The Winner Effect

Social Networking

Murder and the Digital Self

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on August 28, 2015

Social media have changed us into directors of scripts of our own lives. This creates a detachment and possibly a change in "self", making us spectators and would-be journalists who act out our scripted fantasies, which in some tragic cases such as the Virginia live TV shootings, include murder.

Social media have changed us into directors of scripts of our own lives. This creates a detachment and possibly a change in "self", making us spectators and would-be journalists who act out our scripted fantasies, which in some tragic cases such as the Virginia live TV shootings, include murder.

Anger

ISIS Savagery Explained

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on August 18, 2014

Carrying out beheadings and other extreme acts is unthinkable for most people, but the right cocktail of factors can make anyone an extremist.

Carrying out beheadings and other extreme acts is unthinkable for most people, but the right cocktail of factors can make anyone an extremist.

Luis Suarez's biting is inseparable from his soccer genius. to exercise it, he has to let automatic brain systems operate by toning down the inhibitory systems which would prevent undesirable habits like biting being released.

Vladimir Putin's actions in Crimea are driven partly by a psychological profile characterised by contempt for others, and this in turn is a natural outcome of the near-unfettered power he has held directly or by proxy for the last 15 years in Russia. Appeasement of his actions will only reinforce this contempt and strong sanctions are the only way of addressing this.

Leaders who have a personality profile which includes a high need for power are more likely to take their countries to war. After more than 15 years in power, Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing many of the symptoms of the "hubris syndrome"—a set of personality changes which afflict most leaders who hold power for more than ten years.

Boredom is an emotion with a purpose. It detaches us from current goals so that new, perhaps more interesting ones, can spring to mind more easily. Boredom stimulates creativity.

Creativity

Can Smartphones Reduce Your Creativity?

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on January 3, 2014

Constant smartphone use can become a bad habit like nail biting. If every few seconds you are checking your smartphone, beware - you might be sapping your creativity and worsening your memory. Doing nothing can sometimes be the very best brain trainer.

Constant smartphone use can become a bad habit like nail biting. If every few seconds you are checking your smartphone, beware - you might be sapping your creativity and worsening your memory. Doing nothing can sometimes be the very best brain trainer.

Ethics and Morality

Madiba: The Gray Areas of Greatness

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on December 6, 2013

Lord Acton said that power corrupts but he went on to say that "great men are almost always bad men." Is this true of Nelson Mandela? He did bad things but the good things he did reshaped him to transform him into the inspirational person he was. Everyone does some bad some time, including psychotherapists and denying the bad can lead to its perpetuation.

Lord Acton said that power corrupts but he went on to say that "great men are almost always bad men." Is this true of Nelson Mandela? He did bad things but the good things he did reshaped him to transform him into the inspirational person he was. Everyone does some bad some time, including psychotherapists and denying the bad can lead to its perpetuation.

Fear

Success and Fear of Failure in Sport and Life

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on November 30, 2013

The struggle between approach and avoidance is one of the most fundamental in the human mind. Approach focuses on rewards and fosters optimism, confidence and good motivated performance. Avoidance focuses on punishment and triggers wariness, anxiety, inhibition and doubt. Each can become self-fulfilling, with success breeding success, and failure breeding failure.

The struggle between approach and avoidance is one of the most fundamental in the human mind. Approach focuses on rewards and fosters optimism, confidence and good motivated performance. Avoidance focuses on punishment and triggers wariness, anxiety, inhibition and doubt. Each can become self-fulfilling, with success breeding success, and failure breeding failure.

What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? The big three motivators are affiliation, achievement and power, David McLelland showed. But often what we do doesn't match well with our motivational profile. For example, to be a good manager, you shouldn’t have too great a need to be liked and you might be happier in a support position rather than being boss.

Attention

Accidents and the Driver's Brain

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on July 29, 2013

Keeping your mind on routine tasks is one of the hardest challenges for the human brain. But without it, the mind wanders, and the result when people are in control of tons of fast-moving steel can be carnage. How does our brain keep focused under conditions of routine when drifting into 'automatic pilot' is so temptingly easy?

Keeping your mind on routine tasks is one of the hardest challenges for the human brain. But without it, the mind wanders, and the result when people are in control of tons of fast-moving steel can be carnage. How does our brain keep focused under conditions of routine when drifting into 'automatic pilot' is so temptingly easy?

Personality

Are Women Less Greedy than Men?

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on June 30, 2013

Men figure more than women in financial scandals and more often are drug addicts and compulsive gamblers. Greed arises from 'mainlining' of powerful reward agents directly into the brain's reward system, including drugs such as cocaine and activities such as sex, power and gambling. Does men's greed distorts personality and morals in the way drugs can do?

Men figure more than women in financial scandals and more often are drug addicts and compulsive gamblers. Greed arises from 'mainlining' of powerful reward agents directly into the brain's reward system, including drugs such as cocaine and activities such as sex, power and gambling. Does men's greed distorts personality and morals in the way drugs can do?

Stress

Can Your Posture Make You Feel in Control and Less Stressed?

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on June 19, 2013

Fake it till you make it: Research shows that adopting the trappings of being top dog—by an expansive posture for instance—boosts testosterone and hence triggers feelings of confidence. Power poses like this even lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So pay attention to your posture and make sure you aren't sabotaging your confidence by low power stances.

Fake it till you make it: Research shows that adopting the trappings of being top dog—by an expansive posture for instance—boosts testosterone and hence triggers feelings of confidence. Power poses like this even lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So pay attention to your posture and make sure you aren't sabotaging your confidence by low power stances.

Attention

What Two Things Most Shape our Lives? Love and Attention

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on June 2, 2013

Love and attention shape our lives more profoundly than anything else. Experience physically reshapes our brains, but only if attended to and attention is a set of skills which have to be shaped in children by a loving carer. Emotional problems disrupt attention and can cause cognitive and learning problems, while poor attention makes it hard to control emotions.

Love and attention shape our lives more profoundly than anything else. Experience physically reshapes our brains, but only if attended to and attention is a set of skills which have to be shaped in children by a loving carer. Emotional problems disrupt attention and can cause cognitive and learning problems, while poor attention makes it hard to control emotions.

Genetics

Genetics as Social Work? A Thought Is as Real as an Atom.

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on May 11, 2013

Many billions of dollars more are spent in biological research into mental disorder than in psychological or social research, yet biological research has largely failed to produce new treatments. Psychology is no less 'real' than physics or genetics and real progress in finding new treatments will only come when biologists, psychologists and social scientists pull together

Many billions of dollars more are spent in biological research into mental disorder than in psychological or social research, yet biological research has largely failed to produce new treatments. Psychology is no less 'real' than physics or genetics and real progress in finding new treatments will only come when biologists, psychologists and social scientists pull together

Philosophy

Margaret Thatcher UK Death Celebrations Reveal Sick Society

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on April 14, 2013

The widespread public celebrations of Margaret Thatcher's death by some sections of the UK population reveal a dangerous loss of one of humanity's most basic social instincts, which is to show respect or reverence for the extinction of a human consciousness. Would the death of a key figure on either side of USA's acrid political divide yield similar responses?

The widespread public celebrations of Margaret Thatcher's death by some sections of the UK population reveal a dangerous loss of one of humanity's most basic social instincts, which is to show respect or reverence for the extinction of a human consciousness. Would the death of a key figure on either side of USA's acrid political divide yield similar responses?

Leadership

Women, Power and Margaret Thatcher

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on April 8, 2013

Margaret Thatcher showed that the limits to women's power and leadership are social, not biological. But she also showed that women are almost as vulnerable to the cognitively and emotionally distorting effects of power.

Margaret Thatcher showed that the limits to women's power and leadership are social, not biological. But she also showed that women are almost as vulnerable to the cognitively and emotionally distorting effects of power.

North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un is behaving rationally. The survival of his dictatorship depends on maintaining a sense of threat from the outside world, and empowering his impoverished people with images of military power and nuclear attack. But absolute power distorts rational judgment and there is a real risk of miscalculation.

ADHD

The Lazy Doctor and the Drunk Electrician

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on April 2, 2013

ADHD is being grossly over diagnosed, with around one in five US high school students having been labelled with this disorder. The adolescent brain is uniquely malleable and any drugs can produce long term changes - no-one knows what these might be in the future. Drugging the adolescent brain without good medical cause is like having a drunk electrician rewire your house.

ADHD is being grossly over diagnosed, with around one in five US high school students having been labelled with this disorder. The adolescent brain is uniquely malleable and any drugs can produce long term changes - no-one knows what these might be in the future. Drugging the adolescent brain without good medical cause is like having a drunk electrician rewire your house.

Self-Control

What the Pope’s Resignation Tells Us About His Brain

Ian H. Robertson Ph.D. on February 11, 2013

One of the less commonly recognized effects of age on the brain is a diminished ability to recognize your own errors, leading to an impaired ability to be aware of your own reduced capacities. Pope Benedict's decision to resign is a remarkable demonstration of self control and intact cognitive functionin someone who holds enormous power, the first pope since 1415 to do so.

One of the less commonly recognized effects of age on the brain is a diminished ability to recognize your own errors, leading to an impaired ability to be aware of your own reduced capacities. Pope Benedict's decision to resign is a remarkable demonstration of self control and intact cognitive functionin someone who holds enormous power, the first pope since 1415 to do so.