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 relationship with someone like this. … Read More
Ep 328: Authenticity – Is There a Hidden You?
Have you ever wondered if you’re really being true to some inner person of yours? Wondered if there isn’t someone else inside that you that you’re supposed to be actualizing? Guess what? Maybe not. What is authenticity anyway? That’s what we’ll explore in this episode, along with a discussion of some of the doubts being cast on the famous Stanford … Read More
Ep 325: Love Your Work? Someone Will Take Advantage of That
It’s ingrained in western society that people should find work they really enjoy – work that fulfills a passion. If you’re lucky enough to have found work you’re passionate about you ought to know that there is a dark side. People who know that you’re doing the work because you love it might just take advantage of that. In this … Read More
Ep 308: How to Change the Mind of a Conservative
How do you get someone is is conservative to support climate change? Or stricter controls on guns? There is a way. Research confirms that conservatives tend to be focused on how good the past was, while liberals are “future-focused”. So what if you frame a statement about gun control by framing that statement around words and images that support a … Read More
Ep 303: Significance Quest Theory: How Do We De-Radicalize People?
So now that we know a lot about why individuals join extermist groups, what can we do about it? How do we bring them back to society and help them have meaningful lives again? This is the second of 2 episodes on this topic and what we learn here also applies to school shooters. Here are some concrete suggestions, supported … Read More
Ep 302: Violent Extremism: What’s the Psychology Behind It?
What draws people toward violent extremist groups? Psychologists have conducted a lot of research to find this out and in this episode I summarize the findings of key researchers in this area. Researchers Arie Kruglanski, Katarzyna Jasko, David Webber, Marina Chernikova and Erica Molinario explain how their theory, called SQT or Significance Quest Theory explains what leads young people to … Read More
Ep 275: What Makes Some People Funny?
You probably know someone who is just plain…well, funny. They may not necessarily even tell that many jokes, but they know how to come up with funny interpretations for what’s going on around you (“That guy looks like….”). They just know how to make you laugh. Researchers have studied this in great depth to find out What kind of personality … Read More
Ep 224 (Video): If Freud Worked Tech Support
A humorous way to learn about the Freudian defense mechanisms (actually elaborated by Anna Freud) of Displacement, Denial, Sublimation, Reaction Formation, and Projection. A little dream analysis thrown in. Who knows? Maybe Sigmund Freud would have been good at customer service…(technically, this is a video version of episode 209).
Ep 202: How To Memorize Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development
Need to memorize Sigmund Freud’s stages of psychosexual development for a test? Here’s a mnemonic that should do the trick. In this brief video, I give you a suggest for an acronym and a sentence that should be memorable, but feel free to make up your own as well. Get This Video And More On My Psych Mnemonics App! … Read More
Ep 190: Why Do You Get So Absorbed in that Book (or Movie)?
Have you ever become so immersed in a book or movie that you actually felt like the character? Or you felt the character’s pain or joy? Why does this happen? When does this happen? What is it about the book or the movie and its characters that draws us in like this? It’s amazing isn’t it? To be so moved … Read More
