A whole bunch of fascinating studies in this episode of The Psych Files! I cover the “Red Dress Effect“, what exactly we’re looking for in the facial characteristics of our leaders, how dark rooms might make you more likely to cheat, and how “contagious yawning” really works. Join me on this jaunt down some of the recent and fun research … Read More
Video: Object Permanence – Does Your Dog Have It?
Piaget’s concept of object permanence is essential to understand. But how did they study this idea among 1 year olds? Obviously children can’t tell you that they believe that something no longer exists when they can’t see it, so how do we know what is going on inside a child’s mind? How about this challenge: do animals also understand object permanence? If you’ve ever seen your cat or dog look under or around objects for a lost toy then yes – you’ve seen that they do understand object permanence.
Ep 145: Why a Tiger Mom Approach to Parenting Does NOT Work
Feeling guilty about not being a Tiger Mom (or Dad)? Let me give you 3 reasons why you don’t have to feel that way. Get yourself ready for the next time that someone says that you (or parents in general) have to be tougher on our kids.
Episode 136: Adele Faber Interview on Parenting (Part 2)
In part 2 of my interview with Adele Faber, co-author along with Elaine Mazlish of “How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk” we talk about what do do when you’ve got nothing left emotionally to give to your children, how to handle foul language, how to problem solve with your children, and being authentic with your children about own feelings. Finally, Adele gives her opinion on whether or not we need to be tougher with our children.
Episode 135: Adele Faber Interview on Parenting (Part 1)
Are you familiar with Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish‘s classic book “How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk“? You should be. It’s not just for parents. The ideas in this book and in their other books should be required reading for all of us, but especially for parents, therapists and anyone interested in what we can do to better communicate with each other. I think you will be as charmed as I was listening to Adele and I encourage you to listen to part 2 of this interview.
Episode 131: Even Children Do Statistics!
Here’s a fun piece of psychological research: finding out whether children use statistical information to figure out other people. We know kids are very perceptive and learn quickly. This study shows just how smart they really are.
Episode 128: Do Brain Training Games Work?
You’ve probably heard about these Brain Training games. Do they really help you to keep your mind sharp? Will they prevent cognitive decline or slow the effects of alzheimer’s disease? In this episode I review some recent studies on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of these popular games.
Episode 123 (video): What Does Your Dog Know About You?
What do your dog and Shakespeare have in common? Well, they both use a Theory of Mind. Join me for this video episode in which I look at this fascinating idea of theory of mind and the unique and fun research that has been done around it. And yes, you might pick up an idea of how to test your dog to see if your dog can actually read your mind.
Episode 108: Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief – More Harm Than Good?
Almost everyone has heard of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, her book On Death and Dying, and her five stages of grief. But are these stages accurate? Could the five stages of grief actually be doing more harm than good?
Episode 103: Raising Children – Interview with Author Jamie Raser
Having trouble raising your children? Join the crowd. There are lots of parenting books, but here’s one you should know about: “Raising Children You Can Live With” by Jamie Raser. He has an approach to parenting that is not about “picking your battles”, but about staying out of battles altogether and talking with your child in a way that doesn’t lead to shouting, screaming and anger. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
