Me. Myself. I. Since its beginning, American culture has placed great emphasis on originality. In recent years, advertising and marketing campaigns have taken this concept even further: Be Yourself. Be Original. Be Different. But in a seemingly never-ending sea of individuals all trying to be different, how does one truly stand out? How do truly […]
Most people have heard of genetics and have a pretty good idea of what it is. One may remember hearing about Mendel’s peas, DNA, and genes back in school. And although this idea of “classical genetics” remains intact as a scientific idea today, in more recent years, scientists have been unlocking the secrets of inheritance […]
Do you ever wonder why when you’re interrupted in the middle of a task you can’t stop thinking about it? This is called The Zeigarnik Effect, and psychologists have recognized it for decades. Back in 1927, a Lithuanian psychologist named Bluma Zeigarnik spent a lot of time thinking about why—after a colleague noticed—“a waiter could […]
Public controversies in the United States are not new, but it seems that in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere around the country, public controversies have become the new norm these days. Some of these controversies are political, scientific, public, and policy based. Adding complexity, the general public often looks to professionals in various professions to weigh […]
Earth-based spiritual traditions—Wicca, Paganism, etc.—are some of the oldest and most enduring spiritual traditions of humanity. Some of these traditions, particularly Wicca, have ancient roots, which span back for thousands of years. And even though these traditions are not directly related to psychology, there are—surprisingly—some intersections that remain worth exploring. Contrary to what most people […]
Psychology isn’t merely an academic discipline. It is, rather, the landscape of your inner world. All of the experiences an individual has—their feelings, thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and memories—are what psychology is all about. One question may arise: How does psychology affect your life? Here, we explore three broad areas where psychology influences your inner world. […]
With a new school year right around the corner, some students who are either psychology majors or students who are thinking about taking a psychology course for the first time may ask themselves: Which psychology courses are the best? Of course, the answer to the abovementioned question is highly subjective; however, that said, it may […]
Substance use disorders describe a specific set of disorders—including the abuse of alcohol, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics—which impair the individual in some way. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), “The essential feature of a substance use disorder is a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the […]
To ask—“What do humans and animals have in common on a psychological level?”—remains open to debate, controversy, and opens up decades of research in psychology and the biological sciences alike. So, there isn’t an easy answer. That said, however, over the years researchers have found a general understanding of the extent to which animals possess […]
The idea of love and the feelings it generates has been the subject of art, literature, philosophy, and psychological research for decades. True, some may argue that something as ambiguous and seemingly ethereal as love cannot be the subject of scientific inquiry. That said, however, love has been investigated and considered as a serious research […]