Psychology Today Blogs

Buddhism 2.0

David P. Barash, Ph.D. — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 06:35:49 +0000

Although in its early stages, Buddhism emphasized personal enlightenment and, if anything, withdrawal from the world, modern "engaged Buddhism" (aka "Buddhism 2.0") does anything but. And both Buddhists and the world are better off as a result.

The Most Famous Murder We Were All Lied To About

Susan K. Perry, Ph.D. — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 03:21:25 +0000

Fifty years ago, Kitty Genovese was 29 when she was viciously assaulted and stabbed to death. Psychology textbooks all teach about the crime, as it led to the theory of “the bystander effect.” Now we can read a much fuller version of the whole story in a compelling new book.

How To Love Unconditionally When You're Angry

Laura Markham, Ph.D. — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 02:06:56 +0000

Loving unconditionally is "Win-Win" parenting. That's because not acting on your anger creates more space for love. And where there is more love, there is always more room for miracles.

Knowing a Child’s Learning Style Improves Memory Skills

Kate Roberts, Ph.D. — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 00:18:57 +0000

When parents understand and can accommodate to a child's learning style, their memory skills and abilities will improve. A child's ability to recall and feel competent at memory tasks and rote learning, will boost self-esteem and enhance their self-image as a successful student and learner.

What Do Zoos Teach About Biodiversity and Does it Matter?

Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 20:48:58 +0000

This week I was alerted to a new international study called "A Global Evaluation of Biodiversity Literacy in Zoo and Aquarium Visitors". The data, which were published in-house by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, showed an increase "in respondents demonstrating some positive evidence of biodiversity understanding". What this means for the animals is unknown.

When Are Equivalent Acts Not Equal?

Jesse Marczyk — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 20:29:01 +0000

Saving yourself at someone else's expense seems to be morally worse than someone else doing the same thing to save you.

10 Keys to Happier Living Based on Self-Acceptance

Christopher Bergland — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 19:44:59 +0000

A March 2014 survey by psychologists who study happiness has identified “ten keys to happier living” and daily habits that make people happy.

The Feelings of Children with ADHD

Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 18:13:06 +0000

What feelings are associated with ADHD?

An Extrovert's Lament, An Introvert's Response

Sophia Dembling — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 17:44:05 +0000

An extrovert writes about problems she faces as an extrovert--but are they really problems?

Downtime: 31 Ways to Embrace Saturday Night Alone

Rita Watson — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 17:33:47 +0000

Instead of looking forward to what we can do in the future, it might be more valuable to ask, “What can I do tonight?”

Are Family Businesses Lazy?

Ken Eisold, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 16:59:41 +0000

The CEOs of family businesses “worked 8% fewer hours than managers without genetic ties to their companies.” This conclusion was reached by a study of CEOs in India, but it “found similar disparities in Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the U.S.,” according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. But what does that mean?

Serial Killer Culture, Revisited

Katherine Ramsland — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 16:35:24 +0000

A new documentary examines a cross-section of artists, musicians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and collectors of serial killer murderabilia.

What the Dog's Nose Tells the Dog's Brain: Humans Come First

Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 15:32:17 +0000

fMRI studies show dogs discriminate familiar from unfamiliar odors and that the response of the caudate nucleus in their brain is strongest to the odor of a familiar human scent rather than to the odor of another dog. Neuroimaging studies are important in demonstrating not only the power of the dog's nose but also provide confirmation of the strong dog-human relationship.

Facebook Personalities

Bernardo Tirado, PMP — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 14:26:49 +0000

Over the past year, I studied what people were posting on Facebook and how often they were posting. What I found was quite revealing. There are four types of Facebook personalities. You may know some of them already but what you may not know is what’s hidden underneath the surface.

8 Ways to Make a Great Grand Entrance

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 13:37:32 +0000

First impressions count almost more than any other aspect of our nonverbal behavior. Managing your own can prove vital in every aspect of your daily life from your social encounters to your romantic relationships. These 8 tips will ensure that your entrances will be both grand and great.

The Real Story of the Murder Where "No One Cared"

Arthur Dobrin, D.S.W. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 11:28:51 +0000

The murder of Kitty Genovese is an iconic event but it would serve us better if we recognize its complexity

Philosophy as Therapy

Robert D. Stolorow, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 02:33:47 +0000

For both Martin Heidegger and Ludwig Wittgenstein, the purpose of philosophical concepts is to point us toward the path of transformation rather than to explain. Both philosophers seek to expose the illusions, sedimented in linguistic practices, that cover up our finitude and context-embeddedness.

Kohl’s Cash for the Cure Pretties Up Breast Cancer

Gayle A. Sulik, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 02:15:48 +0000

A Kohl’s-Komen campaign uses the breast cancer brand to create a cause marketing relationship that helps the company build a reputation as a good corporate citizen, deepen employee loyalty and increase sales. Does the partnership help the breast cancer cause and do any good for the real elephant in the room?

Emotions in the Wake of Disaster

Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Ph.D. — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 01:08:13 +0000

A new study of people living in Tokyo, Japan during the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis reveals important relationships between how you respond to emotion and measures of psychological health.

Connecting Through Eye Contact

John Amodeo, PhD, MFT — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:47:11 +0000

Through eye contact, we connect not only with others, but with the mystery and beauty of being alive. Allowing our eyes to soften and receive people can open us to a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Healthy Maternal Diet Reduces Risk of Preterm Delivery

Christopher Bergland — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 22:00:24 +0000

A new study has found that pregnant women who eat a healthy diet have a significantly reduced risk of preterm delivery. Recent studies also show that fathers-to-be should strive to eat healthfully and stay fit when conceiving a baby.

Want to Read About Writing?

Gretchen Rubin — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 21:17:18 +0000

Okay I must stop, or I’ll end up quoting dozens of passages.

Love Better by Fighting Smarter: Humor's Role in Conflict

Theresa DiDonato, Ph.D. — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 21:06:19 +0000

How does humor affect the outcome of romantic conflicts? Do some styles provoke anger while others ease tension? By knowing what to look for, we can stop using unhelpful humor and instead integrate positive humors that enhance the quality of conflict resolution.

Never Too Early to Learn Low-fat: Part 3

Pam Schoenfeld, MS, RD — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 20:08:10 +0000

To address the increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, conventional recommendations include low-fat dairy and lean proteins. Does the evidence support this position? Is there a potential for harm to growing children if these recommendations are followed?

“I Realized I Don’t Have to Believe My Thoughts”

Tara Brach, Ph.D. — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 20:07:38 +0000

Our mindfulness practice is not about vanquishing our thoughts. It’s about becoming aware of the process of thinking so that we are not in a trance—lost inside our thoughts. That’s the big difference.

The Psychology of Nutrition

Amie M. Gordon, PhD — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 19:32:12 +0000

Imagine you are alone on a desert island for one year and you can have water and one other food. Your options: corn, alfalfa sprouts, hot dogs, spinach, peaches, bananas, milk chocolate. When asked this question, only 7% of people chose a food that could actually offer them the calories and nutrients they needed for survival.

Think You're Too Good for Your Partner?

Linda and Charlie Bloom, — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 19:18:43 +0000

Although Fran suspected that sooner or later they would divorce, she never thought that Erik would be the one to initiate. This hit her hard and provoked a process of painful self-examination that eventually led her to see how her impossible expectations had set up the marriage for disaster.

The Emotional Machine and You

Richard Yonck — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 19:02:06 +0000

Computers are becoming increasingly capable of interpreting and manipulating human emotion. How will this alter our relationship with our technology?

Women on the Verge of Exhaustion

Peggy Drexler, Ph.D. — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 18:08:51 +0000

Kids, career, friends, family, and loads of stress: how women’s collective work-life fatigue is holding them back.

Upset About Something? Here's What to Do

Tina Gilbertson, LPC — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:19:21 +0000

Relationship troubles, a bad work environment, lack of purpose or meaning in life -- for most of us these are painful problems. In fact, most of the problems we face are emotional because if we didn’t have emotions, they wouldn’t be problems! The solution lies in our emotions, too. But it may not be what we've been led to believe.