagnotic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in his work as an actor. We also talk a little more about his use of… Read more: Part 2: How Do Actors Memorize All Those Lines? - Part 1: How Do Actors Memorize All Those Lines?You have no doubt asked yourself this question after watching a play: “How did those actors memorize all those lines?”. In previous episodes of The Psych Files I have discussed a few of the techniques actors use to do this, but on this episode I have an interview with a professional actor, Jared Kelner, who… Read more: Part 1: How Do Actors Memorize All Those Lines?
- Branching Scenarios: How To Create One Using ThingLink
There are many great tools that can give content a little “life” and make them a bit more immersive. ThingLink is a company that makes a great tool with many features for doing just this. In this video I show how I created a branching scenario for Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. - AI: The Death of Creativity?
The AI Challenge: death of creativity? As we progress into an age dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), many professions are grappling with the existential question: Will AI replace me? In this article, a writer takes us on their personal journey of understanding and reconciling with the role of AI in creativity. The Writer’s Quandary Being… Read more: AI: The Death of Creativity? - How Actors Use the “Number-Shape” Mnemonic Technique
Facebook Twitter Youtube Tiktok Another of my episodes on mnemonic techniques you can use for just about any purpose. I recently discovered a pegword system in a great book called, “Line?”. It’s a book for actors that was written by a memory expert like myself, Jared Kelner. Check out his book on Amazon. In this… Read more: How Actors Use the “Number-Shape” Mnemonic Technique - Using the Keyword Mnemonic Technique to Memorize Lines
I explain how the keyword mnemonic technique can help actors memorize their lines. It’s an effective and fun strategy you can use in the beginning when you’re first learning lines, or during performance if something really unexpected happens and throws you. Keyword images can help get you back on your game. In today’s episode, we… Read more: Using the Keyword Mnemonic Technique to Memorize Lines - When Good People Do Bad Things
For years, the Stanford Prison Study has been used to tout the idea that putting any individual in a position of absolute control brings out the worst in them (and in a more general sense, that people conform to the roles they’re placed in). An article appearing in Scientific American (Rethinking the Infamous Stanford Prison Experiment)… Read more: When Good People Do Bad Things - That’s Not Fair! How Unfairness Can Affect Your Work Motivation
Suppose you were working a job where everyone makes around $12/hour and your supervisor announced that she was raising salaries so that everyone at the company will now make at least $15/hour? You’d be pretty happy right? At Gravity Payments the CEO took a huge cut in pay and announced that every employee would make… Read more: That’s Not Fair! How Unfairness Can Affect Your Work Motivation - Cats: Not As Aloof As We Think
Here’s a current topic you might want to add to the Development chapter of your psych text for students to consider: do dogs and cats get attached to their owners? We certainly get attached to them. You might begin by asking student dog owners how they know their dog is attached to them. What kinds… Read more: Cats: Not As Aloof As We Think - The Chore of Getting Men to Do Housework
Gender Roles and Housework The Stereotype in Comedy The perception of gender roles in household chores has been long-established. Television shows, like a particular skit from Saturday Night Live, often humorously underline how certain tasks are “feminine” or “masculine”. But why is there resistance towards tasks deemed unmanly? In this episode, we delve deeper into… Read more: The Chore of Getting Men to Do Housework - Ep 340 What’s a High Sensation Seeker?
Do you like to bungee jump? Perhaps you’re into parachuting or wing suit flying? If so, you’re probably a “high sensation seeker” In this fascinating interview with Dr. Kenneth Carter, author of the new book “Buzz!”, we talk about what kind of personality a sensation seeker has and what it’s like to be in a… Read more: Ep 340 What’s a High Sensation Seeker? - Ep 339: What Makes a Song Appealing?
Music researchers analyzed over 700 top Billboard songs (which included examining over 80,000 chords) and they determined that the “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da” is the most appealing song ever written. How in the world, you might ask, did they choose that (some would say annoying) song?! Let’s find out how two key ingredients – surprise and uncertainty –… Read more: Ep 339: What Makes a Song Appealing? - Ep 338: What Role Are Women Really Playing? The Bechdel Test
In movies and TV, women are understandably tired of playing roles like the “Wife” or the “Girlfriend”. Nowadays we’re seeing more women in film and TV but has their role in the production really changed all that much? That’s what the Bechdel test is all about. It’s not a test per se but rather a… Read more: Ep 338: What Role Are Women Really Playing? The Bechdel Test - Ep 337: Why Do We Think Women Aren’t Funny?
Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t think that women can be funny? I have to admit that I didn’t hear that until recently, so I looked at some of the research on gender and perceptions of humor. I think you’ll be surprised. In this episode I summarize some of this research. Resources… Read more: Ep 337: Why Do We Think Women Aren’t Funny? - Ep 336: Why is it Usually Men Who Commit Violent Acts?
Another violent act in America. Another man who committed it. Why do men in our society seem to always be the ones who carry out violent acts? Is it how we bring up boys? Or is there another influence – genes. I was lucky enough to get professor Steve Stewart-Williams, author of the book… Read more: Ep 336: Why is it Usually Men Who Commit Violent Acts? - Ep 335: Conspiracy Theories – Why So Easy To Believe?
Why do some conspiracy theories seem to have so much evidence to support them? Well, that’s because if you look hard enough at any event, and you don’t have any particular theory before you start looking, you’re eventually going to find something. And you’ll probably think that thing is AMAZING. This is what careful thinkers… Read more: Ep 335: Conspiracy Theories – Why So Easy To Believe? - Ep 334: The Psychology of the Fantasticks
Have you seen the musical The Fantasticks? Not only does it have wonderful music but it also has pearls of wisdom. Oh yea, and gender issues. In this episode I talk about the psychology inside this great show. Resources The Fantasticks Teaching skepticism It turns out money can kind of buy happiness after all German… Read more: Ep 334: The Psychology of the Fantasticks