At times—mostly within the context of a classroom—I shrug my shoulders and roll my eyes at the suggestion from a teacher or professor that it’s now time to “pair up” or get into a group for some classroom activity. And although working in groups occurs at work and sometimes maybe even at home, the idea […]
There are many times in life when we may be called upon to rise above adverse circumstances, to overcome challenges, or to keep moving forward—even if we may not have the inner strength to do so. This ability to find strength in tough times goes by many names. In the psychological literature, it may be […]
Over the last decade, the rise of social media has been fast and complete. There have been many positive aspects about the role of social media, such as its use in political community organization (e.g., the Arab Spring of 2011) and the ability of users to stay connected to friends and family. That said, however, some […]
Born in 1921 in Providence, Rhode Island, Aaron Beck would go on to develop one of the most effective approaches to treating depression. Depression is a mental health condition which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “ . . . is one of the leading causes of disease or injury worldwide for both […]
One subject that has been on my mind lately is motivation. Motivation is something that may often be taken for granted. When we have it, we barely notice it; but when it is not there, its absence leaves a noticeable hole. Important questions remain: What exactly is motivation? How do we find it? And how […]
The Psychology of Super Heroes (Part 2): “Does Iron Man have ADHD? How Much Does Captain America Confirm to Gender Norms? and Other ‘Super’ Questions (and Answers), Revealed In recent years, movies featuring superheroes have exploded The Superhero genre of movies has exploded in recent years: DC’s Superman and Batman films, and, of course, Marvel’s […]
Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion about conspiracy theories in the mainstream media and elsewhere. The concept of “truth” in a broad philosophical sense and “fact” appear to be fragmented. Can anyone appear on what is true and what isn’t? Over the past year, there has been a lot of […]
At a glance, psychology and finance appear to have almost nothing in common. Money, by its nature, is a social construction, quantitative, and seemingly resides “out there” apart from feelings, memories and emotions. The human mind, on the other hand, is subjective, biological, and “inside” of us. But, as it turns out, what people do […]
The field of psychology has really grown up over the last hundred years or so. Historians of the field often note that psychology grew off of a branch of philosophy in a similar way in which the natural sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology) did centuries before. In that time, many men and women have contributed to the […]
For many of us, the word “solitude” may conjure up feelings of anxiety and fear. In fact, being alone tends to only work well in a Goldilocks sense: not too much or too little is good for us. Yet, in general, apart from the occasional novelist or scientific genius, for many people, being alone is […]