Speaking Of Psychology

Meditation practices date back thousands of years and are a part of nearly every major religion. But it’s only in the past couple of decades that researchers have begun to use the tools of modern science to explore what is happening in the brain when people meditate and how meditation might benefit our mind and body. Richard Davidson, PhD, director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin and a pioneer in the scientific study of meditation, discusses what scientists have learned and how these ancient practices can help us to flourish. We’d love to know what you think of Speaking of Psychology, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey, visit www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Richard Davidson, PhD Music Meditation_Impromptu_01.mp3 by jominvg via Freesound.org Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From movie plots to ad campaigns to viral videos, if they feature twins, they grab our attention every time. But it’s not only the general public who are fascinated with twins. Over many decades, twins have garnered attention from psychologists and other researchers because of what they can tell us about how our genes and environment interact to make us who we are. Nancy Segal, PhD, a professor of psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton, talks about the state of twin research today and what we've learned about twins, and from them, over the decades. Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Nancy Segal, PhD Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton Music Funny music (orchestra) by Darkash28 via Freesound.org     Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

As a species, humans have an extra-long childhood. And as any parent or caregiver knows, kids are expensive—they take an extraordinary amount of time, energy and resources to raise. So why do we have such a long childhood? What’s in it for us as a species? According to Alison Gopnik, PhD, of the University of California, Berkeley, the answer is that kids are the "R&D division of humanity," with brains optimized to explore the world and seek out new knowledge and experiences. Gopnik discusses her research and its implications for how we think about the purpose of childhood, how we raise and educate our children, the role of grandparents in teaching the next generation, and even how we might develop artificial intelligence systems inspired by children’s remarkable learning abilities.  Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links

For psychologists, romance, attraction and love are not just the stuff of poetry – they’re also a subject for research. What are the qualities of a successful relationship? Why do some relationships endure while others fail? What do we gain from our relationships? How do we know which ones are worth holding onto or when it’s time to quit? Gary Lewandowski, PhD, a professor of psychology at Monmouth University, delves into these questions and discusses how understanding the science of relationships can help us strengthen our own. Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Gary Lewandowski, PhD Break-Ups Don’t Have to Leave You Broken, Gary Lewandowski at TEDxNavesink Stronger Than You Think (Book) Music love technohouse & peace by frankum via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who among us wouldn’t want to improve his or her brain? To see better, to hear better or to improve one'​s memory? The field of brain training has attracted controversy as commercial companies have heavily marketed brain training products that aren’t necessarily backed by science. But some researchers believe that brain training research does hold promise for developing games that can help people -- including older adults who want to keep their memories sharp, athletes who want to improve their performance and other populations. Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Aaron Seitz, PhD UCR Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Wellbeing Music Game-Music-01 by Michael-DB via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a lifetime of thinking that she was just a little bit bad at remembering people, Sadie Dingfelder learned that she had prosopagnosia, a disorder more colloquially known as face blindness. Harvard psychologist Joe DeGutis, PhD, who runs the research study that Dingfelder participated in, joins her to discuss how people with face blindness see the world, why it’s such an interesting disorder to study, and promising treatments that his lab is exploring.  Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Joe DeGutis, PhD Boston Attention and Learning Lab Music "Mystery" by ispeakwaves courtesy of freesound.org Sponsor APA 2020 Virtual Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past 20 years, the field of positive psychology has grown from a fledgling idea to a worldwide movement. Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. Former APA president Martin Seligman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder of positive psychology, joins us to discuss what positive psychology has to say about flourishing in tough times, such as a pandemic.  Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Martin Seligman, PhD The Hope Circuit by Martin Seligman, PhD Music New York Jazz Loop by FoolBoyMedia via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past year, COVID-19 and the U.S. elections have provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories—with sometimes disastrous consequences. Karen Douglas, PhD, of the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them and whether there is any way to combat them effectively. Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey. Links Karen Douglas, PhD APA Monitor on Psychology Music Futuristic Suspense Ambience by tyops via freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us are brimming with good intentions right now, determined to eat more healthily, get organized or fulfill our other New Year’s resolutions. But by February we’ll have reverted back to our old ways. Why is it so difficult to make these lasting behavioral changes? Wendy Wood, PhD, of the University of Southern California, discusses the research on how habits drive our behavior, why habits are so difficult to break, and how we can harness the power of habit to make the behavioral changes we want. We’d love to know what you think of Speaking of Psychology, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener www.apa.org/podcast survey. Links Wendy Wood, PhD Music Jazz Music Loop by anechoix via freesound.org   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re taking a holiday break, so we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from this past year. Back in the spring we talked to University of Florida psychologist Erin Westgate about the surprisingly fascinating topic of boredom. What is boredom? Is it always bad to be bored? What can we do to infuse even boring times with meaning?  Links Erin Westgate, PhD Music "Emotional Piano" by tictac9 via freesound.org.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These days, Republicans and Democrats don't just disagree with each other's political opinions -- many view members of the other party as immoral and even abhorrent. Eli Finkel, PhD, a social psychologist at Northwestern University in Chicago, led a group of social scientists who published a paper in the journal Science about the causes and consequences of this deepening rift. Finkel studies American politics, romantic relationships and the intersection of those two concepts. He joins us to discuss the rise of political sectarianism and why the current state of American politics is like a bad marriage. Links Eli Finkel, PhD Political sectarianism in America Music "Tension Orchestra Chords" by Frankum via Freesound.org Sponsor APA 2020 Virtual Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The simulated shock generator for Stanley Milgram’s famed studies on obedience, artifacts from the Stanford Prison Experiment, and a curious machine called a psychograph that promised to read your personality by measuring the bumps on your head--all of these items are on display at the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The center’s mission is to preserve and interpret psychology’s historical record. Director Cathy Faye, PhD, talks about the center’s collection and how she and her staff work to preserve psychology’s past as well as document its present. Links Cathy Faye, PhD Cummings Center for the History of Psychology   Music Expressions of the Mind by ShadyDave via freesound.org Sponsor APA Virtual 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many people, the holiday season can be a time of stress rather than joy even in the best of times. And this year, of course, the holidays will be different for everyone, as the coronavirus pandemic forces us to forgo holiday gatherings and family visits. Elaine Rodino, PhD, discusses the "holiday blues" and how to get through the season, this year and every year. Links Elaine Rodino, PhD Music "A Christmas Tale" by lena_orsa courtesy of freesound.org Sponsor APA 2020 Virtual Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our increasingly diverse country, many workplaces have implemented diversity training programs aimed at fostering cohesion, mutual respect and understanding among employees of different backgrounds. Calvin Lai, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, discusses what we can learn from psychological research about whether diversity training works and what makes for effective training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than one-third of young adults ages 18 to 23--the older members of Gen Z--said that their mental health was worse right now than at the same time last year, according to APA's Stress in America survey. That's a higher number than any other age group. Emma Adam, PhD, a developmental psychologist at Northwestern University, discusses why the stresses of 2020 are hitting young adults so hard, why the pandemic's effects on teen stress seem to be more mixed, and how stress may affect this generation's health and development.    Music Used in this Episode "Expressions of the Mind" by ShadyDave via freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you open the newspaper, turn on the nightly news or scroll the Internet, is what you are reading and seeing true? How do you know? What is “fake news” and why does it seem to be everywhere? Dr. Dolores Albarracin explains why fake news is so compelling, and what it takes to counteract it. "Countdown News Intro" by chimerical via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists are racing to develop a safe, effective, vaccine for COVID-19 – but will people be willing to take it when it's available? We already have a flu vaccine, but less than half of Americans get it each year. Gretchen Chapman, PhD, a cognitive psychologist who studies health behavior, discusses why people choose to get vaccinated–or not–and how policymakers can encourage vaccination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Americans see this as the most consequential election in recent American history. What will shape voters’ decisions and actions this year? Jon Krosnick, PhD, director of the Political Psychology Research Group at Stanford University, discusses the psychological forces at play when people decide whether to vote and whom to vote for. He also talks about his recent research that finds Americans are increasingly concerned about climate change. Links: Jon Krosnick, PhD Credits: Music bed "Dramatic Scroller" by FoolBoyMedia, freesound.org (CC BY-NC 4.0) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the thousands of apps that aim to help people with everything from stress to anxiety to PTSD to sleep problems, how many are based on solid scientific research? How many live up to what they promise? And how can you choose from among all the options? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ choice for vice presidential nominee, the challenges faced by female political candidates are back in the news again. This year is the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in the United States, but true equality for women remains elusive in politics, business and many other areas. Alice Eagly, PhD, an emeritus professor of psychology at Northwestern University, discusses her research on the psychology of gender, including sex differences and similarities in leadership and how the public’s views on women in leadership roles have changed over time.  Links Alice Eagly, PhD Music Unpretentious Reveal by Drakensson via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices