Dopamine is known as the chemical of love, creativity and addiction. It pushes us to achieve greatness, but it can also lead to our downfall. To help us understand this tricky molecule, the guests for this episode are Dr. Daniel Lieberman, professor and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University, and Michael Long, a speechwriter, screenwriter and playwright who teaches writing at Georgetown University. They co-wrote a b...
Mar 13, 2019•54 min•Ep. 76
We all want to find meaning in our lives, our reason to get up in the morning, yet doing so may not be easy. What is meaning in life and how do we find it for ourselves? The guest for this episode is Clara Hill, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Maryland and author of Meaning in Life: A Therapist’s Guide. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020 sessions, learn more at http://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 27, 2019•48 min•Ep. 75
Half of Americans say they are lonely and the average person reports having only one close friend. Loneliness can also make us sick, contributing to heart disease, depression, suicide and cognitive decline. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, explains the science behind why social connectedness is so essential for our health. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020 sessions, learn more at http://convention.apa.org/proposals Lea...
Feb 13, 2019•46 min•Ep. 74
2018 was the worst year the U.S. stock market has seen since 2008 and worries about the economy are continuing in 2019. How do you deal with anxiety in a volatile market? Psychologist Frank Murtha, PhD, co-founder of MarketPsych, a consulting firm to the financial industry, explains how to calm stock market fears and ways to build a savvy investor identity. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choi...
Jan 30, 2019•43 min•Ep. 73
Sharing your expertise with the world on YouTube and other social media platforms can be both thrilling and terrifying. If you want to know where to start, look no further than Ali Mattu, PhD. He’s a licensed clinical psychologist and creator of “The Psych Show” whose videos have been watched over 700,000 times. Mattu gives advice on where to begin, how to overcome impostor syndrome and the lessons he’s learned along the way. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn m...
Jan 16, 2019•29 min•Ep. 72
We all dream yet many of us don’t know what to make of our nocturnal adventures. Dream scholar Deirdre Barrett, PhD, explains why we dream and what our dreams may be trying to tell us. She also offers tips on how to better remember your dreams to harness the power of your sleeping mind. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 02, 2019•51 min•Ep. 71
Worried about making it through your next holiday gathering without it devolving into a political screaming match? Get advice from the experts, APA's Dr. Lynn Bufka and Dr. Jeanne Safer, host of the podcast, "I Love You But I Hate Your Politics." APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 19, 2018•34 min•Ep. 70
Philip Zimbardo, PhD, is one of the most recognizable names in the field of psychology. In this episode, Zimbardo discusses recent criticism of his controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment as well as his other work on time, shyness, men and heroism. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 05, 2018•32 min•Ep. 69
Headline issues, from immigration to sexual assault, are causing significant stress for teens and young adults in Generation Z with mass shootings topping the list of stressful current events and more than two-thirds of adults reported feeling major stress about the nation’s future, according to the 2018 APA Stress in America™ report. APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, explains the findings and shares coping strategies to combat stress. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here ...
Nov 21, 2018•15 min•Ep. 68
The national conversation on opioids focuses mostly on abuse and overdose deaths but there are millions of Americans using opioids to manage chronic pain. Can integrating psychological approaches into pain care offer some patients low-risk pain treatment options? Beth Darnall, PhD, from Stanford University, explains how psychology and mindfulness can treat pain and help people with chronic pain live better lives. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://c...
Nov 07, 2018•18 min•Ep. 67
Love. We all want it but sustaining that spark can be difficult in our hectic world, especially with life stressors beyond our control. How do we find love and keep the passion alive throughout the years? Relationship expert Benjamin Karney, PhD, from the UCLA Marriage Lab shares valuable insights. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 17, 2018•43 min•Ep. 66
Smartphones allow us to connect with loved ones, keep us informed and entertained and on time for our meetings, but they are also negatively affecting our attention spans, relationships, sleep and mental health. What if smartphones could be used to monitor our mental health and wellbeing? You guessed it. There’s an app for that. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Oct 03, 2018•19 min•Ep. 65
"Something Happened In Our Town" is a children’s book about racial injustice from Magination Press, APA’s children's books imprint. The story follows two families — one white, one black — as they discuss the police shooting of a black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://conve...
Sep 19, 2018•15 min•Ep. 64
How people interact with robots is influenced by the robots’ characteristics. Whether a robot has eyes or arms or a human-like voice affects our response to them. Jeff Hancock, PhD, has studied the research to date on social robots and learned that robots’ perceived warmth and competence have the strongest effect. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 05, 2018•21 min•Ep. 63
Internet of Things devices such as smart televisions and thermostats often lack adequate built-in security, leading to privacy and safety risks not commonly understood by consumers. John Blythe, PhD, argues that a labelling scheme for these devices will provide consumers with a clear picture of the security of an IoT device and help them to choose technology that meets their security and privacy needs. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.a...
Aug 15, 2018•15 min•Ep. 62
Every day, we are all called on to make online security decisions. Psychologist Emma Williams studies the contexts in which we make these decisions in an effort to develop safer practices. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2018•21 min•Ep. 61
Looking at large numbers of social media postings in aggregate can tell us quite a bit about Americans’ mental state. Sharath Guntuku, PhD, has analyzed the language in tweets to identify regional variations in stress and well-being. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 11, 2018•11 min•Ep. 60
Social physics is the idea of using statistics to quantify and manage change in culture. This idea inspired the modern national census, but the difficulty of acquiring data limited what could be accomplished. Today’s technology produces a continuous trail of digital breadcrumbs that allow human behavior to be examined even in complex natural environments. Alexander “Sandy” Pentland, PhD, discusses how large-scale studies can be used to predict and shape a wide range of important common behaviors...
Jun 20, 2018•22 min•Ep. 59
Conventional wisdom says that impressionable individuals will imitate all kinds of behaviors they see in movies and on TV — including suicide, especially in the wake of the TV series "13 Reasons Why." But is there such a thing as suicide contagion? The evidence is weak, according to Christopher Ferguson, PhD, who details a scientific review he conducted to try to answer that question. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals L...
Jun 06, 2018•12 min•Ep. 58
Several technology and automotive companies are already testing highly automated vehicles on public roads, and many automobiles can be driven with the assistance of semi-automated systems. Through the development of these systems, significant public attention has been placed on the promise of removing drivers from the vehicle; however, more limited focus has been drawn to the role of people in automated vehicle systems. David Friedman discusses how automation inside and outside vehicles may shap...
May 16, 2018•20 min•Ep. 57
Touchscreen use among children is ubiquitous. But how much is too much, and is there an age before which you shouldn’t hand a child a smartphone or tablet? Roberta Golinkoff, PhD, discusses how this relatively new technology can help young children learn and why it’s different from television and books. Help us learn more about you. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
May 02, 2018•19 min•Ep. 56
Persuasion expert Robert Cialdini, PhD, talks about his formidable body of work developing and understanding what he calls the six universal principles of influence. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 23, 2018•21 min•Ep. 55
Climate change will have significant psychological effects on many people, including older adults, according to a report published by the American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica. In this episode, Michael Smyer, PhD, talks about how to get older adults to move from anxiety to action in reducing the effects of climate change. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Mar 16, 2018•14 min•Ep. 54
Since 1980, obesity in the United States has doubled among children ages 2 to 4, and nearly tripled among children and adolescents ages 6 to 19. In this episode, Eleanor Mackey, PhD, talks about why improving eating habits among children and teens should be a family affair. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 16, 2018•13 min•Ep. 53
For decades, psychologists have been studying what makes people good leaders. But it isn’t just about possessing certain leadership traits. In this episode, Alice Eagly, PhD, talks about how stereotypes grounded in everyday psychological observations and stereotypes affect how women are perceived as leaders and how society can change those perceptions. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Jan 19, 2018•16 min•Ep. 52
Talking to loved ones about important end-of-life decisions can spark a complicated land mine of emotions. So much so, many people put it off until it’s too late. In this episode, Brian Carpenter, PhD, talks about why it’s important to have these conversations and how to approach these discussions successfully. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 22, 2017•15 min•Ep. 51
Feminist discussions are often aimed at adults, while girls tend to be left out of the conversation. In this episode, Gayle Pitman, PhD, talks about her new book, “Feminism: A to Z,” and how parents and teachers can use a feminist theory and perspective to give teenage girls the support, courage and energy to face the challenges of adolescence. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Nov 03, 2017•17 min•Ep. 50
It defies intuition to think innocent people would confess to a crime they did not commit. But, research has shown that everyone has a breaking point. In this episode, Saul Kassin, PhD, talks about the psychology behind false confessions and how law enforcement officials and legislators can take steps to prevent them. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 13, 2017•34 min•Ep. 49
Mental preparation can affect performance, whether you're preparing for a big test at school or competing at the Olympics. In this episode, Steve Portenga, PhD, talks about the psychology behind performing at your best and how to help overachievers handle stress. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 20, 2017•17 min•Ep. 48
Protecting children from sadness, anxiety and stress is a natural instinct for many adults. But, finding ways to help them address these inevitable obstacles to happiness is a challenge parents, teachers and other caregivers have to face head on. In this episode, Bonnie Zucker, PsyD, talks about how to explain death to young children as well as the research into the effectiveness of relaxation and mindfulness techniques for kids. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to lea...
May 12, 2017•14 min•Ep. 47
