Ep 301: Hatred and Violence in America: It’s Not About Mental Illness
There are too many knee-jerk, brief (and incorrect) explanations for why the US is experiencing such a rise in hatred and violence. Claiming that violent perpetrators are “mentally ill” is wrong. We...
View ArticleEp 332: How the Brain Lost Its Mind
Most of us have heard of Anton Mesmer and Jean Charcot. They were some of the first to dabble in the “mind cure” using hypnosis and the power of suggestion. But what role did syphilis play in the...
View ArticleEp 333: Bible Codes, Anti-Vaccination Beliefs and the Look Elsewhere Effect
In this episode I talk about whether there really is a bible code, anti-vaccination beliefs and whether jellybeans cause acne. It’s all part of how we humans love to find patterns in the world and...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleEp 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...
View ArticleThe 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,...
View ArticleCats: 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....
View ArticleThat’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...
View ArticleWhen 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...
View ArticleUsing 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...
View ArticleHow 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...
View ArticleAI: 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...
View ArticleBranching 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
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