Psychology Yesterday

Stories from the behavioral past

Lawrence R. Samuel Ph.D.

Every Day Is Valentine's Day

Love is an unmistakable sensation that is like nothing else and impossible to replicate, ensuring that the anti-love movement can gain only a certain amount of traction.

Is It Good or Bad to Think of the Past?

Is spending considerable time in a world that no longer exists a normal and even healthy effort of problem-solving—or a disturbing sign of a past-obsessed psyche?

Let’s Get Rid of States to Unite Americans

Our 50 states are no longer culturally diverse regions with their own respective identities but artificially constructed entities that would not be formed today.

Is the American Way of Life More Democratic or Republican?

Democrats and Republicans have struggled mightily over the meaning of the American Way of Life ever since the phrase was coined, each side fully believing it was right.

Why Are We Told That Good Grades Lead to Success in Life?

The linear model of success that is inculcated at an early age is just a nice, comforting, and easily understandable story that has little relevance in real life.

Why Are Americans Fascinated by Ghosts?

Ghosts have long had a visible (or invisible) presence in American popular culture, in part because many of us believe they actually exist.

The Rise of Supernaturalism

While the 1920s was a great decade for all things supernatural, it was during the 1930s when the field really took off.

Bewitched

The cultural climate of the late 60s and 70s accepted if not encouraged ideas and things that went beyond the straight and narrow.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

What is it about the chance to become a millionaire that continues to resonate?

The Secret to Success

It is the pursuing of one’s passions and the taking on of challenges that represents the “secret formula” to being a successful person.

Are You a Success?

Americans’ relationship with success has been a complicated one, filled with contradictions and ambiguity.

What Are Psychobiography and Psychohistory?

In her about-to-be published memoir, psychologist Mary Trump applies the tools of the trade in her analysis of a president—as others have done before.

Is the American Flag a Symbol of Racism?

The American flag is part of the closer scrutiny being paid to racial inequalities, both past and present.

Reconstructing the Past

Joe DiMaggio got more coverage than George Washington Carver in one popular high school textbook.

Black History Matters

Psychologists have argued that how the history of a particular group was portrayed played an important role in shaping the relative self-worth of a young member of that group.

The “Integration” of American History Textbooks

While American history was becoming more professional in the 1950s, the field had a long way to go in its treatment of African Americans in textbooks.

The Last "Apocalypse"

Computer programming practices of decades past provided the perfect scenario for us to construct a convincing narrative of our demise: Y2K.

Dystopia: A Brief History

Science fiction has served as the primary launching pad of twisted tomorrows over the past century and a half.

The Problem of Death

Science and spiritism each emerged as possible solutions to the “problem” of death a century ago.

To Love or Not to Love?

Much like its emotional sibling, happiness, love has proved to be a challenging and frustrating pursuit, filled with complexities and contradictions.

Love, American Style

Is romantic love the heart and soul of life or merely a chemically induced fantasy taken too seriously?

Notes from a Writing Life

Many Americans aspire to author a book but few understand how writers actually do what they do.

The Mystery of Writing

Many writers recognize that their unconscious plays a big part in whatever they ultimately put down on paper.

Is There Such a Thing as a Soul Mate?

For the past century, American popular culture has embraced and reinforced the powerful notion of the soul mate.

A Brief History of Writer’s Block

While writer’s block has probably always existed, the psychological syndrome did not receive much attention within literary circles until the latter part of the 20th century.

10 Myths That Shape How Americans Think and Act

Myths directly shape how Americans think and act, making them essential components of our individual and collective psychology.

12 Ways to Be Happier in 2020

My proposed 12 essential ingredients of happiness, based on a deep dive into the subject.

The Past, Present, and Future of Death in America

The louder conversation about death and dying during the past half-century has not made Americans any more comfortable with the subject.

Dropping the "L" Bomb

Expressing one’s love by saying those three little words goes a long way to assuring one’s partner they have something real and special.

Is Romantic Love Going Extinct?

The low marriage rate among millennials reflects a “down with love” attitude, something that presents major social and cultural implications for the future.

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