Archive

TitleContentDateAuthorCategories
Cognitive BiasesPeople who expect fairness or perfection of evolution are bound to be disappointed. Evolution can …2021/04/06Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature2021-04-06 13:32:47
Social StatusDespite variations in definitions, both dictionary-type and operational, the phenomenon of social status seems to …2021/03/23Biopsychosocial, Teaching2021-03-23 15:22:52
EmpathyThe social involvement of our brains is amazing. A thoroughly social brain doesn’t come to …2021/02/23Biopsychosocial, Teaching2021-02-23 10:45:04
Glia and LearningYou can’t learn something unless you almost know it already. Decades ago, that principle was …2021/02/09Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature, Teaching2021-02-09 10:05:27
Visual FlickerPsychology runs hot and cold as we sample its topics. Verbal learning, or mastering paired …2021/01/26Biopsychosocial, Measurement2021-01-26 12:37:49
Stickiness and SlipperinessSome sensations seem to come out of nowhere. We lack stickiness receptors, yet we know …2021/01/12Biopsychosocial, Measurement, Teaching2021-01-12 08:56:43
How Do Beliefs Work?The New Year is almost here! If you want to start it off right, here …2020/12/29Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-12-29 09:11:10
Rude BehaviorJoe Pyne was one of the first rude disk jockeys. Callers found themselves off the …2020/12/17Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-12-17 15:41:54
Movement and MapsWhen we’re navigating over long distances, making long treks, we don’t worry much about the …2020/12/09Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-12-09 15:37:58
StudyingAfter decades of searching for an easy way to learn tough material, I have to …2020/12/01Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-12-01 10:10:44
Chocolate PsychologyChocolate has a psychology. Nougat does not, even though both confections are popular, with long …2020/11/24Biopsychosocial, Myths, Teaching2020-11-24 10:43:32
What Next?When it comes to avoiding nasty surprises, most of us rely on our experience to …2020/11/18Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-11-18 09:47:21
Recognizing FacesAmid the grieving and financial desperation that arrived with COVID-19, the difficulty in recognizing our …2020/11/03Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-11-03 13:29:28
The Call of NatureThough it’s not a published category, disgust of natural causes belongs among the six or …2020/10/20Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature2020-10-20 09:18:42
ThrillsSome folks just don’t make sense to others, eating fugu or cave diving when the …2020/10/13Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-10-13 09:59:07
TravelingThe recent coronavirus has taken us back in time, from luxury travel last year to …2020/10/07Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-10-07 09:55:25
Is Perception Reality?The psychological differences between a frog’s vision and ours should not be overlooked. The frog’s …2020/09/29Myths, Teaching2020-09-29 13:02:46
Human NatureThe assignment for today is to write something that is not true about human nature. …2020/09/22Biopsychosocial, Myths2020-09-22 13:09:29
Keeping Our WitsAirplanes are required to carry more than the minimum weight of fuel that could insure …2020/09/16Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-09-16 09:49:28
Interpersonal SynchronyWhen we’re with other people, we tend to act as they do, and they act …2020/09/08Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-09-08 09:50:59
Why Can’t I Multitask?OK, can you can multitask, as long as the tasks don’t conflict with each other. …2020/09/01Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature2020-09-01 09:20:23
Prehistoric PsychologyWe certainly did not evolve to become bankers and dress designers. As far as anyone …2020/08/25Myths, Translational2020-08-25 10:44:36
Love1, Love2, Love3We follow a biopsychosocial approach almost by necessity in discussing love, though it’s possible to …2020/08/18Teaching, Translational2020-08-18 15:33:33
Placebo ControlsHere and there, Americans are looking for reasons to swallow hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19, often …2020/08/11Biopsychosocial, Measurement2020-08-11 13:03:04
Enjoying NatureThere were no psychologists to right the boat the last time we went overboard for …2020/08/04Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-08-04 11:01:55
MoodsWe make up a lot of what we see and hear. Most situations are ambiguous. …2020/07/28Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-07-28 10:15:52
Thinking About the FutureA global pandemic doomed a lot of social and commercial predictions for 2020, but the …2020/07/21Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-07-21 08:45:36
GamesThe blog post on “Play” would have been a good time to bring up game …2020/07/14Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-07-14 09:23:16
Why Am I Always Cold?Are you feeling cold? That’s not a problem, in principle. We all have a heater …2020/07/07Biopsychosocial, Measurement2020-07-07 08:58:39
MistakesFor any one of us, there is just one mistake: a violation of the plan, …2020/06/30Measurement, Teaching, Uncategorized2020-06-30 09:44:01
ParentingParenting invites dichotomies: Not only are there two kinds of parent, mother and father, but …2020/06/23Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-06-23 09:27:41
Musical RhythmSome people cannot follow a beat. Such beat deafness, a form of amusia, appears in …2020/06/16Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-06-16 11:21:02
A Better Night’s SleepIf you tend to be a target for ads about everyday-carry tools, as I am, …2020/06/09Biopsychosocial, Measurement2020-06-09 10:40:48
Where Do Beliefs Come From?Among Americans, 98 percent of scientists believe that humans evolved over time, and 81 percent …2020/06/02Teaching, Translational2020-06-02 09:52:25
AddictionProminent psychologist Jordan Peterson has undergone recent treatment for a drug habit. He has found …2020/05/26Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-05-26 09:58:18
Emotional IntensitySome people like the thrill of falling from a great height, while many others find …2020/05/19Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-05-19 09:11:04
Compared to What?The psychology curriculum has changed since some of you left the classroom. Not only has …2020/05/12Measurement, Teaching2020-05-12 09:17:50
Eye MovementsOur ability to see with our eyes hardly attracts the attention that the eyes capture …2020/05/05Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature2020-05-05 09:01:38
Stress and DepressionHow much is too much of anything? We often judge poorly. A youngster fails to …2020/04/28It’s a feature, Translational2020-04-28 10:09:54
Taking StockWith the topics I’ve introduced so far, I have tried to show how biological, psychological …2020/04/21Measurement, Teaching2020-04-21 11:00:35
Cheering, Talking, SingingFor many of us, the voice is an unreliable tool. Through inflammation, stress, injury, and …2020/04/14Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-04-14 09:51:41
Left Hand, Right HandYears ago, William Calvin wrote a popular book attributing the evolution of right-handedness to the way it …2020/04/07Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-04-07 09:20:28
Mental EffortThe absentminded professor will remind everyone of mental effort, distracted by a big idea from …2020/03/31Teaching, Translational2020-03-31 05:37:07
LonelinessMost of us experience loneliness. The need to be with others helps us survive, but …2020/03/24Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-03-24 10:16:49
Reaction TimeParaphrasing Robert Benchley, we may say that there are two kinds of people in the …2020/03/17Biopsychosocial, Measurement2020-03-17 10:26:12
ForgettingEven walking through a door will make you forget—unless the door opens onto a toilet, …2020/03/10It’s a feature, Teaching2020-03-10 13:14:31
Behavioral ImmunityOnce again a new disease is threatening us, this time a new coronavirus. We’re familiar …2020/03/03Teaching, Translational2020-03-03 09:27:51
Measuring PainIs your pain the same as my pain? And how much worse is a toothache …2020/02/25Biopsychosocial, Measurement2020-02-25 13:14:41
PlayAre you pro-play or anti-play? After recent concern about study crowding out exercise, schools are …2020/02/18Biopsychosocial, Teaching2020-02-18 08:56:40
ResilienceIt’s remarkable how some other people (and animals, too, including pets) seem to be resistant to stress more than …2020/02/12Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-02-12 15:00:39
NavigationYou can use psychology for navigating. But it occurs to me that if we analyze …2020/02/05Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-02-05 12:06:24
Weather, Sun, Moon and Our BehaviorAfter the earth cooled below the boiling point of water about 4 billion years ago, …2020/01/29Biopsychosocial, Myths2020-01-29 09:20:46
FatigueIt’s important to see our evolutionary traits as features sometimes, instead of bugs. Evolution has …2020/01/27Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature, Teaching2020-01-27 11:30:52
Creating FlavorsFlavor arises as much from psychology as from physiology. The brain constructs flavor, which is …2020/01/20Biopsychosocial, Translational2020-01-20 09:45:37
BoredomWhy, when we should be paying attention to something repetitive, do we get bored? Being …2020/01/20Biopsychosocial, It’s a feature, Teaching2020-01-20 08:00:55
ConfusionWhy does learning involve confusion? Why don’t we just get gradually stronger as we learn, …2020/01/16It’s a feature, Teaching, Translational2020-01-16 10:50:16